Ham On The Air with KD2REU

This episode of the rookie operator's guide introduces SSTV. I will cover a bit of the fascinating history and theory of how it works, as well as demonstrate how to use it to send or receive with several different software programs. There are many software programs to encode and/or decode SSTV signals - I'll show you a couple of free programs that you can use on a computer or even a smart phone! You'll see that you don't even need a ham radio or license to receive and decode signals to get started with this fun activity. I've included timestamp bookmarks below for various content in the video so you can jump ahead or return to chapters or audio signals if you want to practice decoding my SSTV signals. "**" indicates an encoded signal that you can decode using the audio from the video: 00:30 Introduction & History of SSTV 01:27 NASA uses SSTV for historic transmissions 03:08 SSTV is legalized for ham radio use 03:57 SSTV using Ham Radio Deluxe software 04:46 ** Sample Robot 36 encoded signal: CQ card with white background 05:25 SSTV using MMSSTV software (FREE) 05:35 ** Sample Robot 36 encoded signal: CQ card with black background 06:41 ** Sample Robot 36 encoded signal: CQ card with alternating black & white bars 07:23 SSTV using Robot 36 Android smart phone app (FREE) 07:42 ** Sample Robot 36 encoded signal: CQ card with bright, multi-colored image 08:23 SSTV calling frequencies (VHF and HF) 09:53 ** Sample Robot 36 encoded signal: Apollo 11 Anniversary CQ card with complex images on dark background For more information on SSTV, here are some of the links that I found useful in preparing this video: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow-scan_television https://nightskyinfocus.com/2020/05/04/psat2-satellite-sstv-images/ http://g0hwc.com/ https://bruxy.regnet.cz/web/sstv/ http://g0hwc.com/sstv_history.html https://www.qsl.net/sv2fta/software/sstv_soft.htm http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/99753.pdf https://hamsoft.ca/pages/mmsstv.php https://www.honeysucklecreek.net/Apollo_11/index.html

During my Dayton Hamvention visit I was able to tour the Voice of America Bethany Station during it's 75th anniversary of shortwave programming service starting in 1944. I highly recommend the short drive from Dayton to Cincinnati to see this wonderful museum of radio history. And just down the road is the amazing WLW (founded in 1922) Blaw-Knox antenna tower that began AM broadcast transmission using 500,000 Watts!! For 5 years the WLW broadcast signal was so strong that it could be heard on wire fences and through metal faucets! This amazing tower is an awesome sight to behold. This tour includes history of the Crosley company.

Welcome to my channel! Here's a short video to give you just a sampling of the type of video content you will find on this channel. If you find it interesting, please SUBSCRIBE and activate notifications by clicking the bell icon. I try to upload new videos every week to include ham radio field and show events, history and education, new technology, vlogs, and much more. Everything that's ham radio on location, on emergency communication, on the field, on history, and On The Air with KD2REU! Don't forget that Ham On The Air with KD2REU is also a community of new and experienced hams dedicated to learning the hobby together, sharing information, having fun, and promoting amateur radio as an exciting hobby and community service. You're invited to join the conversation in the shack on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/hamontheair

During Orlando HamCation this year, I was invited to tour an amazing shortwave radio station in Okeechobee Florida - just a short drive south of Orlando into the vast open tropical farmland on the outskirts of the Everglades. It was an unusually hot February day filled with adventure. I was given a full tour of the shortwave facility and the vast antenna farm that fills a square mile of land surrounding the station with station engineers Bob Biermann, Don Frish, and Pat Travers. General Manager, Jeff White discusses the history of the station and gives his insight regarding the future of shortwave radio. Office Manager, Thais White provided warm hospitality and made sure my visit was both educational and memorable! Watch the entire documentary style video or jump to your favorite parts below: 02:00 Station History: The Beginning 03:09 Walter S. Lemmon and the "Radiotype" in WWII 04:43 Walter S. Lemmon on "Beyond Victory" broadcast, 1943 07:40 Station History: WRUL & WNYW (1971 broadcast) 09:15 Station History: WYFR & Harold Camping 14:16 WRMI Begins Broadcasting 15:36 Station Tour: Transmitters # 1-5 20:09 Station Tour: Control Room 23:47 Station Tour: Transmitters #6-14 26:11 Jeff White's Thoughts on the Future of Shortwave 30:45 Recording Studio - Producing an episode of WAVESCAN 34:02 Antenna Tour 40:02 If you look closely you can spot two antennas that were damaged in a recent hurricane! Comment when you spot them! Learn more about WRMI, Radio Miami International, and listen live online at: www.wrmi.net Please subscribe and leave a comment! Have you ever heard WRMI on the shortwave bands? If you like my content, please join us on MeWe for more interaction and updates: https://mewe.com/join/hamontheair

This episode of Rookie Mistakes focuses on some of the things that can make your ham radio station safer and more effective so you can get the most out of your new hobby. We'll look at how to choose the right coax cable, how to get ready to enjoy digital modes, how to manage activities, and a warning about grounding your station. We all make mistakes, sometimes more often than we care to admit! You may have been a ham for so long that you probably can’t remember (or don’t care to remember) what it was like to be a newbie. My rookie days are much more recent, so my mistakes as an inexperienced ham are still all too painfully clear. I made so many mistakes during my first year as a licensed ham that I had enough to create a Top Ten List! And who knows - maybe there are still some rookies out there that might benefit from my embarrassment! Watch this series to save TIME, MONEY, & SANITY!!

This episode of Rookie Mistakes focuses on building your first ham radio base station. We look at how NOT to buy equipment and install antenna support systems! We all make mistakes, sometimes more often than we care to admit! You may have been a ham for so long that you probably can’t remember (or don’t care to remember) what it was like to be a newbie. My rookie days are much more recent, so my mistakes as an inexperienced ham are still all too painfully clear. I made so many mistakes during my first year as a licensed ham that I had enough to create a Top Ten List! And who knows - maybe there are still some rookies out there that might benefit from my embarrassment! Watch this series to save TIME, MONEY, & SANITY!!

This episode of Rookie Mistakes focuses on everyone's favorite starter radio, the Baofeng HT - and three things you NEED to know if you are considering buying one of these popular and very inexpensive ham transceivers. We all make mistakes, sometimes more often than we care to admit! You may have been a ham for so long that you probably can’t remember (or don’t care to remember) what it was like to be a newbie. My rookie days are much more recent, so my mistakes as an inexperienced ham are still all too painfully clear. I made so many mistakes during my first year as a licensed ham that I had enough to create a Top Ten List! And who knows - maybe there are still some rookies out there that might benefit from my embarrassment! Watch this series to save TIME, MONEY, & SANITY!!