Utah ATV Home Page
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The UARC ATV Repeater is once again carrying
NASA coverage of the space shuttle mission

UARC is pleased to announce that NASA coverage is once again available via the Farnsworth Peak ATV repeater.  This coverage may be seen with a standard cable-ready TV or VCR connected to an outdoor antenna (a true 70cm yagi is much preferred over a standard VHF/UHF TV antenna) and tuned to channel 58 with the TV/VCR set to cable mode.  (If you tune to channel 58 and just get spanish-language TV, you have not put it in cable mode!)

Important notice:  Due to on-site interference (on the mountaintop) the NASA feed may be unavailable at times.  While we try to avoid such outages, the extremely high RF radiation levels at this site make it difficult to anticipate all possible problems in advance.

How to receive the repeater's signal

Here are a number of articles about how one receives the signal from the repeater:

• Receiving the WB7FID repeater at your QTH - This page tells you what you need to receive the signal and how to go about doing it.
• Predicted coverage of the WB7FID ATV repeater - Does the repeater cover where you are?  This page can help answer that question - and what you'll need for an antenna.
• Using VHF/UHF TV antennas for 70cm ATV reception - How well will your existing rooftop TV antenna work for reception of 70cm ATV?  Probably not very well, but it's still worth trying...

The ATV repeater has been configured such that it is possible for someone with a 70cm receiver (such as a mobile rig, HT, or scanner) can hear the space shuttle audio.  These signals are transmitting continuously during a mission and unless someone is speaking or there is a program being presented, there may be no audio at all.

• 426.260 MHz.  This is the frequency of the video carrier.  The audio channel is modulated atop the video carrier in a narrowband format, compatible with NBFM receivers (HT's, etc.)  The audio deviation is only about 3.5 KHz, but it has audio compression to improve the perceived "loudness."
• 430.750 MHz.  This is the frequency of the audio carrier.  This uses wideband FM ("WFM") and is not generally "listenable" on a radio that does not have this provision.  Many scanners and some newer HT's (such as the Yaesu VX-5 and VX-7) have a "WFM" setting that may work.  This signal has better fidelity than the one on 426.260 MHz, but it is somewhat weaker.

Featured articles:

IF Bandpass Filtering of AM TV Signals

• This is a page that deals with bandpass filtering of the received video signal at IF frequencies and the effects of various bandwidths on the quality of the signal.  These techniques are useful for digging out extremely weak signals and/or removing QRM.  The page called "A Narrowband ("DX") TV I.F. filter for the Icom R-7000" describes a similar scheme in which a filter is used to augment the performance of the R-7000 and its TV demodulator.

• How well will your rooftop VHF/UHF antenna  work for ATV?  The "Using VHF/UHF TV Antennas" page may help you answer this questions.

• The "P's and Q's" page has descriptions (with pictures) of the "P" signal system for describing quality of received video signal.

• The "Interdigital Filter" page if you are considering "rolling your own" interdigital filter for ATV transmit, receive, or whatever!  Here, you'll find a link to a program that will help you design your own filter.  Also, there are some tips, hints, and techniques that might be useful should you try...

Updated on 27 July, 2005

ATV in North America:

Alabama:
The Tennessee Valley ATV Repeater (K4BFT) page

Arizona:
Arizona Amateurs on Television (AATV) Home Page  (This site has been erratic lately...)
Arizona Amateur Television Network

California:
Amateur Television Network (ATN) - FSTV in Centeral and So. California
Bay Area ATV (WA6ZJG) (A remote-controlled tower-mounted camera)
The Microwave Experimenters Television System (KC6CCC)

Idaho:
Yes, there is ATV in Idaho!

Illinois:
The Southern Illinois ATV Group Home Page

Florida:
Tampa Bay Amateur Television Society repeater  (Note:  This page may contain some cumbersome scripts and frames:  Click here to avoid having to navigate through some of them...)

Georgia:
Atlanta Amateur Television Home page

Maryland:
Baltimore Radio Amateur Television Society (BRATS)

Michigan:
Detroit Amateur Television Society (D.A.T.S) (Projects, ATV info, etc.)

