IVCA Vision News No 3

IVCA VISION NEWS LETTER No 3 Se pt. 30- 2001

Keeping Amateurs informed on Developments in Visual Communication around the world

Reported By Ramon Glidden W5NOO

After my first two tries at publishing the IVCA news by e-mail we received several favorable compliments from members around the world. As we are so green at this publishing thing at least we know the group mailing is going out. I'm still receiving e-mail address information from my snail mail postcards we sent to the ones that were not in the web QRZ or my member list. I'm continuing to add every one to the group mailing. As we have a large number of members in foreign countries I would like to publish this in several languages, (we now have members in 21 countries) Hopefully if any foreign station finds any thing of interest in the VISION news they can use several of the free web computer program like "Babylon" or "Altavista World Translator" or "Babble Fish" etc. to convert English to a number of languages and forward it to club members and friends. As a matter of note we received an e-mail from a Russian radio club with a large list of names,call signs and e-mail information. As some members use free e-mail programs like "Juno" I'm not sure if the VISION sent so far in an HTML format will display for every one, perhaps we should use a text only news letter.I would like your ideas and suggestions on this and e-publishing. As I seem to spend an increasing amount of time on the web and using the computer I'm finding large amounts of software that's free or shareware that's fun and useful that can be easily downloaded. In the past wireless video communication was a Amateur Radio only function today with computers commonly available and with the cost of hardware like computers,cameras,scanners.printers etc. dropping and the functions and features increasing I'm now able to also use some of this technology to exchange pictures,video and sound using several free video and voice mail and file transfer programs with even non amateur friends..I'll include some computer programs and web links to obtain software we have found that SSTV operators may find useful.

Programs and web links

As an increasing amount of SSTV is now performed with Computers or using computer functions and hardware like digital cameras and scanners and graphic or paint programs etc. I have included some programs and links the new users may find helpfull.

We now have lot's of excellent SSTV home web pages with program down loads and much useful information that is being created around the world. It's easy to locate what you want with the numerous search engines.

: Lot's to choose from, a good general purpose engine is Google at http://www.google.com or if you are looking for graphics use the Google Image Search at http://images.google.com and just type in a name of a subject or picture and it will search the web and provide JPG and GIF graphics in thumbnails that can be enlarged to full size and saved. (It's amazing at the number of pictures on the W.W.W. with the same name.)

Some more excellent sources of all types of software and programs is found at the ZDNET down load location http://www.zdnet.com/downloads that let's you select by file name or by category. The TECHTV people also have lot's of free and shareware programs and provide a technical news letter service on computers, published by their two satellite/cable shows "Call for Help" and "The Screen Savers" http://techtv.com that have free down load archives or software libraries that are triple checked for Viruses.

We now have numerous web home pages for SSTV most with links and soft ware down loads for SSTV programs that the new operator may find useful. The manufacture of the "Rig Blaster" interface device has a list of Dos and Windows software for a variety of SSTV and PSK-31 etc. digital communication programs at http://www.westmountainradio.com that you can select the ones you wish to down load and install.

New experimental SSTV and Video Systems

I'm learning of several new visual communication systems. The firsr is called Narrow Band Television, It allows the use of Black and white images at a 2.5 FPS rate in a AM radio mode and requires the use of a sound card or Sound Blaster type interface. Reports so far are not favorable on this system, You can however down load the receive software at http://www.highnoonfilm.com/tvdx/Rxmono48.exe and the transmit software at http://www.highnoonfilm.com/tvdx/Txmono48.exe

A second system we described in the previous VISION news letter High Definition Digital SSTV can provide a quality color picture using a Linux software that is to be adapted to MS Windows software. Developed by KA9VAK and W9NTP and also tested by W8ZCF using the AMSAT AO-40,S2 satellite transponder using 435 MHz up and 2.4 GHZ down.

Promote and Publish SSTV

I would like to remind the members they can help to promote SSTV and visual communication several ways. Gene Harland WB9MMM the publisher of Amateur Television Quarterly welcomes articles on SSTV. I would also like to remind every one receiving this News Letter to submit information on activities including hardware and software etc. that is of a general interest to me ray@junct.com and also use the IVCA Yahoo reflector ivca@yahoogroups.com to ask questions and exchange information with IVCA members. I will add that QST magazine has recently published some good articles on SSTV and even one by me some time back.

Like to hear from you, happy viewing! 73 Ramon Glidden W5NOO Director/Editor


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