SSTV: Difference between revisions

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== SSTV About ==
#REDIRECT [[Slow-Scan Television (SSTV)]]
 
SSTV is a mode that uses a computer and an amateur radio transceiver to send and receive images over radio. SSTV was originally an analogue mode based on Frequency Modulation (FM). Digital SSTV has become possible with little trouble in recent times with the use of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).
 
For SSTV to work, an image is "broken" into lines, composed of dots of colour and light intensity known as pixels. Each pixel is given a specific audio frequency ( that modulates the carrier) depending on its brightness. In a colour image, each of the primary colours, red green and blue are analysed for brightness.
 
The lines of a picture are scanned from left to right. The modulating frequency varies between 1500Hz and 2300 Hz. There are a number of modes used for SSTV - see below for information. Computer software attaches a Vertical Interval Signaling (VIS) code at the start of a picture being sent. this enables receiving software to determine which mode is being used, and hence permits successful  decoding of the signal.
 
The colour and brightness information modulates a carrier wave for transmission. A remote station picks up the signal and a computer is used to re-create the picture from the FM signal.
 
== SSTV History ==
 
== SSTV Modes ==
 
A  number of SSTV modes are available for amateurs to use. The most popular at time of writing (Feb 2008) are AVT, Martin, Robot and Scottie. More information on the characteristics of these modes can be found [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow-scan_television#Modes here.]
 
Brief details of scan time, lines and colour transmission of some modes can be found below.
 
In the lsits below:
 
BW = Black and White
RGB = Red, Green and Blue parts of the image are sent separately and combined by the receiving software.
YC = Pics are sent as a combination of Luminance [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminance](Y) and Chominance [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrominance](C)
 
== AVT ==
 
24  - RGB colour  24 sec scan  120 lines
 
90  - RGB colour  90 sec scan  240 lines
 
94  - RGB colour  94 sec scan  200 lines
 
125 - RGB BW    125 sec scan  400 lines
 
 
== Martin ==
 
 
M1  - RGB colour  114 sec scan  240 lines
 
M2  - RGB colour  58 sec scan  240 lines 
 
M3  - RGB colour  57 sec scan  120 lines
 
M4  - RGB colour  29 sec scan  120 lines
 
HQ1 - YC colour    90 sec scan  240 lines
               
HQ2 - YC colour  112 sec scan  240 lines
 
 
== Pasokon TV ==
 
P3  - RGB colour  203 sec scan  16+480 lines  High resolution
 
P5  - RGB colour  305 sec scan  16+480 lines  High resolution
 
P7  - RGB colour  406 sec scan  16+480 lines  High resolution
 
 
== PD ==
 
PD 240 - YC colour  248 sec scan  480 lines
 
PD 180 - YC colour  187 sec scan  480 lines
 
PD 160 - YC colour  161 sec scan  384 lines
 
PD 120 - YC colour  126 sec scan  480 lines
 
PD 90  - YC colour  90 sec scan  240 lines
 
 
== Robot ==
 
8  - BW  8 sec scan  120 lines
 
12  - BW  12 sec scan  120 lines
 
24  - BW  24 sec scan  240 lines
 
36  - BW  36 sec scan  240 lines
 
12  - YC colour  12 sec scan  120 lines
 
24  - YC colour  24 sec scan  120 lines
 
36  - YC colour  36 sec scan  240 lines
 
72  - YC colour  72 sec scan  240 lines
 
 
== Scottie ==
S1  - RGB colour  110 sec scan  240 lines 
 
S2  - RGB colour  71 sec scan  240 lines
 
S3  - RGB colour  55 sec scan  120 lines
 
S4  - RGB colour  36 sec scan  120 lines
               
DX  - RGB colour  269 sec scan  240 lines
 
 
== Wrasse ==
 
'''SC-1 '''
 
24  - RGB colour  24 sec scan  120 lines
               
48  - RGB colour  48 sec scan  240 lines
 
96  - RGB colour  96 sec scan  240 lines
 
'''SC-2'''
 
