Whywhy ATVATV ??

Compiled and Presented by Stanley Grixti – 9H1LO WhatWhat exactlyexactly isis ATV?ATV?

AmateurAmateur TelevisionTelevision isis thethe transmissiontransmission ofof eithereither SlowSlow ScanScan picturespictures (SSTV)(SSTV) oror FastFast ScanScan picturespictures (FSTV).(FSTV).

ScanScan meaningmeaning thethe ““drawingdrawing ”” ofof thethe picturepicture onon thethe screen.screen. SSTVSSTV SlowSlow ScanScan isis normallynormally usedused onon thethe narrownarrow bandwidthsbandwidths ofof HFHF andand VHFVHF .. UsuallyUsually SSBSSB andand FMFM .. TheThe picturespictures areare convertedconverted intointo audioaudio andand sentsent oneone atat aa timetime .. EachEach frameframe takestakes aboutabout 33 minsmins toto bebe sent!sent! VeryVery noisynoisy andand unreliableunreliable .. NowadaysNowadays sentsent // receivedreceived usingusing aa PCPC MIRMIR SpaceSpace StationStation usedused toto TransmitTransmit SSTV!SSTV! FSTVFSTV

FSTVFSTV isis generallygenerally termedtermed ATVATV .. 2525 framesframes perper secondsecond cancan bebe sentsent (Live(Live Video).Video). AudioAudio channelschannels cancan bebe usedused asas subsub --carrierscarriers .. SameSame asas broadcastbroadcast TVTV standardstandard (PAL(PAL B).B). ModeMode isis WideWide BandBand FMFM .. UsedUsed onon MicrowaveMicrowave bands:bands: 1.2GHz1.2GHz ,, 2.4GHz2.4GHz ,, 5.7GHz5.7GHz ,, 10GHz10GHz ,, 24GHz24GHz NormallyNormally AnalogAnalog butbut DigitalDigital (DVB(DVB --S)S) transmitterstransmitters areare available.available. WhoWho usesuses ?? && WhyWhy ATVATV ??

ATVATV isis oneone ofof thethe forfor --frontsfronts inin amateuramateur radioradio technology.technology.

ItIt isis usedused inin contests,contests, DXDX --Peditions,Peditions, HamHam --FairsFairs ectect

ThereThere isis anan fortnightlyfortnightly ATVATV ““magazinemagazine ”” transmittedtransmitted fromfrom SwedenSweden viavia thethe commercialcommercial broadcastbroadcast satellitesatellite Sirius.Sirius. ThisThis isis receivablereceivable withwith aa digitaldigital satellitesatellite TVTV System.System. JustJust turnturn thethe dishdish toto thethe SiriusSirius satellitesatellite andand setset thethe rightright frequency!!frequency!! WhoWho usesuses ?? && WhyWhy ATVATV ??

WithWith thethe helphelp ofof 9H1ATV9H1ATV locallocal fieldfield daysdays andand otherother eventsevents cancan bebe broadcastbroadcast live,live, alsoalso constructionconstruction proprojectsjects andand lectureslectures cancan bebe givengiven ““onon thethe airair ””

UnfortunatelyUnfortunately anan amateuramateur satellitesatellite withwith anan ATVATV repeaterrepeater payloadpayload isis notnot yetyet inin orbit,orbit, howeverhowever therethere areare plansplans ofof havinghaving oneone asas PhasePhase 44 (Geo(Geo --stationary).stationary).

ManyMany SiciliansSicilians areare activeactive onon ATVATV whichwhich willwill surelysurely bebe ofof advantageadvantage toto locallocal 9H9H stations!stations! 9H1LO – JM75EW ATVATV viavia RagusaRagusa ATVATV repeaterrepeater

IT9TWC - IT9TWC - IT9TWC - IT9 ATVATV TransmittersTransmitters // ReceiversReceivers

CanCan bebe built.built. CanCan bebe purchasedpurchased fromfrom G1MFGG1MFG (1.2GHz(1.2GHz 65mW65mW TransmitterTransmitter aboutabout Lm30.00)Lm30.00) TVROTVRO LNBsLNBs cancan bebe modifiedmodified intointo 100mW100mW 10GHz10GHz transmitters.transmitters. NormalNormal antennasantennas forfor thethe givengiven bandband cancan bebe usedused howeverhowever considerationconsideration mustmust bebe takentaken forfor higherhigher bandwidthsbandwidths Yagi,Yagi, Dipole,Dipole, Dish,Dish, HornHorn ,, oror anyany suitablesuitable antenna.antenna. ATVATV TransmittersTransmitters

HomebrewHomebrew 10GHz10GHz ATVATV TransmitterTransmitter withwith Audio/VideoAudio/Video modulator.modulator. 65mW65mW Output.Output.

