[ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

Hey guys, i finally finished my "Empty Frequencies Finder" (E.F.F) shell script program:D! Tested it many times and works fine. Execute it, select the range to be scanned for example 99200-123400 (99200 equals to 99.2 and 123400 to 123.4 FM) and will find the empty/free frequencies for you so you can clearly transmit to your radio :). Versions with more features and ui improvements will follow (i have some ideas in my mind:cool:).

I would really appreciate it, if someone could help me create a deb file, so its easier for people to install and run via the app menu.

I am currently makiing, a much better with more features C++/Qt version of it .

***CHANGE-LOG***
1.1.1
Added the chance to select for how empty frequencies to search
Now every cancel button can really cancel the process
Fixed the sound/gstreamer problem

1.2.3
Added the chance to select if you want gui or not during scanning so you can multitask
Better scanning results
Some ui changes

1.3.0
Checks if headphones are pluged in
Fixed some "bugs"

1.3.1
Fixed percentage calculation (was passing 100 before)
Corrected some spelling mistakes (scaning -> scanning) :D

1.3.2
Checks if you have zenity installed

1.4.0
Fixed "sudo gainroot" problem...partially

1.4.2
Added more comments, beautyfied more the script
Prefixed zenity, thanks to MohammadAG :)
Corrected an expr issue
Now you can run EFF with root **AND** sudo gainroot!!!

EFF-1.0.5 http://www.mediafire.com/?5vphcgc2qk52iv6
EFF-1.1.1 http://www.mediafire.com/?nd9ddjxm1nadcdf
EFF-1.2.3 http://www.mediafire.com/?9rd92nw1r1y70j1
EFF-1.3.0 http://www.mediafire.com/?nbbne7yz7y7oq8u
EFF-1.3.1 http://www.mediafire.com/?woi4t2x7k274l3p
EFF-1.3.2 http://www.mediafire.com/?l685bc7c7dam117
EFF-1.4.0 http://www.mediafire.com/?m5xq81w58n7512v
EFF-1.4.2 http://www.mediafire.com/?5l0ngxbuja1rqw8

Also, thanks to martin grimme/pycage that helped me to control the reciever.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

Good work man i think this will be good if deb file i will try now

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

so many people are gonna love you for this, its an idea waiting to be implemented into so many thing, maybe at an early stage now but i'm sure with a little help you'll be perfecting and integrating it in no time!

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

I am planning to release a new version (probably tomorrow), that will offer you the chance to select: for how much empty frequencies to search.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

How can i run it?

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

Just one suggestion - perhaps a slightly softer sound when scanning.
Also there appears to be no way to cancel the scan. Cancelling still leaves the sound running.


Thanks for this.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

I don't think it's necessary to have the gstreamer soundpipe running while scanning, so you could completely go without the sound.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

Great stuff dude!!

...where is your "Donate" link?

...I agree with the others about the sound ... perhaps you can make it optional?

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

someone can explain me how to run this?

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

DO THIS:
open xterm
type:
mkdir /home/user/bin
mv /home/user/MyDocs/<the path of your download file>
chmod u+x /home/user/bin/EFF-1.0.5
root
/home/user/bin/EFF-1.0.5

You need to do the above only once. The next time you want to run the EFF, just type:
/home/user/bin/EFF-1.0.5

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

@Bratag
I will fix that on the next version.

@pycage
Will fix that too on the next version. I thought i removed it :)

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

it's what i've done but it display me a lot of errors

/home/user/bin/EFF-1.0.5: line 72: zenity: not found
/home/user/bin/EFF-1.0.5: line 164: zenity: not found
/home/user/bin/EFF-1.0.5: line 164: zenity: not found
expr: syntax error
expr: syntax error
expr: non-numeric argument
expr: syntax error
/home/user/bin/EFF-1.0.5: line 164: zenity: not found
/home/user/bin/EFF-1.0.5: line 164: zenity: not found

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

The idea is great, where I live is filled with almost 100% of the frequencies.

I'll try and see this.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

he's an idea for an extension of this - link the program to control the frequency the phone outputs on and utilise RDS to control the target radio, switching frequencies automatically when interferance is detected.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

Cool hack, BLIZZARD; I'm definitely gonna have to try this out.

Unfortunately, that's a bit more complicated than it sounds...

First, it's not currently possible to use FM receiver and FM transmitter at the same time. There's probably a direct interlock, but there's also the fact that fmrx requires headphones (for an antenna), and fmtx won't run with headphones (presumably to avoid them functioning as an antenna and exceeding field strength limits). This stuff may be software-overridable (at your own risk of FCC wrath) but there's more...

