The Quagi antenna by Wayne N6NB is made from 12 gage copper TW house wire and wooden boom - 8 and 15 element beams for 70 and 23cm ATV. Another cheap and easy beam to build is by Kent WA5VJB. It is not as broad banded as the Quagi but fine if you prune it for your specific ATV frequency. Many bands and element lengths are shown.
A simple omni directional vertical antenna for demo's, R/C receive, etc., is the ground plane antenna made with just a connector and some wire.

The blanking pedestal must be set to restore the video to sync ratio in Amateur linear amps to compensate for the gain compression which occurs typically between 1/2 to full rated peak envelope power rating of the amp. This app note gives you the procedure, why's and where fores. Average reading vs. Peak Envelope Power (PEP) RF meter readings are discussed.
You can download more specific information on the 70cm Mirage D1010 / D100, D26N, RF Concepts/Kantronics RFC4-110 and Teletec DXP-U150 Amplifiers which describes the ATV version of these 70cm 150, 100 and 50 Watt amps, and what is done to make them ATV compatible.
You can also down load our notes on driving the Downeast Microwave 7025PA 35 Watt 70cm, 70225PA 225 Watt 70cm and 2330PA 30 Watt 23cm amplifiers.

The Rch3 receiver - MCM Electronics Model 33-2060 - gives you a video and line audio output when connected to one of our 70cm downconverters like the TVC-4S. Great for seeing ATV on a camcorder monitor or DVD player screen when mobile or portable. The unit comes with a wall plug power supply for AC operation but this app note shows how to modify the receiver 16Vac input for 12 to 14 vdc input, add squelch and an S-meter.

How to and the pluses and minuses of doing so vs. an antenna mounted preamp to eliminate the loss from long coax runs. For antenna mounted preamps you can make a bias T to power up the coax.

This app note describes how to add variable tuning to the synthesized TVCX-xS series of ATV downconverter boards used in our TVC-4S, 9S and 12S downconverters to enable tuning non-standard ATV frequencies in the band or fine tuning for sync bars in the noise when looking for DX.

The VOR-3 board has many uses - simple ATV repeater controller, beacon timer, 10 minute ID timer, video squelch, link vs. local priority switch, etc.

10 gHz Gunnplexer ATV transmitting system construction using the GVM-1 video modulator board. Wideband FM video modulation is used along with 6.2 and/or 6.8 MHz sound so that C band satellite TV receivers can be used along with a LNB made for 10.4 GHz. Gunnplexers are available from SHF Microwave and Advanced Receiver Research. Choose those that have varicap tuning diodes in them - the modulator connects to the varicap to FM modulate the Gunn diode in the Gunnplexer.

434.0 vs 439.25 MHz LVSB technical considerations when FM voice repeaters expand below 444.0 MHz and coming up with an all mode local 70cm band plan. Lots of good information for frequency coordinators, repeater owners and any mode experiencing interference in the 70cm band because there is no sound technical band plan in place. Basically there is plenty of room in the 420-450 MHz band for FM voice repeaters and links, 2 ATV channels, weak signal, satellite and digital modes if a technical band plan is devised and agreed to by the areas hams.

Describes the characteristics of transmitting AM video with double sidebands and vestigial sidebands, difficulty of maintaining VSB when driving amateur amps, and interference potential to other mode users.

A bunch of technical stuff including ATV emission bandwidth, channel spacing, sharing with other modes, and more.

Discusses differences between AM and FM transmission of ATV: DX, common frequencies, resolution, pre-emphasis / de-emphasis networks, etc. The ARRL 23cm bandplan does not have FM ATV. Here is a modified 23cm band plan that includes FM ATV.

Describes power module change to double the transmitter output power. The TC70-10 upgrade Kit is available from *RF Parts for $65.

Got an old transmitter or downconverter that you think the crystal went bad? Before you order a new rock, check out these trouble shooting tips. Also info on crystals at $25 for our manufactured gear and a list of surplus crystals for $5.

Manuals and Data Sheets on obsolete P. C. Electronics manufactured products are available by email request plus the app notes below free only to licensed hams upon email request - include your call letters - model number with revision letter or year as etched on the board.
Please request only 1 or 2 at a time.
Current product data sheets are available on the Products & Price List web page by clicking on the respective model number.

