[aprssig] APRN status?

[Stephen H. Smith]

Lynn W. Deffenbaugh (Mr) wrote:
> I'd never heard of APRN but found the following 2 links active on the 
> web.

APRN  Automatic Picture Reporting Network ---- Transmitting SSTV on a 
NON-APRS voice channel and following up the SSTV with a Mic-E position 
burst.

>
> http://www.aprs.org/aprn.html and http://www.cave.org/aprs/aprn.html
>
> On a related note, does anyone know if any work was ever done with 
> AVS, the APRS Vision System?
>
> http://wa8lmf.net/bruninga/vision.html

Also my own live APRN server at:

     <http://wa8lmf.net/aprn>
>
> I'm considering attempting to build this into my APRSISCE/32 client 
> since many of the Windows Mobile platforms have a built-in camera.  
> What would be cooler than snapping a picture and sending it 
> immediately out via APRS.  If I do that, I'd also be setting up a web 
> server that monitors APRS-IS for such images and immediately posts 
> them for viewing.
You won't get anything resembling a normal SSTV image from the APRS 
Vision concept.   The lowest-resolution "normal" color SSTV picture is a 
quarter-VGA 320x240 pixel image; i.e. 76,800 pixels at three bytes/pixel 
for normal 24-bit JPG color.  About 30-50K of data in digital form.   It 
would completely wipe out the normal 144.39 APRS channel.  

On the other hand, a normal SSTV application, generating the FM audio 
tones used by normal SSTV formats, using the built-in webcam on a 
portable device would be really cool. This would be in the spirit of 
what I've been trying to do with SSTV:  Send real, live pictures .   

Far too much SSTV activity is the endless retransmission of stupid 
cartoons and junk pictures harvested off the Internet.   I've been 
trying to get people to send REAL pictures of their own activities or 
travels instead.  

The last device to do this in any practical way was the Kenwood VC-H1 
"Interactive Visual Communicator"  dedicated hardware device.   This 
unit combined a 1.8" color LCD monitor, a cheap low-quality CCTV camera 
similar to an X10 "SpyCam" and an NTSC<-->SSTV scan converter in a 
slightly oversized speaker-mic that you could plug into any radio's mic 
and speaker connections.    I have used one for years now as my "Mobile 
SSTV LiveCAM" connected to the NTSC monitor output of a Canon Powershot 
point&shoot digital still camera mounted on the dash of my car.    Pic here:

     <http://wa8lmf.net/mobile>


------------------------------------------------------------------------

--

Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
EchoLink Node:      WA8LMF  or 14400    [Think bottom of the 2M band]
Skype:        WA8LMF
Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.net

NEW!    Universal HF/VHF/UHF Antenna Mounting System
  http://wa8lmf.net/mobile/UniversalAntMountSystem.htm

"APRS 101"  Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
  http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths

Updated "Rev H" APRS            http://wa8lmf.net/aprs
Symbols Set for UI-View,
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