Melbourne DATV goes live

The digitisation of one of the world's longest running
fast-scan amateur television repeaters, VK3RTV on Mt Dandenong, east of Melbourne, is now fully implemented.

The project has been in the planning for some years.
When funding became available in January this year, it was full-steam ahead with German made DVB-T commercial television standard boards being imported.

Then all of the other bits and pieces including a controller had to be built.

The very first digital test occurred on the 7th of June. This was followed further tests.

Now, after more than 30 years, the VK3RTV analogue transmission has ended to be replaced by digital.

A number of radio amateurs in the greater Melbourne and Geelong areas are receiving it on 446.5 MHz in the 70cm band using TV set-top boxes or USB DVB-T receivers.

Congratulations to Peter Cossins VK3BFG and others in the Melbourne ATV Group who have made it possible.

The project is funded by Amateur Radio Victoria which acknowledges a $1,000 contribution by the WIA through its Club Grants Program.

Barry Robinson VK3PV

Amateur Radio Victoria website
www.amateurradio.com.au

Wireless Institute of Australia website
http://www.wia.org.au/