Minnesota:
Minnesota Fast Scan Amateur Television (MNFAT)

New Jersey:
Brookdale ATV Repeater System Home page

Pennsylvania:
Amateur Television in Pittsburgh  (You may wish to disable popups before going here...)
Philadephia ATV

Ohio:
Amateur Television in Central Ohio
The KB8GRJ ATV repeater in Xenia

Oregon:
KAT - Klamath Amateur Television

Texas:
Houston Amateur Television Society (HATS) Home page
Clear Lake Amateur Radio Club (CLARC) ATV
North Texas ATV
 

Washington (State of...):
Western Washington ATV Society

Wisconsin:
The Badgerland Amateur Television Society (BATS) in south-centeral Wisconsin

Canada:
The Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club (SARC) VE5ATV repeater in Saskatoon, SK
RARTV ATV - VE5RTV in Regina, SK
 

ATV in the rest of the world:

Finland:
The OH3RTR ATV Repeater

France:
The F1ZEN repeater in Bretagne
F4DAY's site has numerous articles about 23, 13, and 3 cm video and data operation.

Great Britain:
The Severnside ATV Group (near Bristol)
Robin, G8XEU, has a program that will generate a lot of ID screens and test cards  here.
The North London Television Group

Greece:
SV2RR ATV page

Slovenia:
The Slovenian ATV team  There are great links here to some really neat video and data-related projects!
 

VHF/UHF/Microwave/ATV-related Organizations, publications, etc:
Remember: The future of Amateur Radio is on these frequencies!
Amateur Radio Laser Communications - Using light to communicate.
American Radio Relay League (ARRL) - North America's largest amateur radio organization.
ATV Quarterly - subscription info, misc files, etc.
British Amateur Television Club (BATC) - Excellent online publications, etc.
Central States VHF Society - Promoting the bands 50 MHz and above.
Great Lakes VHF/UHF newsletter. - 'Happenings on the bands in the Midwest.  Beware the popups!
NorthEast Weak Signal VHF Group - Interested in weak signal work from 50 MHz to light...
San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS) - 'Advancing the world above 1000 Mc'
VK5KK's UHF/Microwave/ATV page - some good microwave-related links and info!

Where do you go for parts/kits/equipment/information on ATV/VHF/UHF/Microwave projects? Try some of these places:
Cushcraft has made all sort of amateur radio and commercial antennas for a long time.
DB6NT's Products (France)A source for parts, transverters, etc. (Up through the high microwave bands - >76 GHz)
Directive Systems is a source for various antennas and antenna components from 6 meters through 10 GHz.
DownEast Microwave These people have antennas, VHF/UHF/Microwave components, kits, transceivers...
M2 M-Squared antenna systems has a lot of antennas, HF through 23cm.
MiniCircuits Laboratories Mixers, MMICS, VCOs, etc. (Yes, they sell directly to the experimenter...  I think...  Let me know if you know otherwise.)
SHF Microwave A good place to go for Gunn transceivers and other microwave components
SSB Electronics Equipment for 50 MHz through 47 GHz!
RFHam  Another source for VHF/UHF/Microwave gear.

Making your own stuff to use on ATV:

Advice To Antenna Builders: Most of these articles have to do with building antennas.  While antennas are simple to build, there are a few things to keep in mind:  - When an antenna design calls for the use of a nonmetallic boom or a metallic boom, DO AS THE INSTRUCTIONS SAY! If you use a boom different from what is called for the performance of the antenna will suffer unless critical dimensions are appropriately altered! - Always use the size or diameter of metal rod or wire called for use as elements in the antenna construction plans.  The use of a size different from what is called for will require recalculation of these element sizes to avoid performance degradation.  In other words:  Be very careful if you substitute materials when constructing your antenna.  If you are going to the trouble to build an antenna, then it makes sense to obtain those materials called for.  If you are having trouble finding some of these materials, then look at other designs that might use materials that you can get.

• The VHF Quagi - This page has some simple quagi antennas for 2 meters, 1.25 meters, and 70 cm.  For ATV use, the 432 MHz quagi is recommended.
• The "Hawg Fence" Antenna - a cheap and simple reflector-type antenna for use on 70cm ATV.  Detailed text instructions may be found here.
• K5OE's 70cm Quagi Antenna - A simple antenna for 70cm ATV use
• 432 MHz 8 Element Quagi - This is N2KBK's version of the quagi antenna.

Some recommended books having to do with homebrewing antennas and equipment are:
• The ARRL Antenna Book.  This is available from the ARRL and from the "book lady" at the UARC meetings.
• The Radio Amateur's Handbook.  This is a general-information book (available from the same place as above) that is a must-have for the homebrewer!

• What about ATV from a rocket launched from a balloon? (A 'Rockoon'?) Go to Bill Brown's (WB8ELK) Page.
• Ever think about Hangliding?  You can vicariously go hang gliding with with John, KE3QG at his glider cam page.
• W4NEQ's ATV Night Flight  Flying around in a small airplane at night with ATV...

Notice:  None of the above links or any content or products associated with them on this page are necessarily endorsed by the author or UARC.  No warranties are expressed or implied.  Your mileage may vary.