Driving the PA5 20 Watt amp from 60 dBmv cable TV modulators
2.4 gHz Wavecom Jr. or Sr. 100 mW transmitter and receiver contruction using the WCI-2.4 and WCRI-2.4 boards (boards no longer available).
Also see the TEARA Wavecom web page. Hams can buy the Wavecom Sr. from ATV Research

ARRL Radio Amateurs Handbook The best discussion of ATV starts in chapter 12 in older books, and chapter 9 in the current year. This is the Radio Amateurs bible for all the many facets of the hobby. The ARRL Repeater Directory has a section on ATV repeaters - see if there is one in your area. You can order a copies by going to the ARRL web site.

Amateur Television Quarterly Magazine (ATVQ) is another good source of ATV info.
Subscriptions are $18/yr.

Tallahassee ATV Listserver, a great way to ask questions of ATVers in the USA and elsewhere and keep up on the latest info, DX openings, news, list used gear and it is free - no ads or spam listing. Send an email and all ATVers on the subscription list will receive it.
To subscribe send an email to:
majordomo@www.kd4moj.org
Only put in the text: subscribe atv

Other ATV group web pages to check out:

Southern California ATV Repeater Map (updated November 20, 2006) - and what equipment it takes to get on ATV here. In southern California, we suggest first getting a downconverter and antenna for the repeater ham band you are line of sight to and then seeing if you want to transmit later. You can talk back to the ATV transmitting stations on 146.430 FM voice simplex.
The So. Calif. Microwave Experimentors net is on Monday nights 7:30 PM utilizing a 10 gHz to 3.3 gHz ATV repeater system on two mountain tops - Santiago and Heaps Peak - and one 434 MHz in / 1277.25 MHz out on Sunset Ridge linked and with tower cam ID's. The San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS) meetings are televised on the 1st Thursdays of the month. Also there is info on R/C and Rocket ATV.
The ATN Amateur Television Network Net is on Tuesdays 8 PM. ATN has linked repeaters between the Los Angeles/ Orange/ San Bernardino/ Riverside County areas to Las Vegas, Santa Barbara and San Diego with the hub on Santiago Peak. Use 100 Hz CTCSS on 146.430 simplex to talk back through the Santiago Peak ATV repeater sound subcarrier output.

Santa Barbara CA - WB9KMO, ATV special interest group of the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club
Mt. Diablo ARS - W6CX San Francisco Bay and Sacramento CA area
Cambrian Park ARS - K6BEN, San Jose, Silicon Valley CA area
Redding CA - WR6TV Mt. Shasta ATV repeater
Arizona Amateur Television Network - W7ATN: UseryMtn. (Mesa), White Tanks (West Phoenix Valley), Mt. Lemmon (Tucson)
Phoenix AZ AATV Group - W7ATV, Shaw Butte
Portland, Oregon ATV Assn. - WA7DRO.
Salem Oregon ATV Assn. - K7ATV
Western Washington State ATV Society - KC7ZYD, Puget Sound area
Detroit Michigan ATV group - DATS, N8UDK ATV repeater, R/C ATV in Blimp, Cars &Planes; Rocket & Helmet Cam
Florida, Cocoa Beach, LISATS - K4ATV, Launch Information Service & Amateur Television System, Kennedy Space Center
CATS - Chesapeake Amateur Television Society, Laurel MD
BRATS - W3WCQ, Baltimore MD ATV Society, NE Baltimore
Ohio ATV group - ATCO, W8RUT, Columbus
HamTV.Org - AB5IG, For users of ATV repeaters in the Dallas-Ft. Worth and surrounding North Texas area.
Waco TX ATV Society - W5ZDN, now part of Heart O'Texas ARC.
Houston TX ATV Society - W5PZP, HATS
Kansas City ATV - WR0ATV
Southern Illinois ATV Group - SILATVG - main focus is simplex ATV DX, great Tropo DX Skip forcast map on their link list.
Minnesota ATV Group - MNFAT ATV - N0MNB.
Bill Brown, WB8ELK's ATV Balloon web site
British ATV Club

Manufacturers and dealers of ATV related equipment that we have a *dealer relationship with or recommend:

