SSTV in the field

Slow-scan television (SSTV) sends still images over voice channels. It is a niche POTA mode — valid for program credit when exchanged on permitted bands, but rarely the fastest path to ten QSOs. Use it for fun, public demo, or ISS/event ops.

Where SSTV lives

European and US HF calling frequencies differ — listen before you TX.

Lightweight portable setup

The SOTA reflector KISS SSTV thread describes a practical summit approach:

• Smartphone with Robot36 (Android) or CQ SSTV (iOS)
• Handheld or compact VHF with VOX or manual PTT
• TRRS ↔ radio audio cable (Kenwood-style twin plug on many HTs)
• Low power (1–2 W FM) for short-range tests; HF via EFHW or vertical

Skip the laptop if weight matters — the phone camera becomes your TX image source instantly.

HF SSTV on iPhone — SSTV Pad (Black Cat Systems)

For HF from a picnic table, SSTV Pad from Black Cat Systems is a practical iPhone/iPad path for both receive and transmit. It supports the common Scottie / Martin / Robot / PD family of modes (exact TX vs RX mode lists live in the App Store description — check before you promise a rare mode on air).

Receive can be as simple as putting the phone near the radio speaker, or better, feeding speaker/headphone audio into the phone (cable or a clean Bluetooth audio path). Clipping and cabin noise still ruin decodes — keep levels modest and the mic path quiet.

Transmit needs audio from the phone into the radio mic or accessory jack, plus PTT — manual thumb switch, VOX if it behaves, or a Bluetooth PTT accessory when your radio supports it. Mic-jack pinouts are radio-specific; a custom adapter is often needed for TX. For RX-only demos, SSTV Pad plus speaker or Bluetooth audio is enough — you do not need a full CAT/Digirig stack just to watch 20 m paint a picture.

The US HF hub frequency remains around 14.230 MHz USB (listen first; regional band plans differ). Spot accurately as SSTV, not SSB.

If you prefer a laptop, a Digirig (or similar sound-card interface) into MMSSTV (Windows) or QSSTV (Linux) is the classic shack path and still works fine from a camper table when AC or a quiet inverter is available. For true backpack weight, stay on the phone.

ISS and satellite SSTV

ARISS SSTV events now transmit from the ISS on 437.550 MHz FM in Robot36, about two minutes between images (ARISS, checked Oct 2026; older events and guides used 145.800 MHz). A 70 cm-capable HT can copy a high pass, but Doppler on 70 cm is about three times larger than on 2 m, so a small yagi helps and Doppler discipline matters:

• Start high (~437.560 MHz) as the station approaches
• Track 437.550 MHz near overhead
• Drop toward ~437.540 MHz as it recedes

Open squelch, record the pass audio, decode live or afterward. Ham Radio Prep ISS SSTV guide walks through handheld-only copy (written for the earlier 2 m frequency; the method is the same). Event dates: ARISS upcoming SSTV events.

See also Satellites for pass prediction apps and the full ISS frequency list.

Audio interface hygiene

SSTV is sensitive to hum and clipping.

• Prefer fixed-level radio accessory or data port over speaker-mic jack when available.
• Use isolation transformers on sound-card lines if RF feedback appears (soundcard interfacing notes).
• Set TX audio so ALC barely moves — overdriven SSTV sounds like modern art nobody asked for.

POTA/WWFF operating notes

• Spot mode and frequency accurately — “SSTV 14.230” not “SSB 14.230.”
• Exchanges still need callsign and signal report for a valid QSO; image transfer is the payload, not a substitute for identification.
• Expect fewer hunters than FT8; schedule SSTV after you have minimum QSOs if the goal is activation credit.
• Public spectators love SSTV demos — good ambassador moment. See ethics.

Logging

Log mode as SSTV (or program-specific equivalent). Polo/N3FJP may require manual mode entry. Confirm export before upload.

Habits / gotchas / checklist (SSTV)

• After the POTA 10 (or SOTA 4), not instead of it — unless SSTV is the plan and hunters exist.
• Spot SSTV and the real frequency. 14.230 USB is a US neighborhood — listen first.
• Levels: ALC barely moving. Clipping paints modern art.
• ISS: 437.550 FM (Robot36), Doppler high→mid→low (±10 kHz), open squelch, record the pass.
• Phone apps (Robot36 / CQ SSTV / SSTV Pad) beat a laptop on a summit. Digirig + MMSSTV/QSSTV is the camper-table path.
• Callsign and a report still make the QSO. The picture is the payload, not the ID.

Related

• Satellites
• Software hub · FLdigi suite (different family of sound-card modes)