Second, if you get RX on while transmitting, the recieved signal is likely to be too strong -- probably won't destroy anything, but it will overload the receiver and you will get garbage, on frequency and for any nearby frequencies (depending on the tuning filter, but FM tuning filters are generally not very high Q, because the capture effect eliminates the need for it).

Third, even if you get FM tx and clean rx in the same device, it will always hear itself strongly (because it's no more than 4" away) even when there's significant interference at your vehicle's antenna (10x as far away = 0.01x field strength), and because of the FM capture effect, it will be difficult to impossible to establish a meaningful interference measurement for those conditions.

So basically, you have to stop transmitting for a moment to check interference strength, which could plausibly be done between songs (assuming no interference). Then, if you do have interference, you'll again need to shut down the output to scan for a new channel, power the tx back up, and use RDS to hop the radio onto the new channel. Meanwhile, since there is interference, and you've just disabled the fmtx, the receiver will be picking up the interfering station for some seconds, before it eventually comes back on and switches channel.

To me, that sounds highly disruptive as a listener, and I'd much rather have the same stop/scan/restart/hop happen by user command -- e.g. a desktop widget to do all that -- when I want it to happen. So I think the logical extension of this is to do:

• pause music (if playing)
• stop fmtx
• scan channels (as is done now)
• start fmtx
• use rds to hop to the new frequency
• resume music (if it was playing)

IMO, unless the issues with antennas can be worked around, it may be best to also enhance headphoned so that if phones (or better a dedicated antenna cable with a specific resistance to emulate, e.g. AV cable, in order to preserve the stock FMtx off function when real earphones are plugged...) are plugged while FMtx is on, it triggers the channel-finder, then (when cables are removed) things proceed to the new channel.

I'll have to look into this some more; as you can probably tell, I'm writing this from the top of my head with no research, so please take nothing in here as definitive.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

It might be possible to exchange the device used for scanning with the FM transmitter. The transmitter is able to read signal strength.
So theoretically the receiver wouldn't even be needed for this.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

is it possible to first check that if headphones are connected?

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

***NEW-VERSION***

1.1.1
Added the chance to select for how empty frequencies to search
Now every cancel button can really cancel the process :)
Fixed the sound/gstreamer problem

EFF-1.1.1 http://www.mediafire.com/?nd9ddjxm1nadcdf

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

open xterm and type:
zenity --info

tell me what you see.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

If i understood what you said FM transmitter is able to read transmitting signal strength, but not receiving signal strength. If one station ex.97.2 exists and his transmitting signal strength is very high the n900 transmitter wont be able to clearly transmit my song. So we find the frequencies that are empty/poor-transmitted and use them instead. Right?

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

I expect the problem is that he doesn't have zenity installed.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

Yes. Actually thats what i am trying to confirm by telling him type zenity --info :).

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

blizzard, you are awesome. something like this makes the fm transmitter in our phones REALLY useful. you have no idea how many empty channels ive tried to find in my n900 life (to no avail)... i will try this out on the weekend when I have time...

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

IIRC I read in the spec sheet of the transmitter chip that the transmitter is able to actually receive signal strength in order to scan for unused frequencies.
But I don't exactly remember whether the device driver on the N900 exposes
this feature.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

yes it's because i haven't got zenity installed now i install it and try the new 1.1.1 version
thenks

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

it's normal that when scanning turns bluetooth on?

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

Yes, this is normal. The FM receiver is a feature of the Bluetooth chip in the N900 and thus Bluetooth has to be powered up in order to provide the FM receiver with power.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

it's possible to set the lower freq limit to 76.0?
it will be very usefull!

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

i've try to edit the line of min freq with 760 but now whwn i try to run it it prompt me no file

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

I believe you have to install a custom kernel or a patch to do that. There's a thread floating around this forum about that.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

Here it is! Click my signature then you'll see the place you want to go to get it to 76.0Mhz

Good luck and god speed.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

i mean in the freq finder

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

I Dont know if they made a mod/hack so reciever can do it, but i will add it to the next version :) .

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

Yes i've mod the fmtxd file in /usr/sbin so now i've 76.0 --> 107.9 range freq.
Thenks for improving it!

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

You have modded the transmitter but how about the reciever?

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

i've asked if it is possible because i don't know what's the minimum freq of the reciver!

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

Tested it a while ago, and it doent work :( .So we will stay at 87.5 :)

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

ok thanks!
maybe is possible to implement it in a mainwindow so you can do something else wile scanning!

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

I think for that you will have to wait for the qt version :D.

Re: [ANNOUNCE] E.F.F. Empty Frequencies Finder, shell script program with gui!
 

You have to set the FM region to Japan to be able to tune into lower frequencies.