    *Intuitive Circuits - OSD Video ID overlay, ATV repeater
        controller & DTMF relay boards
    *Downeast Microwave - Amps and Preamps
    *Directive Systems - Antennas and feeds
    *The Olde Antenna Lab - Antennas and Power Splitter/Combiners
    *SHF Microwave - 10 gHz Gunnplexer source for ATV
    *RF Parts - Diamond Antennas, replacement RF semiconductors and power modules
    *DCI - VSB and bandpass filters
    *Videolynx - Mini 70cm ATV transmitters and 2 watt 23cm FM ATV transmitter
    Jun's Electronics - Store with all the major ham radio
        equipment brands in Culver City CA
    ATV Research - a great low cost source for small cameras
        and accessories Elktronics - Color video ID and graphics
        generator board VDG-1 - example at right.
    Amateur Electronic Supply - Major ham radio equipment
        dealer with many stores around the country.
    Ham Radio Outlet - Major ham radio equipment dealer with
        many stores around the country.
    Mouser Electronics - Big Catalogue of Electronic Parts
    Digikey - Big Catalogue of Electronic Parts

Other Ham Radio resources:

    SSTV - KB4YZ's complete list of all things Slow Scan. SSTV allows still frame pictures over
        any voice mode channel.
    Ham Radio Online
    WA7RHK's Galaxy - over 300 ham manufacturers, dealers, and organizations
    DXzone - listing of Ham Radio links
    Open repeater listings - VHF&UHF in the USA
    QRZ Call sign lookup and Ham Radio Super Site

Getting a ham license

You too can enjoy ATV and the many other facets and modes of radio communications open to you with an Amateur Radio license by first taking the FCC test for the code-free Technician Class Amateur Radio License. Check it out by picking up a copy of "Now You Are Talking" at any Radio Shack or some of the other License manuals. They contain how to information and all the FCC test questions and answers. The Gordon West Radio School has a variety of study books and tapes. You can take practice tests on the web at the QRZ.com web site.  Also the American Radio Relay League will mail you their free New Ham packet of information - email: ARRL or visit their web site. They have a list of test locations and radio clubs. Worldradio Magazine also keeps a list of locations and contacts to take the exams.

It is important for hams to keep the FCC license data base current with your mailing address. If the FCC should happen to send you a piece of mail and it bounces back to them, they can revoke your license per 97.23. It has been estimated that about 20% of the addresses in the Callbook have changed. I have noted about the same when checking mailing addresses vs the Callbook. I dont think anyone would want to find upon renewal that their license was revoked and have to take the test over again.
The easiest way to check, renew or update your license is on the QRZ/W5YI VEC web site.

Legal Uses of Amateur Radio and FCC Rules

Amateur Radio and Television is legal only for non-commercial communications between licensed ham operators - FCC Rule 97.1. The purpose of Amateur Radio is a hobby that promotes the advancement of the radio art, international goodwill but most importantly, emergency communications. There are many fun applications of the ATV mode of this hobby which are described elsewhere scrolling on this page and page 1.

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulates the use of the radio frequency spectrum so that communication services do not interfere with each other. FCC Rules, 47 CFR 97.111 and 97.113, prohibits Amateur Radio Service bands to be used, with very few exceptions, for one way transmissions or to further any business purpose - profit or non-profit - no broadcasting, news gathering, local cable access link, teaching aid for unrelated subjects, retransmitting any other service or music, private, home or business surveillance, or regular business of police, fire or government agencies except as allowed for occasional emergency preparedness drills operated by licensed hams or under FCC Rules 47 CFR part 97.407. State and local emergency service groups can operate under 97.407, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, if they follow the outline as described by FEMA. Hams must identify their transmissions with their call letters at least every 10 minutes and at the end of a transmission - 97.119. Penalties are up to $10,000 per day of illegal operation and 6 months in jail. For a complete list of all the Amateur Radio Service FCC Rules go to: FCC Part 97

License Free

For short distance line of sight non-amateur video link applications up to 1000 feet, we suggest the legal Part 15 FCC Compliant license free wireless video systems offered by Radio Shack (15-2572) and others in the 902-928 MHz and 2.4 gHz bands. A transmitter and receiver system is typically about $100. Only the legal license free devices will all have an FCC ID sticker somewhere on them - any RF device that doesn't, and claims to be license free, probably is not legal. You are free to transmit audio and video for any purpose, business or personal at any time and for as long as you like. The key to getting the best distance is to position the attached antennas to point at each other and to have line of sight between them. The pop up paddle type of antennas often used on the Radio Shack or Wavecom wireless transmitters and receivers are somewhat directional perpendicular to their surface. One just has to move each end around to find the best spot and angle. You cannot legally detach and change the antennas or modify the devices in any way to increase the distance.

