[HamTips] Fwd: [W0TLM] How to receive SSTV images from the ISS starting Christmas day!

[Bob Witte K0NR]

Just passing this along...

Bob Witte K0NR
bob at k0nr.com
My website:www.k0nr.com


-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	[W0TLM] How to receive SSTV images from the ISS starting 
Christmas day!
Date: 	Tue, 24 Dec 2024 09:28:45 -0800 (PST)
From: 	Roger Oakey <roger.l.oakey at gmail.com>
To: 	Tri-Lakes Monument Radio Association (W0TLM) <w0tlm at googlegroups.com>



Put the HT Santa brought for you to good use!

The ISS will be broadcasting SSTV images from December 25th, starting at 
1500 UTC until January 5th, ending at 1400 UTC on 145.800 FM. As long as 
you have a 2m radio, you can receive these images without spending one 
red cent!


This is what I’ve used in the past for my Android phone, I’ve done some 
research and have [hopefully] listed the equivalent apps for Apple.


At minimum, all you need is a handheld radio with a halfway decent 
antenna (not a rubber ducky), an app on your phone that tracks the ISS 
and an app on your phone to translate the received signal to an SSTV image.


The process is quite simple:


 1.

    Load the apps on your phone and in the ISS tracking app TURN OFF off
    the option that limits the app to visible passes only - you don’t
    have to see the ISS to receive a signal from the ISS!

 2.

    When the ISS is above the horizon, tune your HT to 145.800 FM and
    wait for a signal. The SSTV images take about two minutes to
    broadcast, followed by a two minute break, then the next image is
    broadcast. So be patient! Depending where you are in the cycle when
    the ISS rises, you may not hear anything or you may be mid-image.

 3.

    Turn on the SSTV app when the ISS rises and hold the HT’s speaker
    close to the phone’s microphone. You don’t want to miss the start of
    the image, so don’t try to start it when you hear something, just
    let the app run the entire time the ISS is above the horizon.

 4.

    Experiment with the orientation of the antenna to see if you can
    improve the signal quality.

 5.

    Enjoy the pictures that appear on your phone!


The best reception will be when the ISS is crossing your meridian, 
because the doppler shift will be minimal.


Extra stuff to improve upon a basic HT:


If you have a radio that can change its receive frequencies by small 
increments (I use an IC-705), you will be able to tune to correct for 
the doppler shift (+/- 3kHz) during the ISS pass. Also, if you have a 
small yagi, like a foxhunting antenna, you will be able to improve the 
signal’s quality immensely - but you will have to “twist” the antenna to 
accommodate possible changing signal polarity. I actually use a tape 
measure yagi that I built! 
(https://www.instructables.com/The-Tape-Measure-Antenna/ 
<https://www.instructables.com/The-Tape-Measure-Antenna/>)


Hope this helps you successfully hunt an SSTV image form the ISS!


Android apps:


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runar.issdetector 
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runar.issdetector>

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xdsopl.robot36 
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xdsopl.robot36>


Apple apps:


https://apps.apple.com/us/app/iss-detector/id1198597805 
<https://apps.apple.com/us/app/iss-detector/id1198597805>

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sstv-slow-scan-tv/id387910013 
<https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sstv-slow-scan-tv/id387910013>


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