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(from Bill - WB3LOT)
Intro to Amateur Television
or
Everything you Wanted to Know About ATV But Were Afraid to Ask by Bryon Foster, N6IFU This short book is written to give you an overview of what ATV is and what it takes to get involved.

Chapter 1
Live TV

ATV is Live TV. It's just like what you watch on you home television. It's an analog signal format television signal. And it comes complete with audio and color. Some people still think ATV is slow scan.


Chapter 2
Take a Peek

Would you would like to view ATV and not spend a dime. Right in the comfort of your own Ham Shack. You can and all you need is a computer and an Internet connection.

Here is how you do it. There are dozens if not hundreds of ATV repeaters that stream their video and audio just so interested people can see their activities. And there are ATV repeaters streaming video from locations around the world.

There are places and publications where you can get listings of ATV Repeaters that stream their signals and some also list when they have "Nets", "Chat Nights" or "Meetings" ..etc. Just so you know when to tune in and watch.

One of the publications you can get a listing of ATV Streaming Repeaters is the "ATV Newsletter" which is a weekly publication. And it's FREE.* It has a section called "ATV GUIDE" that lists events throughout each week.

Some of the Streaming ATV repeaters even communicate with the Internet viewers via the chat room in the streaming video.
And if the repeater is close to your QTH you maybe be able to check-in via a "talk in freq." on 2 meters, 220 or 70 cm and interact with an on air QSO while you watch on the streaming video.

Chapter 3
Local ATV?

Already on chapter 3, see how easy ATV is.

If you are interested in getting involved in ATV you should first check to see if there is any other ATV stations or ATV repeaters in your area.

If you received this book from another Ham you might already know what is happening in your area with ATV.

This is important because if there is some form of ATV in your area you don't want to go out and reinvent the wheel.

There are many frequencies and formats that can be used with ATV and you will most likely want to communicate with the established ATVers in your area.

Chapter 4
Some Technical Stuff

Here are just some of the different frequencies and formats used with ATV.
Frequencies:
426 to 439.25 MHz (VSB) or AM
900 MHz (VSB) & (FM)
1200 MHz (VSB) & (FM)
2.4 GHZ (FM)
3 GHz (FM)
5 GHz (FM
10 GHz (FM)
and digital (DATV) popping up on all.
Antennas:
The use of horizontal and vertical polarization lends well to ATV. Some repeaters use inputs and outputs on one polarity and use the opposite for linking repeaters.

If you already have active ATVers in your area you will want to know what frequencies they operate on and the polarity they use for their antennas.

Chapter 5
Your QTH & Line of Sight

I have been to several ATV presentations and the first point they made in their presentation was "line of sight". It came across sounding like " if you can't see the antenna that you want to send your ATV signal to with your naked eye, don't bother". Don't be scared off so fast.

The higher you go up in frequency the more important a "line if sight" is but the only way to see if you have a path is to test it.
I have seen ATV passed through a row of orange trees and a concrete wall. Or antennas mounted inside an attic pointed at a repeater and looking through a stucco wall and another whole two story house in it's path. So don't get put off because you can't see the repeater with your eye.

