I have been away from SSTV since 2010 and only had a few SSTV QSO's. I had a homebrew interface which lost it's PTT capability so purchased a SignaLink USB. I was trying all the modes PSK31, FT-8, etc. Then decide to see how it worked on SSTV using MMSSTV last month (April 2022). Works great! Then I started searching RU-vid for pointers. Randy, Thank You so much for this video. You brought out several things that I didn't know about. I think I will go through the manual. Thanks. Rick - N8XI
Wow! This brings back memories! I remember SSTV'ing from Canada to Aussie on the long drive home from work every day. This was before internet was was any faster haha! Thanks for the experience, still have some radios and my SSTV rig from the sailboat, may set it back up again :)
Thank you Randy. This was always a mystery for me. You have simplified each step. For me this will be a wonderful opportunity for local ecomm. I have a presentation to give on digital communication. I will now include in my fldigi presentation this section on transmitting and receiving pictures of an event.
Congratulate you K7AGE...you have didactic enough to pass your knowledge simply and efficiently to us...it's not enough to know...we need to pass on our knowledge so that future generations don't have to start from scratch...amateur radio through people like you do that...sorry for my poor english....hugs from a friend from Brazil
Great Video Randy. I'm not a HAM, but I feel like I am. I've been following you for years. I've been using a Software Defined Radio for a few years and love it! I have listened to every possible transmission from about 24 MHz to 1.6 GHz, especially my local 2 meter HAM band. I catch most of the local Weather SkyWarn Training Nets, Ares Nets, and Traffic Nets. I've downloaded ISS images, NOAA satellite images, Russian Weather satellite images. All the software is free open source. I can listen to Digital as well as analog: school buses, taxi services. Of course all the local police, fire and public works vehicles. I can view ACARS (aircraft information), Digital "packets" transmissions (like ham radio fax machine), Even Pager transmissions (mostly hospitals... so much for Hippa privacy lol) The best $8 I ever spent, and I've barely scratched the surface of the stuff that can be done. I haven't downloaded an image from the ISS in a while. Thanks for the heads up to ARISS event! 😃
Nicely done! I got into this (and weather satellite reception) about a year and a half ago and enjoy it immensely. Seems like I'm always waiting around for the next event to start. The 'Russia only' events are kind of frustrating, but even with those I try capturing images from remote SDR receivers located abroad.
This is so comprehensive I think it will make it possible for me to get set up. Me and computers don’t geehaw. Thank you for sharing the ham hobby with everyone. I personally want to thank you. Always thought it was funny the state of the art space station uses one of the oldest technologies for data transmission. It’s like NASA woke up one morning and said “what are we going to use all this old stuff for?”
It may be old, but it is simple. I don't think NASA has much to do with the SSTV, it is the ARISS group that manages this. Have fun, hope you get some pictures.
This video just appeared in my suggestions, and wow, great info! So of course I subscribed. I am actually an Extra Class license holder, though I still haven't got a working rig setup to use. I'm on a limited VA disability income, so I have more time than money (so I spent the last few years learning and advancing through the license classes). But I do listen to the online SDR's almost daily. This gives me something new to try- I should be able to track the ISS using your instructions, then go through the process of finding SDR locations that are receiving the strongest, then base my software settings based on the location of the SDR that I am using at the time. Then record it and bingo! What other hobby is so robust that you can still participate in the fun without the actual traditional equipment?
I love you sir, I totally forgot about the programming of sstv. Im leaving hometown tomorrow for the city and tonight is my last chance to get my first sstv image pass. If i fail with the sdr set-up, my last chance is to go outside in negative degrees weather at 3am with the baofeng and robot32 app on my phone 😂 Man I love this hobby
Hey all! First, thank you! New radio user here (>2 weeks) at 17:56, K7AGE showed that the ISS was slightly too far west of his location to properly hear the broadcasts. - Would he have been able to use a repeater of the west coast to reach the ISS when it was over water? - If I wanted to receive more transmissions than just what is overhead to my location, could I receive on a repeater somewhere in the southern US vs. NE US? Got my heavens above times printed and highlighted for this week! This looks so cool.
Thanks, great video! I tried to receive the iss today on two overpasses, but didn't see any signal. I use a RTL SDR and a DIY Groundplane Antenna for 146MHz. I mounted the antenna on a tripod in the garden with OK visibility at the sky for higher elevations. Should I see something with this setup? How important is line of sight to the sky? Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
Put your gain to max, make sure the antena ground is not touching the middle pin connector, make sure to use 50 ohm coax, i use rg58. A good starting diy antena is a quarter wave dipol set perpendicularly on the direction of the pass so the polarisation matches. This is all I could think of from my very limited knowledge
Great info, I'm going to do this ASAP!... I have a radio coming to me any day now. I just can't get Orbitron to behave. The ISS is circling the world every 60 seconds, even though my settings are 'realtime' not 'simulated'. That's 90 times too fast!.
Well, the event is over. We will have to wait for the next one. ??? Where the time is shown on the right are 3 small boxes above the time. The left box may show SIM, click it for RT, real time.
