[amsat-bb] ATV from space

["Greg D." <ko6th_greg@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi folks,

One of Bob's points was that the downlink would be receivable with simple 
equipment - standard parts (cable ready TV) and easy to get/make antennas.  
This is an important point, IMHO, to making it an excitement generating 
operation, which is an important ingredient for success.

Along that line, however, we already have an easy to receive excitement 
generator on the horizon - Slow Scan TV from the ISS.  It wasn't on very 
long, but towards the end of the Mir mission the crew could often be seen on 
their SSTV system.  That definitely got my interest, and I received and 
saved several images as the Station passed overhead, all from a 286 PC and a 
JVFAX 1-bit interface.  In the years since, things have improved on the 
access front - we now have much better hardware in nearly every PC on the 
planet, better, DSP-based software has been written, and an Internet to 
distribute it and raise awareness to it even being there.

How about doing an APRS igate-thing to the internet with the ISS SSTV 
transmissions.  Post them on the web, maybe even as video podcasts (more of 
a slide show than a video), along with an article on how you too can 
download the software and use your VHF rig or scanner to see what's going on 
up there.  Get some mention in Slash Dot and other RSS feeds.  Someday I 
wouldn't mind tuning my TV to Cable 50-something and picking up an ATV 
transmission, but maybe a first step with SSTV?

Just my $.02,

Greg  KO6TH
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