Keeping Amateurs
informed on Developments in Visual Communication around the world
===================================================================================
2002 Dayton Hamvention IVCA Meetings (
Information submitted by Don Miller W9NTP and Farrell Winder
W8ZCF)
Dayton is over and quite a success we had 35 people
attending the hotel meeting and the New IVCA Officers were elected. The new
President is now Clarence Fowler WA0TSL and the New Vice
President is Robert S Robinson W9RSR that also conducts
the SSTV WAS program and the new Secretary/Editor is
Marlin Alberty KA8LWR The programs presented on May
17.2002 were "The Rigblaster" by John
Lalotai. N1OLO and " SSTV from the satellites"
by Dr. Robert Suding W0LMD Dr.Suding presented
700 + pictures received through several satellites including 600 from AO-40
and described antenna controllers and feeds which he researched and developed
and manufactured for use with AO-4O. His web page is http://www.ultimatecharger.com/dish.html
with a wealth of information on this subject. John Lalotai N1OLO provided a
program on the Rigblaster Interface unit used for SSTV and the
various digital modes using computer sound card operations. The Dayton forum
room was filled on Saturday May 18 and Ralph Taggert WB8DTQ
Talked about his new ARRL book on Visual
Communication and discussed how easy it is to get on SSTV. This
was followed by Barry Sanderson KB9VAK Bringing us up to date
on improvements with "Digital HDSSTV" If any one is
interested or would like to participate, contact Don W9NTP at Wyman@svs.net . Hank Cantrell W4HTB
Showed a tape from Miles Man WF1F, discussing the work that has been
done on the International Space Station for SSTV and other ham operations. Early
next year looks like the soonest that we can expect SSTV from the
ISS. Farell Winder W8ZCF, Showed,some very fine SSTV
pictures he has received from AO-40. We encourage everyone to get interested in
AO-40 SSTV because it works well and the satellite is
not over populated. The pictures come down at 2401 MHz.
Web Picture Phone/ Net Cam Operation
(No transceiver or antenna or even an Amateur license
required)
As most know SSTV and fast scan TV
are not the only ways to communicate using video. The
hardware used for SSTV and a Windows computer that is using
special video programs will also permit you to not only exchange
pictures including JPG,BMP and GIF files that are usually sent in your
normal e-mail as inserts or background or attachments but you can
also exchange two way live video with motion and sound over the
web. If you only have a telephone dialup modem (28.8KB or faster)
connection and a 330Mhz or faster computer with a camera attached with
USB or a camera and capture connection arrangement). There are numerous
freeware and shareware and also commercial programs you can purchase or
download, and use, to run live two-way video phone, even with your non-amateur
friends. You can do a web search for "Video Phone" or search for a particular
program by it's name or just click the following URL and signup at the ZDNet
Downloads at http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=5ptfwc5&tg=dl-2001&SWLink=n&tag=sptlt
where you can down load several of the Video
Phone programs and various useful software. These video programs provide a
way to select your camera and audio setup and also provide for a self view.
A schedule will also have to be arranged with your friends that are logged on to
the selected program and also on line to make a video phone call connection. I
have used a number of the web video phone and also video mail programs in
the past including.
iPhone 4/5, WebCam 32,
Paltalk, iVisit, EyeBall and Yahoo
Messenger,CUseeMe,WebCam,
Audio Vision,Intel,Win98/XP /Net
Meeting, etc.just to mention a few and also
several free Video programs from companies that are no longer in business
as you might expect. Most programs also have ways to log in to the user
directories of various category's and contact folks and monitor
conversations etc.One video phone program "iVisit" even permits conference video
connections with several stations at the same time on screen and also runs on an
IBM and Mac platform as I remember. Some of the free Video Phone
programs may have popup/ popunder advertisements and also problems with poor
audio quality, or drop-outs and disconnects, and audio echo's
etc. however some programs have very high quality Video with fair
frame rates that permit reasonable screen motion using a codex or
compression method.Some even have an adjustable transmit and self view
picture window size adjustment. Some programs have
near Hi Fi audio quality. At any rate we believe that an
almost free long distance two way net cam video phone call with a picture that's
in color with motion and sound, is not a bad idea,especially when your
antenna is not working, (like mine at present)! (On the web I find
talking is easier than typing and I also like to see and hear who is on the
other end. I can also pan around and show off my shack,etc.and
besides you even get to say things just like in some of the old Holly Wood
movie productions, "I'm ready for my close up now Mr. DeMille")
Ray W5NOO
Removing Bad Cookies,
and Tracking Spy-ware etc. (it's a jungle
out there on the web)
If you go to lot's of web sites and down load lots
of programs you will probably get infected with the various "Spyware" and bad
cookies and tracking parasites that infect your system. To locate and remove
these you can eliminate this problem if you download the free German/English
program "Ad-aware" by Lavasoft at the
following URL with a mouse click!
( This is a multi spyware removal
utility designed for all Win9x / ME / NT40 / W2000
platforms. It scans your system and drives for components of
known spyware type parasites and lets you remove them safely.) read the complete
details in it's help files. (Note: we have checked all our
drives and found and removed over 30 of these parasites) I believe
the typical anti-virus and filter programs will not locate or remove these
tracking parasites! And just when you thought the e-mail spam and web
pop-up and pop-under banner ads were bad, and you were safe from hackers with a
anti-virus program running, and a Firewall. and even with your file sharing
turned off,and you browser security set on high, you still can have
computer security and privacy problems! "Gasp" Ray
W5NOO
Web Page
and Language Text Conversion (Attention non English viewers for help
with this e-mail page!)
