∏node Documentation Hertzian Informations SSTV - Slow Scan Television

SSTV - Slow Scan Television

Slow-scan television (SSTV) is a picture transmission method, used mainly by amateur radio operators, to transmit and receive static pictures via radio in monochrome or color. A literal term for SSTV is narrowband television. Analog broadcast television requires at least 6 MHz wide channels, because it transmits 25 or 30 picture frames per second (see ITU analog broadcast standards), but SSTV usually only takes up to a maximum of 3 kHz of bandwidth. It is a much slower method of still picture transmission, usually taking from about eight seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the mode used, to transmit one image frame. Since SSTV systems operate on voice frequencies, amateurs use it on shortwave (also known as HF by amateur radio operators), VHF and UHF radio.

More : wikipedia

RESSOURCES

Ressources about SSTV, for SSTV, WEFAX and digital SSTV, by Martin OK2MNM :
https://www.sstv-handbook.com/

FORMATS

Formats of slow-scan TV transmission, image resolution, transmission time and characteristics :
https://www.sstv-handbook.com/download/sstv_04.pdf

SOFTWARES

SSTV WEB ENCODER (VR2WOA)

Online tool to convert an image to a SSTV wav file.
https://www.vr2woa.com/sstv/
Review : encoding tested and approved

MULTIMODE COCA

MultiScan 2 is amateur radio software for receiving and sending Slow Scan Television (SSTV) pictures. There are two versions of the program: MultiScan 2 which is build for OS X 10.5 and runs on PowerPC or Intel Mac with 1GHz+ processor and MultiScan 2SL, optimized for OS X 10.6 and runs on Intel Macs (32 and 64 bit). MultiScan 2 supports the following analog SSTV formats (digital SSTV is not supported):
https://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/multimode/getting_starting_with_multimode_cocoa.html
reviews :
sstv transmission tested with a FM transmitter/receiver
works well !
includes also PSK31, RTTY, FAX, PACKET, and more modes of decoding

MULTISCAN 3B SSTV

MultiScan is amateur radio software for receiving and sending Slow Scan Television (SSTV) pictures.
https://macdownload.informer.com/multiscan/download/
reviews :
encoding seems to work well
difficulties to decode

BLACK CAT SSTV

If you want an SSTV app that will show you the DX you've been missing, Black Cat SSTV is for you.
https://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/sstv.html
reviews :
works perfectly

QSSTV

SSTV program for the Linux platform with several functions written by ON1MH Johan
https://www.dxzone.com/dx2648/qsstv-for-linux.html
reviews :
untested yet

EXAMPLES OF DECODED IMAGES

FREQUENCIES TO MONITOR

INTL

(source wikipedia EN) : Using a receiver capable of demodulating single-sideband modulation, SSTV transmissions can be heard on the following frequencies:
Band Frequency Sideband

80 meters 3.845 MHz (3.73 in Europe) LSB
43 meters 6.925 MHz (Pirate Radio) USB
40 meters 7.171 MHz (7.165 in Europe) LSB
40 meters 7.180 MHz (New Suggested Frequency to include General Classes) LSB
40 meters 7.214 MHz Australian Digital SSTV frequency (Easypal and DIGTRX) LSB
20 meters 14.230 MHz Frequency 1 Analog. USB
20 meters 14.233 MHz Frequency 2 Analog to alleviate crowding on 14.230. USB
15 meters 21.340 MHz USB
10 meters 28.680 MHz USB
11 meters 27.700 MHz (Pirate Radio) USB

FR

(source wikipedia FR): Fréquences SSTV utilisées par les radioamateurs

FAX

144,700 MHz
432,700 MHz
433,700 MHz
1 296,700 MHz

SSTV

144,500 MHz
432,500 MHz
433,400 MHz
1 296,500 MHz

SSTV/FAX

3,730 - 3,740 MHz
7,035 - 7,040 MHz
14,225 - 14,235 MHz

Région 1 - Europe, l'ouest du Moyen-Orient, Afrique, le nord de l'Asie

21,335 - 21,345 MHz
28,675 - 28,685 MHz

Fréquences SSTV utilisées hors radioamateurs

Activité SSTV CB sur 27,700 MHz
Activité SSTV PMR sur 446,081 25 MHz (canal 7)