• SSTV

    From Tim Wray@VERT/BACKWOOD to All on Friday, October 24, 2014 12:26:18
    Any of you guys ever mess around with SSTV? Some local guys here used to do a net on 2 meters each week. Planning on getting into this pretty heavy sooner than later, probably mostly on 20 meters, but not sure yet.

    The ham radio bug has bit me bad yet again for the third time.

    73 DE KB9SNL, Bedford, IN

    **********************
    * Tim Wray, Sysop *
    * Backwood Realm BBS *
    * Bedford, Indiana *
    * bwrbbs.dddns.net *
    **********************

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Backwood Realm BBS - bwrbbs.ddns.net - The heart of Southern Indiana
  • From echicken@VERT/ECBBS to Tim Wray on Friday, October 24, 2014 16:26:32
    Re: SSTV
    By: Tim Wray to All on Fri Oct 24 2014 12:26:18

    Any of you guys ever mess around with SSTV? Some local guys here used to do a net on 2 meters each week. Planning on getting into this pretty heavy sooner than later, probably mostly on 20 meters, but not sure yet.

    It's a fun mode. I use it from time to time on 20 meters. 14.23 MHz is your best bet for finding activity (I rarely encounter SSTV on other bands.)

    Doesn't take much to get set up for it, just a sound card interface and whatever software is available for your platform. I use QSSTV on Linux. MMSSTV was okay-ish on Windows from what I recall.

    ---
    echicken
    electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com - 416-273-7230
    þ Synchronet þ electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com
  • From Tim Wray@VERT/BACKWOOD to echicken on Monday, October 27, 2014 09:09:42
    It's a fun mode. I use it from time to time on 20 meters. 14.23 MHz is
    you
    best bet for finding activity (I rarely encounter SSTV on other bands.)

    Doesn't take much to get set up for it, just a sound card interface and whatever software is available for your platform. I use QSSTV on Linux. MMSSTV was okay-ish on Windows from what I recall.

    ---
    echicken
    electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com - 416-273-7230
    þ Synchronet þ electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com

    I downloaded MMSSTV and hooked a cable from the ext sp jack on my old Kenwood TS-140s to the line in on my desktop, Saturday morning, managed to receive some good pictures right off the bat with very little adjustment
    and on a poor antenna.

    Some guy in Norfolk, VA, KQ4ZH, was all worked up by QRM from contesters near 14.230, and was firing off all sorts of pictures as fast as he could
    in protest just before his net. Not sure if I found it funny or sad that he would be so upset by his saturday net being QRM'd. Haha! I suppose it was poor form on both the contesters and the SSTV guy, but whatever. He sent some clear pics for sure regardless. I was hooked to an old CB antenna I
    had lying around, for me to get him S9 he must have been running some good power.

    I'm thinking of going linux in my hamshack when I get it put together the rest of the way, I had been wondering what SSTV software was good on *nix. I'll check QSSTV out.

    Looking forward to getting some interfaces built for a couple of my radios to try transmitting this mode myself in the future.

    **********************
    * Tim Wray, Sysop *
    * Backwood Realm BBS *
    * Bedford, Indiana *
    * bwrbbs.dddns.net *
    **********************

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Backwood Realm BBS - bwrbbs.ddns.net - The heart of Southern Indiana
  • From echicken@VERT/ECBBS to Tim Wray on Tuesday, October 28, 2014 13:41:01
    Re: Re: SSTV
    By: Tim Wray to echicken on Mon Oct 27 2014 09:09:42

    Some guy in Norfolk, VA, KQ4ZH, was all worked up by QRM from contesters near 14.230, and was firing off all sorts of pictures as fast as he could in protest just before his net. Not sure if I found it funny or sad that he would be so upset by his saturday net being QRM'd. Haha! I suppose it

    People seem to leave 14.23 alone for the most part - I rarely hear anything other than SSTV there - but when the frequency is in use, that's that (or at least the nice thing to do would be to accept it and move on.)

    Of course, those contest-heavy weekends can be a bit frustrating for those operators who aren't participating. This past weekend was nuts. It was fun to dial around a bit and listen to the activity, even if I haven't yet felt much of an urge to enter a contest.