To view an HTML web page text in a different
language and also use the mouse pointer wipe and copy text
function. You can convert a number of languages for free
if you click the following URL http://www.t-mail.com/index2.shtml (Note:
the operating instructions are even available in various languages).You can
use the "Sail the Web" / T-Sail
to convert a web page and use the "T-Text" / Paste Text
function to do a wipe, and copy this e-mail text into the
program for a conversion to a selected language. You can also use the
carbon copy or the Cc: in
normal e-mail if you type in the following information in the little Cc:
window English-German@T-Mail.com as an
example to specify and send your normal e-mail that is then also
converted to a foreign language you have specified.. (You may wish to
put this T-mail URL in your browser Favorites to help with information for
converting foreign language web pages to a language of your choice or
also how to convert your e-mail to English or a different language to send.)
Note: language conversion accuracy may only be 90% and special fonts are
required to be installed, for example with Japanese. (Give it a try and send me
some e-mail I would like to hear from you using the T-Mail Cc:
computer e-mail English function) as no knowledge of English is
required! (Wow these computers are sure getting smart and even know lot's
of foreign languages!)......... Ray W5NOO ray@junct.com
Computer Tips (Let's check that confusing 'puter system
out)
To check you computers hardware and software and
performance you can do a Google search for, and download and install the
following programs "Bellarc Advisor" (a free program that
runs off line and can also do your complete systems print out). and
"Sandra" (a free demo that checks your system and
settings and performance of your processor,memory, drives, etc.) or
possibly the one available at http://www.karenware.com called "Computer Profiler" one of several of
"Karen's power tools" that gives information on your hardware
etc. We use the three preceeding programs to
check the computers configuration and performance and print out a complete
history of the system setup and hardware and all the software that's
installed, etc.
( Note: My IBM computer can do almost
everything, including cooking that is when a fan quits, it
however don't always do Windows ). Hi Hi
Note: If you type
"CONF" in the little desktop RUN window and click
OK it starts to configure or run the MS NetMeeting program when using
a Win98 or WinXT computer.
QST Magazine
Article "Getting Started with SSTV" in PDF format!
If you don't subscribe to QST but would like
to read or print out the QST article by me published back in Sept 1997 "Getting
Started with SSTV" click the ARRL Link URL .(Note: you will have to first have
the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, (a free PDF type file
viewing and printing program at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/main.html after it's installed click the following .to
view and print.out the article in color on any operating system or
platform. at the following URL http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/99753.pdf (It's an old article without the very latest SSTV
programs but still useful for beginners and it's also useful to have the Acrobat
PDF reader installed anyway) If you only just wish to read the complete
original unedited article "Getting Started with SSTV" see my home web page at
http://www.junct.com/ramon Ray W5NOO
New
Digital Wireless Web Cam/PDA etc. Device (A look into
the future of wireless video communications)
As we have indicated before you ain't seen
nothin' yet! The new Richo RDC-1700 is a small (6.2
X 3.7 X 1,3 Inch) device with a 3.34-megapixle camera equipped with a 3.5 inch
LCD TFT rotating color viewing screen that also has motion and sound
recording functions that can use a wireless send function using
802.11b and also the faster 3G operation where available. This remarkable little
device is designed for the corporate market as the cost is $1,299.
It has resolution as high as 2048 X 1536 with a 6MB of recordable
internal flash memory. It has a touch screen and 3x optical zoom
and operates with the Mac and Windows systems using internet protocols. A
remarkable device with e-mail and web browsing and FTP that provides very
high quality digital pictures and all this as a wireless portable device
operating on battery power yet. (Ok so it don't include a cell phone function or
a DVD and a MP3 player etc. but it could run wireless web Video Phone I
believe) .If we ever get the fast wireless G3 network operating in the USA
this will be a excellent device and we just like every thing about it but the
price! (Note: lot's of new multi function devices coming out almost every
day like the new combination cell phone, Cam,PDA,etc.devices)
New Low cost Robot Dog by Sony Co,
Batteries & Software Included (Digital Photography Is
just going to the dogs)
We will soon have a new AIBO type robot dog by Sony
Co. that sells for only $599 list that can respond to 75 voice commands and
perform things like wake up and dance etc. but also has a routine where it
walks around and photographs things of interest and saves them on
an internal memory stick. (I wonder what it finds interesting?
perhaps a fire plug or just some more robot Dogs!) Hi
Hi (Note: My Intel USB web cam will snap a
picture if it detects motion but doesn' t move around and search for subjects to
photograph like the Sony Robo Dog cam, however, so far the Sony Robot dogs are
unable to reproduce or replicate! them selves with out more engineering and
technical development but are just manufactured clones ) Note: We now
even have a new small 4inch size remotely operated, radio controled
model tank, that takes video pictures and transmits them to a standard home
TV. for $50. and also some one inch long little radio controled cars available
on E-Bay or let's just start to think small at Toys-R-Us!
The newly elected Secretary/ Editor Marlin Alberty KA8LWR
will soon be taking over the VISION operation and I hope the viewers will give
their support and send him information to put in the news letter so we can have
a useful and interesting publication.
. 
