Yes, MMSSTV.
Frustrating activation with intermittent poor connection on my interface and problems with an amplifier I had been using, now corrected.
Pleased you managed to get a few contacts and that my picture came through fine. sorry we couldnāt complete the contact on SSTV.
My system is very simple; a home build interface and Samsung S10 running DroidSSTV.
Carolyn
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Well Carolyn, if you get it functioning by your 2nd activation attempt, youāll still be ahead of me and most others! Next weekend for another try?
Got a schematic handy for that, Carolyn? Seems a bit more involved than mine and left me wondering what the extra bits are! Some pots for level control?
I donāt have automatic keying unfortunately so Iām using a little SPDT slide switch to enable TX and then turn it off when the picture is done. I do have an optocoupler ready to use when I get the requisite USB to serial adapter. The image below is an older version. I keep it in an electric toothbrush case 
DroidSSTV manual ā Wolphi ā Mobile Software Development
Its a combination of both. I built it years ago and only ever used it from home.
Carolyn
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Shouldāve worked the first time 
Could be a possibility
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Hi all,
Thanks Tom for your patience, that was great fun!
As you said, what works fine on the bench rarely works first time on the hills. Iām sorry I started sending on the wrong mode. QSSTV automatically detects the incoming mode and switches. It didnāt occur to me that other software wouldnāt do that.
Set-up was a Linux netbook with the excellent QSSTV software, a USB soundcard interface with USB serial PTT and an FT-817 with 1/2 wave whip. It appears that RF was locking up the USB side of things, causing intermittent loss of audio and PTT on transmit. I switched to SSB and held the microphone next to the laptop speaker which at least gave some results. The slant was slightly wrong, as it was calibrated for the USB sound card.
Next time I will use my simple passive audio interface. Iāve also found a mod to make VOX work on the 6 pin data socket on the FT-817, so the PTT wonāt be needed. One less thing to go wrong. I must admit I like the look of Carolynās set-up too.
Looking forward for the next session already!
Cheers,
Ian.
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Hi Ian
Are details of this mod available on the web?
Cheers
Peter
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Good stuff Ian.
MMSSTV does also detect the incoming mode and switch automatically - but only if you have āAutoā highlighted - which perhaps I didnāt.
You can see from the first received image (you and the dog) the delay until I changed the mode on MMSSTV (or possibly remembered to switch it back to RX).
All understood Tom. Not used mmsstv so wasnāt sure.
Anyway, the mod is done on the FT-817 and works a treat. Tests revealed some interesting things:
The microphone is live on transmit on both SSB and DIG mode - I didnāt know this. Donāt make too much noise when sending a picture, or unplug it.
The DATA socket audio input is live on both SSB and DIG too. So the mod enables you to send pictures in SSB mode with the VOX switched on (not on DIG mode, you canāt switch the vox on in DIG).
Itāll make an Android set-up easier too as thereās no way of getting a PTT output from most Android devices.
- Ian.
Saves making a vox circuit up. Anyway, as you have done the mod, does it merely enable VOX on the data socket input as well as voice modes when VOX is enabled from the menu? i.e. if you donāt have VOX enabled from the menu then the mod has no effect?
Thatās correct Andy.
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Iāve put my Pentlands alerts up for Saturday this week. Iām lumbered with an old battery and there doesnāt appear to be a battery eliminator for the Kenwood F6/F7 that takes AAs or whatever, only a car charger or USB charge which is obviously useless on transmit given the current draw.
Iāll have my DMR handheld as well which does 70 analogue too if it dies before summit two. Same 2 pin connector so could try UHF SSTV too.
Going to try and raise some awareness on the Scottish amateur FB groups so Iāll have folk standing by.
Kenwood PG-2W plus an external battery? The list price for the genuine Kenwood cable is a bit eye-watering. Iām sure some digging online will find the plug size needed for your radio and you can then make one up for much less.
That does seem to be the best option, cheers Andy. Time to go battery shopping. If Iām going to get something Iād rather it was useful further down the line for another radio than just getting a new battery for a handheld that is already 16-17 years old. Just have to take the removable battery out, as per this: https://www.pc5e.nl/downloads/thf7e/Mods/Tips%20and%20tricks%20for%20the%20TH-F6_F7%20transceivers.pdf
Edit: I definitely have the parts to make something up myself assuming itās just a D.C. Jack and ending at a plug for the battery, but Iām not sure what those other bits with the see-through covering are?
Theyāre 1.25in cartridge fuse holders with a 1.25in fuse inside.
You need to fuse both leads of all power cables. The fuse protects the cable from a fire under short conditions. Fused +ve and -ve is to prevent you the (l)user from your own stupidoopiditude when itās cold, and wet and windy and youāre not thinking when connecting multiple radios/transverters to the same battery. (Here speaks voice of experience.)
You can pick whichever common fuse style you want: 1.25in cartridge fuses or 20mm cartridge fuses or automotive blade fuses. As both my cars use the automotive blade, as does my wifeās car, as did my previous 3 cars, I use automotive blade fuses. The holders come with IDC terminals so you donāt need to solder them, just crimp into place. A well known global tat-bazaar is the place to get auto blades fuses cheap.
When you have fused both leads, tape two spare fuses to the cable. You need two in case you blow one when not thinking. Then when you blow the next spare because youāre still not thinking, you can still operate (Here speaks voice of experience again!)
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Anyone doing SSTV this weekend?
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Planning on being on a hill for SSTV Saturday, was waiting to see who was going to be on before deciding from where.