If you can borrow a downconverter and a good antenna take it to your QTH and see if you can see the repeater. In otherwords, you have to test your site if you have a dought about the path to a site.
If you do have a mountain in the way or a twenty story hospital across the street you could have a problem but a remote station could solve the worst problem.Chapter 6What can you do with ATV?
You can work ATV from your ham shack and just rag chew. Or you can show projects to other hams that your working on. You can transmit any picture you have on you computer screen or video of any amateur event.You can operate mobile and portable. You can put ATV in RC Aircraft, rockets and robots. You can put ATV in high altitude balloons. You can even put ATV on the International Space Station. Which just happened in Feb. 2008.Maybe the title of this chapter should have been what can't you do with ATV.Chapter 7How Much does it cost to build an ATV Station?
I got started with a borrowed transmitter and a vertical two meter/440 antenna and got into the repeater. Then I made my first contact. When I told the other Ham what I was using he couldn't believe it. He had been told that what I was doing was imposable. It wasn't a good picture and I worked with it and built an antenna. (a directional antenna like a yagi works much better than a vertical) I built up the rest of the station and I returned the borrowed transmitter. I now have one of the best ATV pictures in my area.It's hard to put a price on an ATV Station because you can build or buy equipment. I would say a good guess would be a few hundred dollars to start.And you can use all your home video cameras and other video equipment in your ATV Station. Chapter 8Where can I read more about ATV?
You can start with the ARRL Handbook.And there are publications devoted to ATV like the ATV Quarterly (ATVQ) or CQ-TV Magazine. And quarterly newsletters like the ATCO Newsletter.And there is one weekly newsletter that will give you a wealth of information. Weekly programming of streaming video from ATV repeaters. Listing of used equipment for sale. Listing of manufactures of ATV Equipment. New product listings. You can place an ad for equipment you're looking for, you can even send in questions to the Newsletter for the readers to give you input and answer your questions. And that publication is the "ATV Newsletter" and it's FREE. I happen to be the Editor and Publisher of the ATV Newsletter. I have focused the newsletter of giving ATVers a place to send and receive the most current information about ATV every signal week. If you want to subscribe to the ATV Newsletter right now send an email to atv-newsletter@hotmail.com and please include you first name and your Ham call, if you have one.Chapter 9Where can I buy equipment?I have provided you with a list of websites in the appendix to manufactures of equipment, publications for ATV and Forums all to get you started. Chapter 10Simplex and DXing with ATVI have done very little simplex ATV work. Most of the people in my area have fixed their antennas on the repeater site. But if you don't have a repeater it is the only way to go.I have never participated in ATV DXing but I do have an expert on the subject that is listed in the ATV Newsletter. And he has a streaming video from his Station.SummaryThis short book is obviously an understatement of everything that pertains to ATV. But in my conversations with many Hams I have found there are to many misconceptions. It was my intention to try to overcome some of them. If any of this wets your appetite for ATV, you now have some tools to do a little research to see if you want to get involved in this part of the great hobby of Amateur Radio.Hope to see you on ATVBryon Foster, N6IFUAppendix:
Acres Electronics, ZL4TAOATV Gearwww.acreselectronics.co.nzATCO Newsletter, Quarterly Publicationwww.atco.tvAmateur Television QuarterlyBesides it's Quarterly Publication there are books avalible from ATVQ on ATVhttp://www/hampubs.com ATV Newsletter (Back Issues Only)http://www.qsl.net/g3zhi/atvnews.htm ATV Newsletter to subscribe:Please include first name and your Ham call.email request to : atv-newsletter@hotmail.com The mailing list is not sold or shared.British Amateur Television Club ForumsGreat Forums for ATV & DATV http://www.g1fef.co.uk/forums CQ-TV Magazine Download and view back issues for free and the place to subscribe for current issues.They also offer a Cyber Subscription.www.cq-tv.comDATV/Digital Amateur Television Primer, G7LWTAnd another location you can download bask issues of the "ATV Newsletter"www.g7lwt.comDutch Digital Amateur Television SiteMost advanced website for Digital ATVhttp://d-atv.com G3ZHI, Ian's Website of many Ham Radio Linkshttp://www.qsl.net/g3zhi http://www.g3zhi.talktalk.net/ GW6BWX's Amateur Television Electronics Projects ATV/DATVhttp://www.atv-projects.com/index.html Hamoholics, 2E0GYZGreat Forum for ATV and anything Ham Radio.www.2e0gyz.ning.com Intuitive Circuits, LLCOn screen overlays and ATV repeater controllers etc..http://www.icircuits.com Mini-kits Hi-Tech RF Kits and Components for ATVhttp://www.minikits.com.au Southgate Amateur Radio Clubwww.southgatearc.org This should be enough to get you started on the road to building an ATV Station. If you can't find what you want to know or need, give the ATV Newsletter a email and I will see what I can do. N6IFUFirst Published March 12, 2008
Copyright ATV NewsletterClimb to the top of the charts! Play the word scramble challenge with star power. Play now!
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N3HIA