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HamTV Status

The HamVideo DATV transmitter has stopped working April 2018.

Provisions were that, in such a case, the transmitter should be discarded and disposed of as waste.

ARISS succeeded in having the HamVideo transmitter downmassed by a SpaceX vehicle. The parcel was recovered after splashdown in the Pacific and delivered to NASA (Houston).

The HamVideo transmitter has been examined by Kayser Italia in Livorno, Italy, were it was developed and built. The fault was identified in a modulator (a single failing memory bit !). The modulator has been replaced by an updated unit.

Presently (August 2021), the Hamvideo transmitter has been re-assembled and is ready to undergo a series of tests. Is all goes well, the transmitter will be shipped back to the USA, where steps will be undertaken to get it accepted for re-flight.

HamTV Helpdesk

The HamTV Technical Team will try and answer your questions relative to the setting up and the use of a HamTV ground station.

MiniTiouner

MiniTiouner-Express

HamTV : Digital Amateur Television from the International Space Station

DATV Technology

HamTV Ground Stations

Links

MiniTiouner Hardware

The following is adapted from a presentation by Jean-Pierre Courjaud F6DZP at the ARISS international meeting, Houston 2016 The MiniTiouner is a DATV receiver designed by Jean-Pierre Courjaud F6DZP.  With dedicated software it is perfectly suited for HamVideo reception. The MiniTiouner is a NIM based receiver. The “Network Interface Module” or NIM supports several tasks: …

Minitioune Software

Minitioune Software by Jean-Pierre Courjaud F6DZP. This screen shot shows the MiniTiouner receiving an excellent signal: Frequency: 1255MHz RF Power: -64 dBm MER: 31.8 dB (Modulation Error Ratio) – Digital S/N Ratio Constellations: strong concentration, proving excellent QPSK demodulation The Minitioune software in Expert Mode Central Panel The tuner is never on the wanted frequency …

MiniTiouner-Express

   

MiniTiouner-Express Product Overview

IK1SLD

Station location: Casale Monferrato  North-western Italy  JN45FC Operator: Claudio Ariotti IK1SLD IK1SLD is an ARISS VHF-UHF telebridge station as well as a HamTV ground station.   Telebridge VHF-UHF system crossed Yagi 15 + 15, , both VHF and UHF Preamplifiers installed near the antennas: SSB SP-2 VHF and SHF MVV 432/2 UHF switching Hor or …

SP3QFE

Armand Budzianowski, SP3QFE working on his HamTV dish  Most HamTV ground stations use a 1.2m dish. With accurate azimuth and elevation tracking, they receive the signal for 5 to 6 minutes during a favorable pass. For ARISS school contacts, 3 or more ground stations, located 800 km to 1000 km from each other along the …

VK4KHZ

Station location: Glenden Queensland Australia  QG48BU Operator: Shane Lynd, VK4KHZ VJ4KHZ is an ARISS VHF-UHF telebridge station as well as a HamTV ground station.   Below is a summary of the HAMTV equipment and any relevant findings observed or experienced during set-up at VK4KHZ in Queensland Australia. I have assembled three HAMTV stations at VK4KHZ, …

VK5EI

Station Location: South Australia, Adelaide, PF95GD Operator: Joe Pereira   Station Summary – 25th April 2017   Reflector:             Parabolic Prime Focus 1.8m mesh type Antenna:              S-band Patch feed, fabricated by James R Miller Converter:           Model 2400-HAMTV-DC, High Sierra Microwave Feeder Cable:    RG6 Quad Core / cable run 8 meters Rotator:               SPID  Model …

VK5ZAI

Station location: Kingston SE  South. Australia –  PF93VD Operator: Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI VK5ZAI is an ARISS VHF-UHF telebridge station as well as a HamTV ground station.   Telebridge VHF-UHF system 10 turn helix 2m antenna crossed Yagi 20 + 20 70cm antenna VHF and UHF antennas are both about 5.5m long The reflector measures 4m …

OK2UUJ

Station location: Olomouc, Moravia, eastern region of Czech Republic  JN89ON Operator: Leo Hucin OK2UUJ   HamTV S-band system 1.2meter eliptical dish MiniTiouner receiver Transport Stream to Merge Server Computers PC #1 Intel Core2Duo  2GHz with TT S3200 card, Minitioune software and Orbitron PC #2 Intel Core I3  3,5 GHz with Minitiouner V1 (Sharp tuner)

ISS

HamTV – Overview

  ARISS HamVideo Transmitter on board the International Space Station   Name definitions “HamVideo” is the name of the Digital Amateur Television (DATV) transmitter on board the Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS) “HamTV” refers to the amateur radio DATV activities involving HamVideo     HamVideo characteristics Ham Video downlink frequencies: 2369 MHz …

HamTV Power Levels

The HamVideo power levels in the table at the bottom of this page result from worst case computations, intended for the  evaluation of system efficiency. See Link budget computation by I0KPT. As shown in fig 2, the ISS orbits at about 400km above the surface of the earth. That is the distance between the ISS …

HamTV reception with TT S2-1600 PCI card

Since 2014, ground stations have used the Techno Trend TT S2-1600 PCI card for reception of the DATV signals transmitted by the HamVideo transmitter. This card is not produced anymore, but some are offered for purchase on Ebay. The TT S2-1600 PCI card comprises: a zero tuner a QPSK DVB-S demodulator a Transport Stream to …

Tutioune 1600 receiving software

Jean-Pierre Courjaud F6DZP wrote dedicated software for the reception of HamVideo signals. The Tutioune 1600 software commands the TT S2-1600 PCI card and handles the transport stream. In ISS mode it also adds the missing DVB tables. The program not only delivers video and audio, but also provides technical parameters such as RF power and …

Noise Power Measurement tool (NPM)

Noise Power Measuring Tool  Jean-Pierre Courjaud F6DZP wrote software to facilitate antenna setup. The Noise Power Measuring tool (NPM) can be used to measure the sun noise on S-band. A special version of Orbitron/whispDDE sends commands to the azimuth and elevation motors, providing offsets  from minus 10° to plus 10° from the sun coordinates. The …

Tiny Spectrum Analyser (TSA)

Tiny Spectrum Analyser for the TT S2-1600 card by F6DZP  With the Tiny Spectrum Analyser we have a detailed view on incoming signals. On the screen print above we observe WiFi interference. The Tiny Spectrum Analyser is also useful for testing filters such as those built by Kerry Banke N6IZW for the Europeanchain of HamTV …

European chained HamTV ground stations

To provide 10 minutes of HamVideo reception, a chain of ground stations located along the pass of the ISS footprint, is needed. In Europe, the following stations participate to this chain: For descending passes: EI9FHB, Cork, Ireland F6DZP, Poitiers, France IK1SLD, Casale Monferrato, northern Italy IZ7EVR, southern Italy (not operational) On the world map, one …

Introduction to digital satellite television technology

Gaston Bertels – ON4WF The Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) is a working group of authorities that was formed in 1988 by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) to set standards for audio and video compression and transmission. First published in 1996, H.262 or MPEG-2 Part 2 is a video coding …

Measuring DVB parameters for DATV reception

Adapted from a paper by Jean-Pierre Courjaud – F6DZP Gaston Bertels – ON4WF IQ Symbols and Constellations A DVB-S transmitter produces a continuous Transport Stream of data (see Introduction to digital satellite television technology). The Transport Stream modulates the RF carrier. In general, DATV uses QPSK modulation. The data transmitted are IQ Symbols or “Symbols” …