Copied from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14610868/using-websockets-in-a-backbone-js-app-without-socket-io

Backbonejs-Stream.js

// this function opens the websocket and will trigger add_point when
// a new message is received
Stream = function () {
    _.extend(this, Backbone.Events);
    var self = this;

    self.socket = new WebSocket("ws://" + document.domain + ":5000/websocket");
    console.log("Using a standard websocket");

    self.socket.onopen = function(e) {
        self.trigger('open', e);
        console.log('socket opened');
    };

    self.socket.onerror = function(e) {
        self.trigger('error', e);
    };

    self.socket.onmessage = function(e) {
        self.trigger('message', e);
        self.trigger('data', e.data);
        self.trigger('add_point', JSON.parse(e.data));
    };

    self.socket.onclose = function(e) {
        self.trigger('close', e);
        console.log('socket closed');
    };
};  

DataPoint = Backbone.Model.extend({
    defaults: {
        lat: null,
        long: null,
        amt: null
        }
});

DataSet = Backbone.Collection.extend({
    model: DataPoint,
    initialize: function(options) {
        this.stream = options.stream;
        var self = this;
        this.stream.on("add_point", function(pt) {
            self.add( new DataPoint({
                lat: pt.lat,
                long: pt.long,
                amt: pt.amt
            }));
            console.log('updated collection');
            console.log(self.models);
        });
    }
});

MapView = Backbone.View.extend({
    initialize: function(options) {
        this.dataSet = options.dataSet;
    }
});

$(function() {
    var stream = new Stream();
    var dataSet = new DataSet({ stream: stream });
    var mapView = new MapView({ dataSet: dataSet });
});