Digital Amateur TV tests started in Germany
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On 16th of December 1999 about 20 hams from 4 DARC districts gathered 
at the Telecommunications Institut of "Bergische University" in 
Wuppertal in order to receive a pilot series of Digital ATV equipment. 
After an introduction by Prof. Uwe Kraus, DJ8DW his fellow workers 
DL1EIN and DJ8VR explained details of the TX and RX modules and the PC 
interface card for software control.

Each of the four districts has got the following tested prototypes in 
working order: 1) one TX with relay switch, 2) one RX, 3) one PC 
with monitor, 4) one PC interface card, 5) appropriate software. 
All devices are in cases without power supply (12 Volt DC). A 10 W PA is
built into the TX case, two more RX devices for each district will be 
constructed in Wuppertal for field tests afterwards. The whole effort 
is powered by financial support of DARC headquarter, the four districts,
AGAF e.V. and by private donations.

The upcoming test transmissions on 434 MHz in GMSK will carry MPEG-1 
video from the PC hard disk, but in a lab of the Wuppertal University a 
little hardware MPEG-2 coder processed live camera pictures - the next 
generation of DATV (or digital ham television) in Germany.

Klaus, DL4KCK (AGAF e.V.)