1.2GHz1.2GHz ATVATV TransmitterTransmitter fromfrom G1MFG.G1MFG. ReceiversReceivers AmateurAmateur receiversreceivers availableavailable forfor 1.2GHz1.2GHz andand 2.4GHz2.4GHz fromfrom G1MFG.G1MFG. SurplusSurplus domesticdomestic analogueanalogue TVROTVRO ReceiversReceivers cancan bebe usedused forfor 1.2GHz1.2GHz andand alsoalso 10GHz10GHz usingusing aa normalnormal LNB.LNB. ForFor 1.2GHz1.2GHz aa prepre --amplifieramplifier mightmight bebe needed.needed.

TheThe samesame asas inin thethe transmittertransmitter appliesapplies forfor antennasantennas..

ReceptionReception atat 10GHz10GHz wouldwould normallynormally bebe anan LNBLNB mountedmounted onon aa smallsmall DishDish oror aa HornHorn .. ReceiversReceivers

1.2GHz Receivers from G1MFG. They can also be used for 10GHz wit h A cheap satellite TV LNB.

Receive setup using a domestic receiver. (set -top box) OtherOther EquipmentEquipment VideoVideo CameraCamera ComputerComputer withwith videovideo outout TestTest CardCard GeneratorGenerator PALPAL TVTV // MonitorMonitor 9H1ATV9H1ATV A microwave amateur television repeater TheThe IdeaIdea BehindBehind 9H1ATV9H1ATV TheThe ideaidea ofof havinghaving aa locallocal ATVATV repeaterrepeater isis toto encourageencourage andand educateeducate interestedinterested amateursamateurs toto equipequip themselvesthemselves toto operateoperate thisthis mode.mode. ItIt willwill alsoalso helphelp toto increaseincrease thethe distancedistance ofof contacts,contacts, andand willwill alsoalso serveserve asas thethe midmid --medmed ATVATV hub,hub, whenwhen eventuallyeventually itit willwill bebe linkedlinked toto thethe everever expandingexpanding ATVATV repeaterrepeater networknetwork inin Sicily.Sicily. ItIt willwill provideprovide easyeasy setupsetup access,access, I.E.I.E. stationsstations wiwillll onlyonly needneed aa minimumminimum amountamount ofof equipmentequipment andand powerpower toto accessaccess thethe repeater.repeater. ItIt willwill provideprovide interestinginteresting contactscontacts especiallyespecially fromfrom /M/M && /P/P stations!!stations!! TheThe RepeaterRepeater

1.2GHz Antenna

v 1.2 GHz Receiver v

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1 TX & Controller 9H1ATV9H1ATV -- FactsFacts

9H1ATV9H1ATV waswas designeddesigned andand builtbuilt byby 9H1LO9H1LO

TheThe 1.21.2 GHzGHz receivereceive antennasantennas waswas builtbuilt byby 9H1ES9H1ES

TheThe 10GHz10GHz transmittransmit antennaantenna waswas builtbuilt byby 9H1PF9H1PF

It was installed in Mdina in March 2004 by 9H1LO & 9H1ES 9H1ATV9H1ATV -- FactsFacts

Funding was from MARL, 9H1LO and 9H1ES

It transmits a test card when no signal is received

Output frequency is 10.475GHz

Input frequency is 1255MHz

It will switch to the received signal upon detecting VIDEO and not just a carrier