    I'm thinking of going linux in my hamshack when I get it put together the rest of the way, I had been wondering what SSTV software was good on *nix. I'll check QSSTV out.

    QSSTV is good, and the more recent versions have some nice features. Unfortunately I've had mixed results with version 8, and still use version 7 most of the time.

    Between QSSTV, fldigi, and a terminal emulator, most of my ham software needs are covered on Linux. I've yet to find a piece of logging software that I don't hate for one reason or another, so I may just write my own eventually.

    Looking forward to getting some interfaces built for a couple of my radios to try transmitting this mode myself in the future.

    It's kind of a goofy mode, but fun to use once in a while. When you do start transmitting, take a look at http://worldsstv.com/ after you send a picture. Can be interesting to see how far your signal went and how many stations received it.

    ---
    echicken
    electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com - 416-273-7230
    þ Synchronet þ electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com
  • From Knight@VERT/PHUNC to echicken on Tuesday, October 28, 2014 15:47:01
    Re: Re: SSTV
    By: echicken to Tim Wray on Tue Oct 28 2014 01:41 pm

    Between QSSTV, fldigi, and a terminal emulator, most of my ham software needs are covered on Linux. I've yet to find a piece of logging software that I don't hate for one reason or another, so I may just write my own eventually.

    Me too. I started whipping up a prototype at http://radioworld.me/ -- Planning on releasing an API to it, and then writing an iOS app to allow easy lookups and logging (but also, to see what your friends are listening to, tune web-sdrs
    and stream a spotting, record, etc).

    The flow is still too cumbersome, but I'm thinking through all of the use cases
    still, trying to get a good feel for how the site can benefit both scanner and amateur users and needs.

    Maybe if you're interested, we can work on it together.

    Knight

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Phunc BBS -- Back from the dead! -- telnet to bbs.phunc.com
  • From Tim Wray@VERT/BACKWOOD to echicken on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 08:32:49
    > to dial around a bit and listen to the activity, even if I haven't yet felt
    much of an urge to enter a contest.

    Yeah, contesting isn't my thing either, although I've enjoyed a few field days over the years. There were lots of people hard core after some contacts last weekend for sure. Activity everywhere.

    transmitting, take a look at http://worldsstv.com/ after you send a
    picture.
    Can be interesting to see how far your signal went and how many stations received it.


    Thanks for this link, that's really cool! Almost motivation to get things going....

    **********************
    * Tim Wray, Sysop *
    * Backwood Realm BBS *
    * Bedford, Indiana *
    * bwrbbs.dddns.net *
    **********************

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Backwood Realm BBS - bwrbbs.ddns.net - The heart of Southern Indiana
  • From JOHN GUILLORY@VERT/MAINLINE to TIM WRAY on Monday, October 27, 2014 03:46:00
    Any of you guys ever mess around with SSTV? Some local guys here used to do a
    net on 2 meters each week. Planning on getting into this pretty heavy sooner than later, probably mostly on 20 meters, but not sure yet.

    I've done SSTV on 20 meters before, was pretty cool! Especially if
    you can find a site that captures all the pictures it receives to a web
    page, so you can see how your transmitting to them. I'm using a
    SignaLink USB with my Kenwood TS-140s, what are you using?

    The ham radio bug has bit me bad yet again for the third time.

    I hear ya!
    73's de KF5QEO, Bogue Chitto, MS

    73 DE KB9SNL, Bedford, IN
    ---
    þ wcQWK 7.0
  • From Tim Wray@VERT/BACKWOOD to JOHN GUILLORY on Friday, October 31, 2014 15:20:07
    SignaLink USB with my Kenwood TS-140s, what are you using?

    I'm not using anything just yet, but I was actually planning on building myself a home made interface for it probably, but not sure yet. Just got the antenna tuner I desperately needed though, it's on the way! I have been receiving pictures of of 20m using just a line out from the ext speaker jack to the line in on my PC.

    Do you have trouble with the buttons and right side sliders acting up on your TS-140s? I have to leave my mic gain and power in the same place or it becomes a mess in a hurry. Tried to fix it with contact cleaner once, that worked for a little while.