For longer distance Business or Public Safety applications like state and local police and fire departments must use Part 90 FCC Compliant equipment and licensing. Some good sources of equipment and help with licensing are ATV Research (800-392-3922) or Microtek (888-366-4276). Part 90 frequencies wide enough to support video start at 2.0 gHz. Local law enforcement risks having evidence obtained by illegally using amateur radio frequencies or non FCC Compliant equipment and licensing thrown out of court as well as Federal fines and confiscation of the equipment.

If both ends have access to the Web there are Web based real time video systems that offer the added feature of remote control and multiple cameras. This is much easier than a RF transmission system in both cost, unlimited distance and no license required. Check out the X10 Vanguard System as an example.

Dont be fooled by ads for video transmitters that want you to believe that 10 to 100 milliwatts on 433 MHz or higher ham bands, cable channels 57 to 60 or TV broadcast channels are license free - they are not. You will interfere with and be seen by local hams and reported to the FCC. The FCC license free Part 15.209(a) limit for intentional radiators of 200 microvolts per meter measured at 3 meters works out to be less than 50 microwatts to a zero dB gain antenna in the 420-450 MHz Amateur Radio band and gives a distance of only about 30 feet. No amount of power can legally be intentionally transmitted on broadcast TV channels in the USA plus specific frequencies listed in 15.205.

There are specific bands above 902 MHz set aside for higher power analog video license free devices in Part 15.249 that allow a maximum of 50,000 microvolts per meter radiated power measured at 3 meters which works out to just under 1 milliwatt to a dipole antenna. Depending on line of sight and antennas supplied, the distance can be up to 1000 feet with good video similar to what you would record on your VCR. However, one exception to the license free FCC Rules are Spread Spectrum digital devices can run up to 1 watt per Part 15.247. While these digital and spread spectrum RF devices can go for much greater distance than the analog ones under 15.249, the narrow modulated bandwidth and data rate if used for video would give reduced quality similar to internet video received with a 56 kbd dialup modem.

ISM Bands

So called ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band devices must be FCC Certified under Part 18 of the FCC Rules and cannot be used for any telecommunications purpose (18.107(a)). Part 18.305(b) has very low radiation limits. ISM bands are for devices that use RF such as Microwave ovens, diathermy machines, etc., and not for voice, digital, video or any other mode of communications.

FCC ID Sticker and Marketing

License free Part 15, ISM Part 18 and business Part 90 transmitting devices must pass FCC Compliance (per FCC Rule Part 2) plus have an FCC ID numbered sticker (15.19) on the device to be legally sold or even offered for sale. FCC Part 2.803 says that no one may offer for sale any RF device for a service that requires FCC Compliance without first getting FCC Compliance. Basically, if the RF device does not have a valid FCC ID sticker on it, it is probably illegal. You can verify that the FCC ID sticker number is for your specific RF device by going to the FCC Equipment Authorization web page, then click on FCC ID Search in the EA Related Databases on the left. Fill in the upper two blanks and hit return. There have been some companies who get a FCC ID for one device and put it on other products illegally. The FCC publishes a list of those they have found in violation on their Field Notices web page - for example, see on 05-17-2006, MCM and on 02-24-2006 2by2Security who were cited for marketing non FCC compliant RF devices.

For a good description of the FCC Part 15 license free Rules and limitations go to: FCC Part 15.

Federal Government Video Use

U. S. Federal government agencies and their contractors must coordinate with IRAC (Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee) in the Office of Spectrum Management of the NTIA (National Telecommunications & Information Administration) by frequency and location before operation. Area coordinators you can contact are listed in the downloadable Manual of Spectrum Rules and Regulations. Generally, frequencies within the ham bands will not be authorized due to high interference potential, but there are video frequencies set aside elsewhere for specific uses by area. If you do get an IRAC coordination within an Amateur Radio Service band, we strongly suggest you check the ARRL Repeater Directory and also contact your areas Amateur Radio Frequency Coordinator to make sure there is not a ham repeater or other users there. We may be able to supply equipment by special order if the frequency is close enough to an amateur band and you furnish proof of a NTIA coordination. Another reputable supplier of video transmission equipment and systems to Federal agencies is SWS Security.

The complete FCC Rules can be found in text and pdf form at: 47CFRxxx

Go to page:
1. Home - Get the ATV Bug!
2. ATV Transceiver and Downconverter on the 420-450 MHz band.
4. Products, Prices and Catalogue downloads.
Specials & Surplus