Front panel of the HamTV transmitter
The Ham Video transmitter, which is stored in the Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS), will be installed March 6, 2014. The transmitter will be powered on briefly, just the time needed to check that the connection cables to the antenna, to the power supply and to the camera are installed properly. All control LEDs nominal, the transmitter will be considered ready for Commissioning and will be unpowered.
HamTV Antennas at ARISS Telebridge Station IK1SLD in Casale Monferrato, Italy
The first Commissioning step is planned March 8, 2014. Using call sign OR4ISS, crew will power on the Ham Video transmitter in configuration 1:
• ARISS antenna 41
• Frequency 2.422 GHz
• Symbol rate 1.3 Ms/s
The transmission will start shortly before the pass of the ISS over the Matera ground station in south Italy at approximately 13.29 UT.
The ground station will stream the video over the BATC server http://www.batc.tv/ Please select Member Streams and ISS.
During the pass, different configurations will be tested with ARISS antenna 41.
After the pass, the Ham Video transmitter will stay powered on in configuration 1 till the following Commissioning step, which is planned Sunday March 9, 2014 at approximately 12.40 UT.
For about 24 hours, the DATV signal will be transmitted permanently, but the camera will be powered off. The reason is, that the camera is battery powered and no provisions are made for frequent battery replacement. This mode is called “blank” transmission.
A basic amateur radio station that should be able to receive HamTV from ISS – Image AMSAT-Italia
During Commissioning step 2, different configurations will again be tested, this time with ARISS antenna 43. The Matera ground station will stream the video over the BATC server.
Possibly, blank transmissions will occur in the period between Commissioning step 2 and the following step, which is not yet planned.
We will circulate Ham TV Bulletins to inform on blank transmissions.
Reports on reception of blank transmissions are very welcome. Reports can be filed via this webpage: http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_FSTV/submit.php
Participants using the Tutioune receiving software, developed by Jean Pierre Courjaud F6DZP, can record as well as stream detailed parameters of the received signal. Please see:
http://www.vivadatv.org/
Thank you for your participation
73,
Gaston Bertels, ON4WF
ARISS Europe chair
ARISS-EU HamTV Bulletins http://www.ariss-eu.org/
AMSAT-UK 
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