Greetings all!
On Saturday the Russian cosmonauts from the ISS are going to be broadcasting images commemorating the 54th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first spaceflight. The signals are supposed to start at 10:00 UTC Saturday morning and go until 21:30 UTC Saturday evening. Capturing SSTV images from the ISS could NOT be simpler!! All you need is a 2m rig and some FREE software. It can even be done with an HT (so I've been told) and a tablet or smart-phone.
The frequency is 145.800 MHz FM. ANY 2m radio will handle that. I've got my FT-857D connected by way of a SignaLink interface to my trusty Dell D800 laptop. I've got a package installed on it called MMSSTV (http://hamsoft.ca/pages/mmsstv.php). Basically what I plan to do is just tune my radio to that freq, start the software and just let it run. Whenever the software hears the signal it will auto-magically decode the images and save 'em for me.
You don't HAVE to have a SignaLink interface. You can just have a mic feeding the audio from the speaker on your radio into your computer. While I've got my FT-857D doing it's thing I'm going to hook up my FT-8900R and try receiving images on my iPad and/or iPhone 5S using Black Cat Systems CQ SSTV (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sstv/id387910013) app. You can just set up your iDevice next to your radio with CQ SSTV running and the app will decode the message for you. If you have an interface connecting your radio to your tablet or smartphone you can also transmit your own images, though not to the ISS.
I don't get any kickbacks from any link mentioned above. I just think this is just too freakin' cool!
On a related note;
Very true on not needing an interface. Receiving SSTV or practically any digital mode is extremely easy to do, the only items required are a radio to receive the signal and a computer...... literally, that's it! I've put the speaker of the radio in close proximity to the mic of the computer and adjusted the radio volume to the point that it starts decoding. It's definitely not an ideal set up because obviously the mic will also pick up any ambient noise in the room, but it will work. The next step up is using patch cords between the radio and computer which is how I operated digital modes for quite some time before I homebrewed an interface.
There's been an update to the ISS operation planned for this weekend.
The SSTV images are now scheduled to be broadcast until 21:30 (UTC) on Sunday.
WooHoo!! ;D
Here are the images I was able to pick up over the course of the weekend...
(http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu126/RESlusher/ISS%20Images/Hist4_zpsnrpfrfaj.jpg)
(http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu126/RESlusher/ISS%20Images/Hist2_zpstyzts832.jpg)
(http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu126/RESlusher/ISS%20Images/Hist3_zpszd5llwmp.jpg)
(http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu126/RESlusher/ISS%20Images/Hist5_zps8sljcrwe.jpg)
(http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu126/RESlusher/ISS%20Images/Hist6_zps7hrzxnud.jpg)
Waoh, that is impressive over HF!
Gil.
I have done SSTV over HF (14.230 & 14.233 MHz); but this stuff was all VHF. These images were all sent on 145.800 MHz.
Very cool stuff. Sadly, I wasted my weekend doinig chores and other productive stuff instead of dusting off my Signalink and figuring out how to use it. I'll have to live vicariously through your pictures.
I just set my rig on the workbench and let it do it's thing. Every now and then I'd check my nets and see if I caught anything. :)