Hi Randy, Thanks for the great video and the reminder that this event was almost upon us. About 15 years ago I briefly played with SSTV on 20m SSB . Thanks to your video, I’m going to give it a try. Maybe a tool to get the grandkids involved too. My K3S which does cover 2m does not have FM capability, only CW, SSB, and AM. I presume these ISS transmissions will be on FM. On the positive side my small 2M EME array has AZ/EL capability. I have an old IC 706 which I think I can get interfaced to the PC. Already got MMSSTV cracking away downloading a number of frames on 14230. Thanks again. 73 Dave K1KA
Randy, thanks for this video. I have my 9700 with a 2m eggbeater antenna and MMSSTV all setup and ready to decode. How did you rename the Codec for the 9700? I have my 7610 USB codec named but forgot how I did it. Thanks and Happy Holidays.
Great video and thanks for taking "Elmer" time to make it. I'm in Yuma, AZ., for the winter AND Santa (dressed in a Fed Ex outfit) delivered my new Icom ID-52A, yesterday. I'll be using that as well a new IC-9700 (Santa was real nice to me year) and a IC-705, to record these passes. Question 1. Do you think I should I open the squelch to record these with the ID-52, or will the signal be strong enough to open the auto squelch? Question 2, will I need to adjust frequency for these passes to account for the Doppler effect? I'll be using a Comet antenna on the 9700, and the IC-705 gets the Arrow II - BP. I'll keep it tracking with the help of my smart phone. The ID-52 will just have its ducky. Should be a lot of fun. I'll keep you updated/posted if successful. Maybe even buy ya lunch this summer when I return to Oregon. (about 90 minutes North of you in Lakeside) Thanks again! 73, Wayne - W7WGC
I haven't tested this, but I would leave the squelch open while recording to the SD card. If squelched, and the signal drops out, the radio may stop the recording and start a new file when the signal comes back. You may then end up with several files. Look to see if you can set the radio with a wider filter. I know the 9700 provides for filter selection. Good luck Sunday morning,. Randy
I think my TLE wasn't updating properly and doing it automatically has reset it to YEARS ago. Doing it manually with TLE file on the webpage has solved the problem for now. amateur, cube, orb, noaa, nnss, musson and visual loaded.
there is a web based sdr out of Murmansk russia that has the 144-146mhz band available and u can receive signal thru it... hopefully they will do more of these..it also has the 136-137mhz band... i have been receiving Noaa Signals thru it lately... ... just gotta change the ground station on gpredict to see when satellites are overhead
Darn, I missed this one! I don’t have a very professional setup, but it works for me. I point my rubber duck antenna at the horizon(or wherever I get the best signal), and record the signal on my phone. After that, I play the signal to my computer, which has a program for SSTV image decoding. It is a little noisy, but it works! It does need to be fairly high above the horizon though, as I don’t have a directional antenna, and the closer it gets to the horizon, the less clear it is.
Super video Randy..I caught the very last pass/transmission of the campaign on Friday using a SDRPlay RSPdx receiver, my Quadrifilar Helix (weather sat antenna) and the MMSSTV software. Totally noise free. 73, KC7ES
I need a bit of hardware before I can do this. You know like a radio (I DO have an FT857) and and antenna. :) In the meantime, where/how did you get your clock? 73, Skip - W5UTW
Great Video. I watched and downloaded the software right away. Running a IC-9700 and got two images on my first two passes. Thanks for the intro to a new part of the Hobby. I would also like to know how to rename the rigs in the sound card part you talked about.
N2RDO here...have two passes I'll try on my HT...this morning at 10:35 and tomorrow morning at 9:47. We are in Klamath Falls till the 3rd. THANK YOU, RANDY...!!!
SEtting up my antenna today - thanks for the tips! Got my timezones messed up for today though..oops :) Can you confirm that heavens above site uses the local time based on your location entered?
Thanks for this video Randy! I’ve been meaning to give it a go awhile back but I’ve forgotten about it but now you’ve motivated me to give it a crack in a few days!
Hello Randy, nice to see you. The FT-990 is a keeper if you got plenty of room on the Shack Desk. I should have kept mine. Merry christmas Randy, stay healthy & keep up the Good Work. 73 de Your Friend Uncle Guenter
@@K7AGE Wow Randy that's awsome. I did not knew you had this FT-990 from your wife. Mine was from 1995 with DCPlug. I loved the Sound. May be you a dx live stream one day making callswith the FT-990 with a little help from your friend AL. I still remember these words when you said them in your earlier videos running a little group on 20m SSB. Meryy christmas to you, Randy! And merry christmas to everyone else in your house hold and neighborhood living. 73 de Your Friend Uncle Guenter
Today I was able to receive a SSTV image from the ISS! II was using my Icom IC-746 and a Diamond CP-22E about 10' high on a dipole into QSSTV and got a clear loud signal, and the ISS wasn't even directly overhead, it was on the outer edge. Shows you that you don't need a extreme setup to get a signal, at one point it was coming in full quieting!
Randy I was able to capture images 1/12 and 2/12 last night / this morning in almost perfect copy after watching your video. Thanks again for the video. Lots of fun. 73! from W8RAD
Brilliant thank you, it's great to watch a video about something I love to do, (I'm always listening to the iss) and have someone who is equally passionate about it and knowledgeable to boot!
