Connect a tuner to the internet, for internet radio...

[Soundstage3]

Hello,

I have a question? Does anyone know what it might take to connect a tuner to the internet? I have a dbx TX-3MkII tuner and had it hooked to the internet a few years ago and was able to actually listen to various radio stations, via the internet, by just (somehow) attaching to the 75 Ohm antenna port on the back of the tuner. But that was on a cable modem sort of configuration, which I believe the ISP might have been providing/sponsoring as part of their overall service package (guessing on that last part).

So I've been looking around the internet, and can't seem to locate anything saying that I can, or cannot connect a LAN cable to a balun and then to the back of my tuner.

Anyone have some experience with this, and how it might work. Or do I need to lay off the special sauce, thinking that something like this might actually work...somehow???

 

[ap14608]

I do not have first hand knowledge of this tuner, but a quick google search hints that it is from the 80's...the pre-internet era.

It is highly unlikely that your tuner was 'connected to the internet". A technical definition of 'connected to the internet' would be the it has a TCP/IP address.

It is more likely that your cable company was providing some radio stations over their service.

A more modern device could be found that supports over the air radio in addition to internet access. I would suggest looking on your local amazon or other retailer site in Germany

 

[hjames]

I was a head-end engineer at some of the Wash. DC suburban CATV system. At times, some of them had equipment to capture local FM radio stations and put them on the CATV system in the FM radio band. In theory, they charged a fee for the service, because there were equipment costs for the company to do so, and to manage the signal quality. Later on - some companies offered digital music channels that required a decoder device at the subscriber's home to access. Again, there was a fee to monitize the service for the local CATV system customers.

But - this was not "on the internet" - it was on the local CATV wired distribution system.

Streaming services now a days are different. They utilize some kind of computer or dedicated device that actually connects to the internet,
connects to a service, decodes that signal and outputs it in an audio format for your enjoyment. Some are pay services, some are advertiser supported, some are free. But the devices for these services are nothing like a radio tuner.

Hello,

I have a question? Does anyone know what it might take to connect a tuner to the internet? I have a dbx TX-3MkII tuner and had it hooked to the internet a few years ago and was able to actually listen to various radio stations, via the internet, by just (somehow) attaching to the 75 Ohm antenna port on the back of the tuner. But that was on a cable modem sort of configuration, which I believe the ISP might have been providing/sponsoring as part of their overall service package (guessing on that last part).

So I've been looking around the internet, and can't seem to locate anything saying that I can, or cannot connect a LAN cable to a balun and then to the back of my tuner.

Anyone have some experience with this, and how it might work. Or do I need to lay off the special sauce, thinking that something like this might actually work...somehow???

 

[Punker X]

There are FM transmitters of varying quality out there. Can use any computer to the transmitter and contact any tuner in the house to internet. I run a Ramsey FM100B running off a Roon NUC core via a DAC, Can stream any station, listen to anything in my library, or Tidal.

Last time I recall cable companies relaying stations was the early 90's, Stopped after offered music choice or something of that sort with different themed stations.

 

[Soundstage3]

Ok, I have to admit, I've got to be more careful about my wording! LOL!!! Granted, the tuner did not actually pull an IP addy, so yeah, it wasn't technically connected to the internet. Maybe it would have been better to state that it was physically connected, I believe via balun, to port on my switch. The ISP at that time was KabelDeutschland (before they were purchased by Vodafone), so this was around the 2006/7-ish timeframe. So yeah, believe that I was running a cable modem of sorts, so this was potentially a service that was being provided. I'm currently with Deutsche Glasfaser and am pretty sure that they do not offer some sort of a radio service. My office is in the basement, so pulling a radio signal via my tuner is a bit of a challenge, but that might just be the best option for this. Too bad, I'll miss pulling in some of the stations out of Berlin like Jam FM.

Oh, also there is a possibility that the tuner is indeed from the 80's era, but I purchased it new, in the box, at Rhein Main Air Base, which was near Frankfurt, Germany in the early '90's. So that is a very definite possibility.

Thanks all!

 

[zipcord]

"I have a question? Does anyone know what it might take to connect a tuner to the internet?"
The internet is a stream of individual packets of data made up of digits, 1's and 0's. Each packet has a from and send to address and is numbered so your computer can assemble the packets into something coherent, like music. The brute force approach requiring millions of calculation every moment.
Radio is a continuous electromagnetic wave form modulated to be an analog of the continuous sonic waveform of, say, music. Sinuously, and simply, elegant.

 

[wallacefl]

Out of my lack of technical knowledge....would it be feasible to take a digital signal off a cable system now, convert it to a non- broadcast FM signal(frequency)...and the hook a cable up to your receiver/tuner. As an example I like the jazz station on my Infinity cable but wish I could just turn off the TV portion and listen to it on mu tuner.

 

[hjames]

Out of my lack of technical knowledge....would it be feasible to take a digital signal off a cable system now, convert it to a non- broadcast FM signal(frequency)...and the hook a cable up to your receiver/tuner. As an example I like the jazz station on my Infinity cable but wish I could just turn off the TV portion and listen to it on my tuner.

Converting an audio feed from your Digital music channel? Convert that service to an FM frequency feed?
I don't know enough of how they are feeding that to you - some cable systems already put their digital music channels in the FM bands - most don't.

Best to connect to Technical support for your local CATV system to find out - if you have that option.

 

[BOUXY]

Hook a Stereo cable that fits your Computer's Audio output at one end with the proper Stereo Mini Jack and on the other end can be hooked left/right with RCA's(Might need Adapter) to your Aux Input on your Receiver or Amp and Voila your free to Google any FM Stereo Signal that is free @ no cost to you on the Internet

 

[Lavane]

I was a head-end engineer at some of the Wash. DC suburban CATV system. At times, some of them had equipment to capture local FM radio stations and put them on the CATV system in the FM radio band. In theory, they charged a fee for the service, because there were equipment costs for the company to do so, and to manage the signal quality. Later on - some companies offered digital music channels that required a decoder device at the subscriber's home to access. Again, there was a fee to monitize the service for the local CATV system customers.

But - this was not "on the internet" - it was on the local CATV wired distribution system.

Streaming services now a days are different. They utilize some kind of computer or dedicated device that actually connects to the internet,
connects to a service, decodes that signal and outputs it in an audio format for your enjoyment. Some are pay services, some are advertiser supported, some are free. But the devices for these services are nothing like a radio tuner.

How did you charge for the FM coming through the cable? I seem to remember doing this and didn't have to pay anything. Maybe they just didn't know I was doing it? The cable company here just had an FM antenna up on a tower. It blew off in a storm in the eay 90's and that was that.

 

[hjames]

How did you charge for the FM coming through the cable? I seem to remember doing this and didn't have to pay anything. Maybe they just didn't know I was doing it? The cable company here just had an FM antenna up on a tower. It blew off in a storm in the eay 90's and that was that.

Sure - anyone could tie a splitter to the coax and feed it to their receiver/tuner - but many folks didn't know that so they'd pay a technician for an FM Hookup
and the tech would do it and the customer would be billed $3.50 or so a month for an "extra drop."
Hey - that was the original deal maybe 30 years ago now ...
Later on, management had me pull the FM feed out of the headend and I installed some digital satellite music device from Scientific Atlanta -
and customers had to rent a decoder to listen to those feeds. Again - many years ago now.