Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Some photos of this weekend's successful test

I was very excited to start seeing components arriving in the mail. We got the transmitter first, then a couple of mini-cams. Saturday we started using alligator clips to attach the camera/transmitter/antennas/TV/batteries/switches together just to see our first ATV signal on screen. Somehow it worked! We got a signal on TV without any direct connection. Now that we know it works, I need to start to assemble the components into a small, neatly organized device with hopefully a single power supply and a single power switch. A handheld ATV station! Then we can start testing range.

(Click on a photo to enlarge it.)


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bryan,

Congratulations! your dad told me that you got the transmitter working this past weekend. You know, I've operated stuff at KGMB and KITV with alligator clip jumpers many times. As a electronics tech I have seen some permanent applications with alligator clips - scarry!

You can come down to the station and use our spectrum analyzer to make measurements of your system, its a great tool we use to measure power, frequency and interference. The analyzer is an important tool in broadcasting, required to show compliance with FCC rules as well as helping us to trouble shoot problems.

We could do some interesting tests on your transmitter here at the station, could play with cable attenuation, which could affect the height of the antenna which directly relates to your signal coverage.

Good job, I am excited for you since all I had to play with when I was a child was a crystal radio..my parents weren't geeks like your dad and me.

rod

By the way, this is my first attempt at commenting on someone's blog. Hope it works.

Hank, KH6HAK said...

Bry... You're a TV star! What a picture!
You remind me of me... alligator clips all over the bed.
And Rodney is right... I've still got 'em all over my workbench at the TV station, too!

Now you need to make yourself a nice 'Station ID' card with your callsign on it so you can shoot video of it for station IDs.

--Hank