If video ceases it will return to the test card after 8seconds 9H1ATV9H1ATV 1.21.2 GHzGHz ReceiveReceive antennaantenna TransmitTransmit && ReceiveReceive AntennasAntennas 9H1LO9H1LO && 9H1ES9H1ES JustJust afterafter switchingswitching 9H1ATV9H1ATV onon thethe AirAir 9H1ES9H1ES installinginstalling thethe 9H1ATV9H1ATV antennasantennas atat MdinaMdina ReceivingReceiving 9H1ATV9H1ATV StationsStations willwill needneed toto havehave thethe abilityability toto receivereceive anan analoganalog video/audiovideo/audio signalsignal atat 10.475GHz10.475GHz

ThisThis isis donedone withwith anan analoganalog satellitesatellite receiverreceiver andand aa modifiedmodified LNBLNB

AntennaAntenna shouldshould bebe aa hornhorn oror preferablypreferably aa dishdish

The 9H1ATV test card AnalogAnalog SatelliteSatellite ReceiversReceivers These are the old type of TVRO receivers

Frequency range is normally 900MHz – 2000MHz

They are to be used as an IF with an LNB

They normally have a SCART or Phono output that connects to your TV or monitor

PC Card tuners can be used but not advisable as they are slow when it comes to synchronizing

CRT monitors or TV ’s are better than TFT monitors as TFT ’s are slow at synchronizing and difficult to find a weak signal ReceiverReceiver

Coverage is 900MHz – 2000MHz so an LNB (down converter) must to used to convert 10GHz to about 1GHz LNBLNB (Low(Low NoiseNoise Block)Block)

TheThe LNBLNB isis aa downdown converterconverter fromfrom aboutabout 10.7GHz10.7GHz -- 12GHz12GHz toto 900MHz900MHz –– 2GHz2GHz

TheyThey havehave aa builtbuilt inin hornhorn andand transitiontransition thatthat isis mountedmounted onon thethe dishdish toto receivereceive thethe signalsignal fromfrom thethe satellitesatellite

TheyThey havehave 22 LocalLocal Oscillators:Oscillators: 9.75GHz9.75GHz andand 10.6GHz10.6GHz Mathematics!Mathematics! ToTo receivereceive 10.475GHz10.475GHz thethe LNBLNB ’’ss 9.75GHz9.75GHz LOLO hashas toto bebe tunedtuned toto 9.4GHz9.4GHz as:as:

10.475GHz10.475GHz –– 9.75GHz9.75GHz == 725MHz725MHz

725MHz725MHz isis belowbelow thethe rangerange ofof thethe receiverreceiver SoSo ifif thethe LOLO isis changedchanged toto 9.4GHz9.4GHz then:then:

10.475GHz10.475GHz –– 9.4GHz9.4GHz == 1.075GHz1.075GHz TheThe OscillatorOscillator inin thethe LNBLNB

The LO is simply a DRO (dielectric resonant oscillator) which works similarly to a normal crystal oscillator but at GHZ frequencies!

It can be tuned down 350MHz by raising it 1mm above the PCB with some super glue and re -tuning with the tuning screw.

It can be aligned on a satellite signal …such as RAI 1 on the Hotbird Satellite …simple re -tune the DRO until you find RAI 1 350MHz below it ’s original frequency! An normal TVRO LNB

The DRO tuning screws AnatomyAnatomy ofof anan LNBLNB

GasFet pre -amps BP Filter

DRODRO

Logic / Switching Power IF OUT AntennasAntennas

MIXER nts) pone comp how TheThe DRODRO ““PuckPuck ”” to sh oved k rem (Puc

9.75GHz 10.6GHz DRODRO ““PucksPucks ”” ReceivingReceiving 9H1ATV9H1ATV

OnceOnce thethe DRODRO isis tunedtuned toto 9.4GHZ9.4GHZ youyou shouldshould bebe ableable toto receivereceive fromfrom 10.3GHz10.3GHz toto aboutabout 11.7GHz11.7GHz

OnceOnce thethe LNBLNB isis mountedmounted onon thethe dishdish andand pointedpointed atat MdinaMdina youyou shouldshould receivereceive 9H1ATV9H1ATV onon 10.475GHz10.475GHz

TheThe IFIF shouldshould bebe 1.075GHz1.075GHz 10.475GHz10.475GHz –– 9.4GHz9.4GHz == 1.075GHz1.075GHz Receiving 9H1ATV Repeater