Amateur television

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"Fast-scan" redirects here. For the
ultrasound assessment used in trauma, see Focused assessment with sonography for trauma
.

Amateur television (ATV) is the transmission of

receivers, and the study of radio propagation of signals travelling between transmitting and receiving stations.[3]

ATV is an extension of amateur radio. It is also called HAM TV or fast-scan TV (FSTV), as opposed to slow-scan television (SSTV).

Signal circuit performance checks made when using a typical test card.

North America

In

23 centimeters
are two other commonly used bands for ATV, but reception of these higher bands requires the use of a down-converter.

Most ATV signals are transmitted in either

demodulator
, such as an analog satellite receiver, is necessary to receive signals.

2 m band

The 2-meter band (144-148 MHz) lies within cable channel 18, but at 4 MHz wide, it is too narrow to fit the full 6 MHz bandwidth of an NTSC analog channel; its audio carrier lies outside the band. To be used as a television frequency, some narrow-bandwidth format incompatible with most televisions must be used and converted.

The 2-meter band is often used by ATV operators for coordination with each other via FM voice transmissions. Operators seeking an ATV contact might first attempt calling on a regionally recognized ATV liaison-frequency, commonly 144.34 MHz, then agree to an ATV frequency to use for the video transmissions. The 2 meter frequency may be used throughout the contact to talk back to the current station transmitting video. The receiving station(s) may suggest adjustments the sending station can make, such as antenna direction, to improve the quality of the video received.

70 cm band

The

broadcast TV channels
13 and 14, which are 210–216 MHz and 470–476 MHz respectively. Propagation is similar to the lowest UHF TV broadcast channels.

Additionally, this band can be easily received by simply tuning any cable-ready analog television or cable-box to the cable TV channels below and connecting an outdoor TV antenna. Amateur TV signals are much weaker than broadcast TV, so a preamplifier is often used to improve reception.

Analog
(IRC)
channel		 Channel Bandwidth (MHz) Video Freq (MHz) Audio Freq (MHz) Notes
57 420–426 421.25 425.75 1,2
58 425–431 426.25 430.75 1,3
58 426–432 427.25 431.75 1
59 432–438 433.25 437.75
59 432.75–438.75 434.00 438.50 3
60 438–444 439.25 443.75 6
61 444–450 445.25 449.75 4

Usage notes:

  1. In Canada and areas of the US north of a designated "Line A" boundary, amateurs are not allowed to transmit on these channels.[5][6][7]
  2. Usually used as an ATV repeater output. VSB filters must be used on this channel to keep the signal inside the ham band.
  3. Channels 58 and 59 are often offset in frequency to limit
    interference to the weak-signal and amateur radio satellite
    sub-bands (431–433 & 435–438 MHz respectively). Many modern CATV receivers can still lock-on to frequencies offset as much as 1 MHz.
  4. Rarely used today due to heavy FM repeater use in this range.
  5. To remain within the amateur radio bandwidth allocation, a maximum of two channels may be simultaneously used within a given geographic area, and the video carrier frequencies must be at least 12 MHz apart for the signals not to interfere with each other.
  6. May not be used within 160 kilometers of Joint Base Cape Cod to protect PAVE PAWS.[8][9]

33 cm band

The

Part 15
users, so interference issues are more likely than on other bands.

These channels can be received by many newer analog cable-boxes and televisions, which can tune to channels above 125.

Analog
(IRC)
channel		 Channel Bandwidth (MHz) Video Freq (MHz) Audio Freq (MHz) Notes
143 906–912 907.25 911.75 1
N/A 909–915 910.25 914.75
N/A 910–916 911.25 915.75
144 912–918 913.25 917.75
145 918–924 919.25 923.75
N/A 922–928 923.25 927.75 2,3

Usage notes:

  1. Available, but no known usage.
  2. In portions of Colorado and Wyoming, amateurs are not allowed to transmit ATV on this channel.[11]
  3. May interfere with growing FM use on the 927–928 MHz sub-band.
  4. For technical reasons, a maximum of two channels may be simultaneously used within a given geographic area, and the video carrier frequencies must be at least 12 MHz apart for the signals not to interfere with each other.

Additionally 33 cm is the lowest frequency band on which higher-quality

big dish analog satellite television and can be received by some tuners which can tune this low in frequency.[12]
Otherwise a specialized FM amateur TV receiver is needed.

23 cm band

The

LNB
input. Due to the low cost and ease of repurposing old analog satellite receivers, this is the most popular band for FM amateur TV.

Commonly used 23 cm FM channels:

  • 1,255 MHz
  • 1,265 MHz

This band is also used for AM/VSB television, although this requires a specialized receiver.

