New to ATV?
Here are some frequently asked questions to help get you started!

OK, Where do I start?

Many people think ATV is very expensive to pursue, but this is not the case and you might be surprised to know a little about what it might cost. 
What you have to spend to get started depends a little on your practical construction skills as the more you can build for yourself, the less you have to buy ready built. 
If you would rather buy than build, second hand equipment is now appearing at radio rallies, junk sales and also on auction websites such as Ebay.
It may also be worth contacting your local ATV group who would be happy give advice or help to get you going.

Also, take a look at the British Amateur Television Club (BATC) and their quarterly publication, CQ-TV

UK ATV Group 

What do I need?

This depends on the band, but for example, to access a repeater such as GB3GG you will require a transmitter capable of transmitting on either 1248Mhz (23cms) or 2388 (13cms), a suitable antenna and a receiver.
You will also require a video source such as a video camera, or even a cheap CCTV security camera such as those available from Maplins for about £30 will provide a picture for transmission.
It is also useful to have a test-card. These can be generated in a number of ways, the easiest is printing one out to hold in front of the camera!
There are may other ways, including generating test-cards using a PC with TV out running software such as PC-ATV or even using an old home computer such as a BBC micro.
Another excellent way of producing test cards is by the use of a Digital TV Photo viewer like the Sandisk photo viewer available from suppliers such as CPC for about £30.

The viewer allows the contents of a digital camera memory card to be displayed on a TV screen via a video input socket such as a Scart socket. As this video signal is what is required for transmission, a cheap testcard generator can be realised.

Using testcards available for download here, a graphics program such as Microsoft Paint included in Windows and a little creativity, you can make you own unique ATV test cards.

Many digital cameras now have a video output for connecting to a TV set or video recorder. These can be very useful for ATV, allowing for live video and or playback of testcards stored on the memory card.

70cms ATV (Click here for further information, construction and circuit ideas)

70cms is a relatively easy band to get onto, and equipment can be built easily. This band requires some basic construction skills as ready built transmitters such as the Microwave Modules MTV435 above are no longer in production. They are however,  available on the second hand market, often appearing on Ebay and other auction websites. 

A cheap way of making a 70ms ATV transmitter is by adding a video modulator to an old 70cms Transceiver. A typical frequency for ATV use on 70Cms is 435.500Mhz.

Receiving 70cms ATV can be achieved using an up-converter such as the Microwave Modules. Some TVs and VCRs may also tune low enough to receive 70cms ATV.

Most analogue cable TV boxes can also be used with a simple modification.

23cms and 13cms ATV (Click here for further information, construction and circuit ideas)

Comtech modules are available from places such as www.13cm.co.uk and www.g1mfg.com which are ready built and available at a very modest price. They come as a separate transmitter and a receiver which are programmable via DIP switches for frequency selection. For fixed frequency repeater operation, some operators have mounted these at the antenna to minimize losses with feeder runs, often allowing contacts to be made with as little as 50mW.

www.radio-kits.co.uk

For 23cms receive, an old analogue satellite receiver can also be used which are now readily available on the surplus market since the Sky Digital switchover. These will usually require a preamplifier as they are designed as an IF after an LNB, also the video gain would often require increasing due to the lower deviation of ATV transmissions. 

10Ghz ATV (Click here for further information, construction and circuit ideas)

10Ghz is also another easy band to get onto. Kits are readily available and transmission is easy. A surplus Gunn oscillator head such as those found in 'Dual Tech' PIR detecors or microwave Doppler intruder detectors and a suitable modulator such as the Gunmod II by Bob Platts is all that is required to get you going!

Receiving can be achieved using an old Astra analogue satellite receiver, LNB and dish.

The whole 10Ghz setup can be achieved for about £50 or less!

Bob Platts Modified 10Ghz LNB	Amstrad SRX200 Satellite Receiver

The Gunmod II and ATV LNBs as shown above can be obtained from:

Bob Platts G8OZP   01283-813392

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