I’ve been building bits and pieces of what will become a digital amateur TV capability for just on five years! I lost my momentum after building a number of components and it’s only in the last few weeks I’ve found a renewed enthusiasm to get on with it!
One of the main prods has come from watching the weekly DATV net on VK3RTV. Anyone anywhere can watch this either live via this BATC streamer link or via Ian VK3QL’s YouTube channel. The net attracts an energetic and skilled group who easily sustain a fast paced 60 minute video conversation. It’s very smoothly presented with lots of visual variety and useful information and very few technical hiccups. The Melbourne DATV amateurs seem to have a very professional sense of time and audience interest and keep the show moving.
My other inspiration is the weekly BATC Oscar 100 net scheduled for 8pm Thursday which is either 6am or 5am(!) on Friday morning here in eastern Australia. I’m trying to work out how I might record it off the streamer while I sleep. This international net happens over the brilliant geostationary satellite QO-100 whose footprint unfortunately doesn’t include Australia, but it does appear to have boosted interest and activity in satellite communications and DATV in Europe. If I set the alarm I can watch this BATC net via the BATC streamer .
This is the first result of my planning the build of my Portsdown 4. I’m sure it will change over the next few weeks. It’s also to help me work out which controls and connectors might go where on the front and back of the enclosure. I actually find this thinking very enjoyable.