    **********************
    * Tim Wray, Sysop *
    * Backwood Realm BBS *
    * Bedford, Indiana *
    * bwrbbs.dddns.net *
    **********************

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Backwood Realm BBS - bwrbbs.ddns.net - The heart of Southern Indiana
  • From JOHN GUILLORY@VERT/MAINLINE to TIM WRAY on Saturday, November 01, 2014 12:41:00

    I'm not using anything just yet, but I was actually planning on building myself
    a home made interface for it probably, but not sure yet. Just got the antenna
    tuner I desperately needed though, it's on the way! I have been receiving pictures of of 20m using just a line out from the ext speaker jack to the line
    in on my PC.

    Im using a MFJ-929 Tuner, but it's starting to act a little flakey...
    When I power it on, I some times have to turn it off and back on 3-4
    times before it comes up.... I've seen a guy use his own contraption for various digital modes, receiving is easy enough, but transmitting
    becomes a little trickier. Especially if on a laptop without a serial
    port! You then essentially got to get a USB serial port, and rig up a
    RTS/DTR -> PTT, and setup a speaker out to microphone line....
    Signalink makes things much easier, just play the audio out, it key's up
    the microphone and transmits when you want it to , listens when you
    don't want it to transmit...

    Do you have trouble with the buttons and right side sliders acting up on your
    TS-140s? I have to leave my mic gain and power in the same place or it becomes
    a mess in a hurry. Tried to fix it with contact cleaner once, that worked for a
    little while.

    No, not at the moment, they all seem to work as expected...
    ---
    þ wcQWK 7.0
  • From Gate Keeper@VERT/THEGATEB to Tim Wray on Friday, November 21, 2014 18:50:42
    Re: SSTV
    By: Tim Wray to All on Fri Oct 24 2014 12:26 pm

    Any of you guys ever mess around with SSTV? Some local guys here used to do net on 2 meters each week. Planning on getting into this pretty heavy sooner than later, probably mostly on 20 meters, but not sure yet.

    The ham radio bug has bit me bad yet again for the third time.

    73 DE KB9SNL, Bedford, IN

    **********************
    * Tim Wray, Sysop *
    * Backwood Realm BBS *
    * Bedford, Indiana *
    * bwrbbs.dddns.net *
    **********************


    Dont know much about SSTV but I would like to try it out. What kind of camera do you need? Will a webcam work with Ham Radio Delux?

    73 de N4DLT

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Gate BBS * thegateb.synchro.net * Cherryville, NC USA
  • From echicken@VERT/ECBBS to Gate Keeper on Friday, November 21, 2014 22:38:53
    Re: SSTV
    By: Gate Keeper to Tim Wray on Fri Nov 21 2014 18:50:42

    Dont know much about SSTV but I would like to try it out. What kind of camera do you need? Will a webcam work with Ham Radio Delux?

    You don't necessarily need a camera, although most SSTV applications will work with a webcam (or presumably other attached video capture devices.) Typically you just select an image file (GIF, JPEG, PNG, whatever) to transmit. Bear in mind that "slow scan" means "really really slow" - anywhere from eight seconds to several minutes to transmit a single frame, depending on colour and quality.

    ---
    echicken
    electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com - 416-273-7230
    þ Synchronet þ electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com
  • From Tim Wray@VERT/BACKWOOD to Gate Keeper on Monday, November 24, 2014 10:07:54

    Dont know much about SSTV but I would like to try it out. What kind of
    camer
    do you need? Will a webcam work with Ham Radio Delux?

    73 de N4DLT


    It is just as eChicken said. I was going to reply that it's much more like emailing a photo or something similar, or (perhaps more similar) like sending a file or photo to a BBS via the Zmodem protocol.

    There is a "fast scan TV" part of the hobby that seems to have become somewhat more common in the last 10 years or so, which is more of what most of us recognize as "television", that is, connect a video camera, transmit analog television video, but I don't know much about it. It is a different operating mode than slow scan tv altogether.

    **********************
    * Tim Wray, Sysop *
    * Backwood Realm BBS *
    * Bedford, Indiana *
    * bwrbbs.dddns.net *
    **********************

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Backwood Realm BBS - bwrbbs.ddns.net - The heart of Southern Indiana