IVCA VISION NEWS
LETTER No.13 February 20 -
2002
THE INTERNATIONAL VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
ASSOCIATION
Keeping Amateurs informed on Developments in Visual Communication
around the world
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The IVCA SSTV 2002 Contest
Rules
The annual DX SSTV contest this year will be held on April 6 and 7 starting
at 0000 UTC to 2400 on the 7th.. You must exchange a two-way Video
transmission in any SSTV mode which includes a number that begins with 001
and receive a number report from the other station (Note: No RSV
report required). You will receive 5 points for each station contacted in your
zone. You will receive 10 points for each station you contact outside your
zone.There are six zones as follows; North America (including Central America
and the Caribbean). South America, Europe (including Russia over to the 60
degree East Longitude), Africa, Asia and the South Pacific. For stations worked
on bands other than 20 meters you have a multiplier of X2 with the
exception of 15 meters which has a multiplier of X3. Satellite exchanges are X3.
You can contact the same station on different bands for more points. We will
award a trophy to a first time winner in their zone and also a certificate to
repeat winners. When the contest is over please send in your log, even if you
only had a few contacts to an address to be announced later. We will send
the contest results in the VISION News Letter. To be counted your logs must
reach the IVCA by May 25 2002. Note: the original proposed
contest date was changed to avoid a conflict with the Japan NVCG SSTV
contest!
Slow Scan TV Timing
Problems (Let's get it straight automatically)
I find as we watch and listen to the popular 14.230 MHz frequency that we
have lots of new SSTV operators calling in and trying to adjust their picture
timing to eliminate the picture slope. This I believe is the most common
problem we have with SSTV. This has plagued us with all the various SSTV
computer programs from the early DOS to the newer Windows sound card and
hardware setups. I realize most, including me. don't like to read
the "Help" information details but the process to set timing
for transmit and receive is usually a little complex or confusing. I hope some
day a smart programmer will write software that can perform the
timing calibration operation completely automatic and we can see more pictures
and spend less time getting it all straight. (perhaps some timing or control
information in the frame header. Note: some SSTV programs adjust using WWV as a
reference and some software can even set the internal computer clock timing
or reset it automatically to N.B.S. time when you go on
line) Perhaps we need a new approach to the timing adjustments. Put
a different way it seems that software programmers are just smarter than
most of us SSTV operators! .Ray W5NOO
. Pasokon Interface Board (how lucky can
I get)
After the lightning strike I described in VISION news
No.11, where my Pasokon Card was damaged, later while talking
with Ron Smith N4XQN he indicated he had a spare that he then sent to me.
(SSTV operators are just the best) The Pasokon was one of the early
hardware\software SSTV setups, It runs in DOS and has all but the very latest
modes like MP 115 etc. I personally find Pasokon easy and convenient to operate
with lot's of nice features. We however still like to try all the new SSTV
operating systems and modes and software programs. Ray W5NOO
Power Line Data Communications (More
new uses and no more meter readers)
As we mentioned in a previous Vision News letter how power lines may
be used for computer Internet web operation in the future I now have
learned that the Power Companies have found out how to use the power lines to
obtain meter readings remotely, at homes, etc. When this is implemented it
will do away with the "Meter Reader Man" going around to obtain
readings from the customers. Note: this should solve the future meter
reader dog bite problems! Next we wonder if e-mail will one day also
eliminate the mail man and home delivery!
.Computer Tips (Did you ever empty the
Recycle Bin or accidentally hit the file delete?)
Deleted file recovery is
possible using
Windows 95,98,ME,NT, 2000 and WinXP operating
systems, if you have not written over the deleted files with new data.
If you down load the free program Drive
Rescue at the following location and install it on your
hard drive prior to the accidental file deleting action.
The "Drive Rescue" file recovery program shows if recovery is possible and
shows the condition of the file as Good or Poor.
The file should preferably be sent to a second drive
or floppy, etc.that has the necessary storage space for
recovery. (The web page gives complete operating instructions and
details).
More Google
search engine tricks. If you go to Http://www.google.com and type in a phone
number in the little search window when you are on line it will do a reverse
lookup and show the name and location of that phone number!
Need More Hard Drive Storage?
We now have more storage possible with the massive
hard drive by Maxtor the new model 3000XT holds 160G
of data and is available as an Internal or External firewire
unit. So now you ask just what is the limit, as this
new drive is a 48 bit device that uses a bridge board to exceed the old
136G limit. It may however be possible to even go to 2200G's in
the future and record and store and edit full length full screen non compressed
movies or perhaps have a personal copy of all the information in Library of
Congress! HI
Digital SSTV ? (The Web with motion color and
sound versus SSTV still frame )
It would seem that as we are able to use a 56k dial up modem to send
compressed digital Video Phone and digital Video Mail, over a normal home phone
line with high color and motion and near Hi-Fi quality audio, that it
would also be practical to use Digital SSTV for a similar function
over HF radio. I have used a number of the video phone and video mail
programs like the Ham favorite "Internet Phone 4" by Vocal Tec and
"Vmail" program by Chilli Soft and also "Webcammail" and
"PalTalk" and "Audiovision" by Smith Micro and also several
more free programs that are no longer available. Note: usually these
various programs use a compressed streaming video Codex or the Real Media
compressed format and generally provide a small or medium size
screen display.(a small video window takes less band width but
has a surprisingly high quality color display with reasonable motion
at even around 24 FPS and also can have very good audio. I
would like to receive comments on these ideas, or is this just my wishful
thinking. Ray W5NOO
Help Wanted
We need the viewers to send in any news or information of activities or
comments or suggestions related to Visual Communications using SSTV or
Fast Scan TV, etc., to me Ray W5NOO at ray@junct.com Also any information or
computer tips that the viewers may find useful. We also need some one to
act as the IVCA meeting chairman or MC at the next Dayton convention on the
17,18,19 of April.2002. We need a volunteer to check the SSTV IVCA DX
contest logs and declare a contest winner.
Notice of Resignation
Due to increasing problems with my eyesight and difficulty with walking I
will not be able to attend the next Dayton convention and continue on as Editor
of the VISION news and also as IVCA Director. I suggest that the members contact
me with suggestions and names for a replacement Editor and also a separate
individual as Director this can be voted on at the next Dayton meeting. I'll
continue on as Director/Editor until these positions can be filled in
June. You can also cast an e-mail vote and send recommendations to me
Ramon Glidden W5NOO Director/Editor at ray@junct.com also.I'll post the possible
nominees in the future VISION news letters. (Old Slow Scanners Never Die We Just
Need Large Screen Text.)
Happy
Viewing Ray W5NOO
Editor/Director IVCA
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