Channel Bandwidth (MHz) Video Freq (MHz) Audio Freq (MHz) Notes
1,240 – 1,246 1,241.25 1,245.75 1
1,252 – 1,258 1,253.25 1,257.75 3
1,264 – 1,270 1,265.25 1,269.75
1,276 – 1,282 1,277.25 1,281.75
1,288 – 1,294 1,289.25 1,293.75

Usage notes:

  1. VSB filters must be used on this channel to keep the signal inside the ham band.
  2. All of the video carrier frequencies are 12 MHz apart to allow for each channel to be used simultaneously in a given geographic area without causing interference to each other.
  3. Not available in certain New England states due to interference with the FAA's surveillance radar at Cummington, Massachusetts.[13]

Other amateur radio bands

In addition to the above, there are other ham bands which are less commonly used for ATV:

Other information

The distance record for ATV is between Hawaii and California (2,518 miles) on 434 MHz.[14]

Experiments with

transition of broadcast television. WR8ATV currently has an output using DVB-S, which is believed to be the first DATV repeater in the US.[15]

There is now a DATV downlink on the ISS operating in the amateur 2.4 GHz band. The QO-100 geostationary satellite wideband transponder has DATV uplinks in the 2.4 GHz and downlinks in 10 GHz amateur bands.

Europe

In

frequency modulated on 1.2 GHz and above. The frequencies in use depend on national permissions. In most of mainland Europe, the most common frequency is 1255 MHz. Other bands commonly used for ATV are the 13cm (~2.3–2.45 GHz) and 3-cm
(~10 GHz) bands, although ATV is used on most of the microwave bands.

In several countries

AM inputs on 430 MHz and FM
outputs on 1255 MHz, others have FM-ATV inputs on 13 cm and outputs on 3 cm.

In the

in-band repeaters. These generally have an input of 1248, 1249 or 1255 MHz and typically output at 1308, 1312 or 1316 MHz, although other frequencies are also used. Simplex operation occurs on these or other frequencies chosen to avoid interference with other users of the band, e.g. 1285 MHz. Recent experiments have been done with digital modes following widely adopted DVB-S and DVB-T
standards. These new DATV transmissions need less spectrum bandwidth than FM-ATV and offer superior picture quality. However, the unavoidable processing delays caused by the temporal compression mean that DATV signals have a second or more of time lag, which can make real-time video conversations feel much less natural than the 'instantaneous' analogue system.

Transmission characteristics

Typical fast scan test card showing "Hanover bars" (colour banding) effect in Pal S (simple) signal mode of transmission. Note: Hanover bars can only be seen in full size image.

Typically

transmissions. This is often used as a repeater's input frequency, with output being standard VSB
on the four channels listed above.

In a nutshell

The quality of transmission is expressed as a "p level"; "p" standing for "picture". P levels range from zero to five, increasing as the picture becomes more viewable. P-0 signifies a state in which sync bars are visible, but the picture is too snowy to be seen; this occurs at a minimum signal strength of 3 dB. Each level represents an increase of 6 dB over the previous; P-5 is 30 dB above P-0 and represents a perfectly clear picture.[16]

Range

As transmission frequency increases, atmospheric

knife-edge diffraction can extend the useful range of signals.[17]

Content

Test transmission signal for chrominance and luminance signals check using PAL D (delay line) encoding - colour "hanover Bars" effect no longer visible.

Content produced by ATV has included:

See also

References

  1. ^ "United Kingdom Frequency allocation table" (PDF). Publication date 2008 (Issue No. 15). Ofcom. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
  2. ^ Kowalewski, Anthony, "An Amateur's Television Transmitter" Archived 2011-09-24 at the Wayback Machine, Radio News, April 1938. Early Television Museum and Foundation Website. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
  3. ^ "HF - Propagation Predictions from the United Kingdom". Publication date November 2010. Radio Society of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 24 October 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
  4. ^ Neuhaus, John (2005-10-19). "Cable TV Channel Frequencies". John Neuhaus. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  5. ^ Line A is defined in the US Federal Code of Regulations Part 47,[1] and runs from Aberdeen, Washington to Searsport, Maine, roughly parallel to the Canada–US border in several segments.
  6. ^ ITU Radio Regulations, Volume 1 (PDF) (2012, Volume 1 ed.). International Telecommunication Union. 2012. p. 38. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Frequency Coordination with Canada Below 470 MHz". Federal Communications Commission. 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  8. ^ PavePAWS 160km protection zone from the Connecticut Spectrum Management Agency's website, retrieved December 28, 2019.
  9. ^ New England Spectrum Management Agency bandplan, including 440 MHz; retrieved December 28, 2019.
  10. ^ ITU Radio Regulations, Volume 1 (PDF) (2012, Volume 1 ed.). International Telecommunication Union. 2012. pp. 96–98. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  11. ^ 47 C.F.R. §97.303(n)3 as of 14 Feb 2011
  12. ^ "Welcome to Amateur Tv".
  13. ^ NEAMC bandplans; retrieves December 28, 2019.
  14. ^ "ATV W6ORG - ATV DX Records".
  15. ^ "Amateur Television in Central Ohio". ATCO. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  16. ^ "ATV P level illustration". Archived from the original on 2009-06-17. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  17. ISBN 0-87259-928-0
    .

External links
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