Front panel of the HamTV transmitter

On Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 1948 UT the Japanese HTV-4 cargo vessel was successfully launched to the International Space Station (ISS). On-board was the HamTV transmitter.

A basic amateur radio station that should be able to receive HamTV from ISS – Image AMSAT-Italia

The HamTV transmitter is the culmination of over ten years work to establish an amateur radio TV transmitter on the ISS. It uses patch antennas fixed on the Meteorite Debris Panels (MDP) protecting the hull of the ISS Columbus module. These antennas were installed while Columbus was being constructed. A fund-raising campaign took place during 2005-7 to raise over 65,000 Euros for the antennas. Individual radio amateurs from around the world donated generously as did several organisations such as AMSAT-UK and the RSGB.

Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF with ISS HamTV Transmitter

The transmitter is installed in the Columbus module and can transmit DVB-S signals on 2369 MHz, 2395 MHz, 2422 MHz or 2437 MHz at either 1.3 Msps or 2.3 Msps with 10 watts of RF output.

The main mission of HamTV is to perform contacts between the astronauts on the ISS and school students, not only by voice as now, but also by unidirectional video from the ISS to the ground.

In addition to school contacts the equipment is capable of transmitting other pre-recorded video up to 24 hours a day to allow ground stations tuning.

HamVideo is the name of the onboard DATV S-band transmitter. HamTV is the name of the complete system, comprising DATV downlink and VHF voice uplink. Kaiser Italia SRL was the prime-contractor for the design and development of the flight and ground segment http://www.kayser.it/index.php/exploration-2/ham-tv

Read the HamTV overview by Gaston Bertels ON4WF http://tinyurl.com/HamTVoverview

Read the AMSAT-Italia Link Budget document http://tinyurl.com/HamTVlinkBudget

HamTV on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Hamtvproject

ARISS DATV Antennas Installed on Columbus http://www.ariss-eu.org/columbus.htm