30  - RGB colour  30 sec scan  128 lines
 
60  - RGB colour  60 sec scan  256 lines
 
120  - RGB colour  120 sec scan  256 lines
 
180  - RGB colour  180 sec scan  256 lines
 
== SSTV Nets and Frequenies ==
 
Click here [[SSTV frequencies]] for an up-to date list
 
== SSTV Software ==
 
Related wiki page [[http://amateur-radio-wiki.net/index.php?title=SSTV_software SSTV software]]
 
* [http://mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca/mmsstv/ MMSSTV] for windows computers. A versatile and easy to use program. It can handle all the common modes, but users have access to a number of lesser used modes such as [http://www.obriensweb.com/narrowsstv.htm MP73-N] which is allowing amateurs to use sstv on the 30m band where previously it was restricted by band definitions.
 
*[http://users.telenet.be/on4qz/qsstv/index.html QSSTV] for Linux users. This is a relatively new program. The source code is available under the GNU license.
 
== SSTV webcam page - how to==
 
SSTV Webcam pages are used to show other hams what pictures have been received over a period of time at your shack. They are quite straightforward to create and plenty of help is available online.
Firstly, join the [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ftp_widget/ FTP_widget ] Yahoo group. Members have access to html code for web pages. Use a website tool such as [http://www.adobe.com/ap/products/dreamweaver/?sdid=BDMFB Dreamweaver] to create a webcam page, and then add the html code from the yahoo group to it. An example of a page using this code can be found [http://www.timroberts-vk4yeh.id.au/australian%20webcams.htm here. ] Upload the webcam page into your website. Next, download the ftp widget from [http://ke5rs.com/john/software/index.html KE5RS], and install it it on your PC. This widget collects pictures from a nominated folder and uploads them into the webcam page.  The yahoo group also offers a good pdf tutorial on how to configure the widget for [http://mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca/mmsstv/ MMSSTV.] The software runs only on PC's.
 
World SSTV webcams can be found with the links below:
 
* [http://sstv.webcindario.com/cam/wwsstv.html from CX2APB] webcams from around the world
 
* [http://www.worldsstv.com/ from KE5RS] more webcams from around the world
 
* [http://home.exetel.com.au/vk2qq/Gallery.html from VK2QQ] - a mixture of Australian and world webcam
 
* [http://www.timroberts-vk4yeh.id.au/australian%20webcams.htm from VK4YEH]  Australian webcams
 
* [http://www.on7kei.be/wwsstvservers.html from ON7KEI] Also has EU webcams [http://www.on7kei.be/2007europe-sstv.html here.]
 
HTML code for an SSTV page can be found [http://www.timroberts-vk4yeh.id.au/downloadable%20files.htm here]. Scroll down to "other Files" for the link.
 
== SSTV with a Macintosh computer ==
 
This article describes the use of a 1,8GHz G5 with1.5GB Ram and running OS 10.4.11. This machine comes with the facility to run two monitors, which proved to be very useful for SSTV.
 
'''Software''' There are currently two SSTV programs available for the mac. [http://homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/FileSharing.woa/wa/default?user=kd6cji&templatefn=FileSharing11.html&xmlfn=TKDocument.11.xml&sitefn=RootSite.xml&aff=consumer&cty=US&lang=en Macrobot] from Sergei Ludanov KD6CJI and [http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/multimodeOSX.html Multimode] from Black Cat Systems.
 
'''Hardware''' Apart from the computer, an interface between computer and radio is required. Two commercially available interfaces have been used successfully with the computer described above and a Yaesu-FT-897, but undoubtedly others will work just as well. The Digimaster from [http://www.g4zlp.co.uk/index.shtml ZLP Electronics] and the Signalink USB from [http://www.tigertronics.com/slusbmain.htm Tigertronics] are both plug and play devices.
 
'''Setup''' Two monitors were used in this setup. Macrobot proved to be much easier to use for TX, whereas Multimode proved to be better for RX. This is because Macrobot did not seem to be as sensitive to weak signals and so RX detection stopped when the signals varied in strength. This problem was never resolved by the writer, hence the use of both software programs. The TX interface and setup in Multimode was not found to be as easy to use as for Macrobot.

Latest revision as of 17:09, 28 March 2008