[htaprs] VC-H1

[Scott Miller]

> To tell the truth, I very rarely use the VC-H1's stock camera. I'm much 
> more interested in a device that allows me to use the output of other 
> digital cameras and video devices I have on hand - generally having NTSC 
> outputs. Their optics are always vastly superior and more flexible, and 
> often I am using them as part of my documentation process of the event 
> anyhow. It's hard to pick a small, inexpensive, camera for dedicated use 
> that has the flexibility to meet the various needs of SSTV users, 
> particularly for public service events.

That's very true, but I can also make a system with a low-speed digital 
camera with a lot fewer parts and for a lower cost than an NTSC capture 
system.  I'm going to try out all of the available lens options, and see 
about mounting the camera separately.  I think it'll still be great for 
balloon experiments and such.

> monitoring.) I'd love to have a system that gave me more flexibility to 
> set up systems of this type.

I got some samples of the video decoder chips in.  Gotta remember to 
pick up some prototyping adapters for LQFP32 packages.  I could build a 
system using the same processor I'm using now, but I'm really not sure I 
want to.  Maybe I'll go ahead and implement Robot 36 and see how bad the 
RGB <> YCbCr conversion is.  I've also got to fire up this CPLD demo 
board and figure out how I'm going to do the glue logic for the BT.656 
frame buffer.

Hmmm.. I wonder if it'd be worth adding the video capture hardware to my 
  upcoming multi-mode TNC.  Maybe as a plug-in board, I suppose.  Now 
there's an idea... gotta give the thing a couple of plug-in module 
slots.  Now all I need is another 60 hours in the week..

Scott
N1VG