Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find the club bylaws
When and where does the club hold it's monthly meeting?
Do I need to be a member of WATS to watch ATV?
What are typical projects and activities and WATS?
What do I need to get started in Amateur Television?
Where can I find the club bylaws?
The bylaws are available here, and are in Adobe .pdf format. You will need Adobe Acrobat, a free .pdf reader, to view the bylaws. Go here to download Adobe Acrobat.
When and where does the club hold it's monthly meetings?
We meet at 7:30pm on the third Thursday of every month at CORD. CORD is located at 601 Lake Air Drive.
Here's a map
Do I need to be a member of WATS to watch ATV?
No, all you need to do is tune into the TV channels for our ATV signals to see our pictures. However, by being a WATS member, we'll allow you to control our Skycam with your 2-meter radio. And, of course, we'll help you get on the air and send your own ATV pictures!
What are typical projects and activities and WATS?
Some past projects and activities are:
* KC5OYN ATV-repeater. We have mounted an ATV repeater atop the Hillcrest Medical Tower, one of the highest points in McLennan County. The repeater listens on an input frequency of 910.25 MHz and retransmits on an output of 421.25 MHz (Cable channel 57). The repeater enables ATV communications from almost anywhere within McLennan County, and in some places beyond. The repeater is currently operational and open to any amateur use.
* WATS Skycam. We have mounted a color video camera atop the Waco Hilton Hotel across the street from the Waco Suspension Bridge and Indian Springs Park. Using 2-meter FM radio signals, members can activate the camera and transmitter to control a pan-tilt head and point the camera in almost any direction. The video signal is beamed to the KC5OYN ATV-repeater. The Skycam is currently operational and open to all WATS members.
* WATS Sky-Eye. For Field Day 1999, we built a small package, low-powered ATV transmitter and camera for the purpose of tethered flying high above the HOTARC Field Day site. Unfortunately, the wind on Field Day didn't cooperate and we were only able to get a few minutes of pictures. We are now thinking about other ways to use the Sky-Eye...and maybe next year's Field Day will go better!
* Special Events. Our sister radio club, HOTARC, is a dedicated supporter of area special events (foot races, bike rides, etc), and typically supplies a radio communications trailer. WATS and HOTARC have equipped the trailer with ATV receiving equipment (antennas, rotors, downconverters, television monitor). For many special events, WATS members position themselves around the event and beam pictures back to the trailer where spectators can view the pictures. The ATV receiving capability of the HOTARC trailer is currently operational and open to all HOTARC and WATS members.
* NASA-TV. One of our members, W5TAH, has a satellite dish with which he can receive NASA-TV. Whenever there is interesting NASA activity, such as space shuttle missions, W5TAH sends the NASA-TV signal to the ATV repeater and we all get to see live space video right in our homes! We recently had a night-time shuttle re-entry right over Waco. We were able to monitor the progress of the re-entry via ATV, watch it's brilliant pass overhead, and then see it land in Florida a few minutes later via ATV. Wow!
What do I need to get started in Amateur Television?
The first thing is just watch our weekly ATV roundtable! (See Calendar of Events) Here's how:
1) Connect an outside antenna to the cable jack on your TV (or VCR).
2) Point the antenna towards the Hillcrest Medical Tower. If you're really close to the Tower, simple rabbit ears may do!
3) Tune your TV (or VCR) to cable channel 57.
The quality of picture and audio will largely depend on your proximity to the repeater when using this simple setup. If you are a ham, check-in on 2-meter FM using the W5NCD repeater on 147.24 MHz (+600 input) and let us know you're watching!
The next thing you'll want to do is improve your antenna system. Invest in an ATV yagi antenna and good quality coax. Mount your antenna, horizontally polarized, outside where you can get as clear a view as possible towards the repeater, yet as close to your TV as possible. Use high quality coax, such as Belden 9913 (not just RG-8). Note that your received pictures will not be as good as they can be, until you amplify your received signal...that can come later.
The third thing to do is begin planning for a transmit capability. The first thing to get is a video camera with A/V out jacks. Consider sources like old camcorders, security cameras, desktop cameras (for PCs), and such. Many times you can find old camcorders whose VCR capabilities are broke, but the camera is quite operational.
Finally, you must invest in an ATV transmitter or transceiver. The transceiver will have a built-in downconverter and pre-amp to really improve the received signal. You can often find these at hamfests or from hams who have lost interest in ATV. Or you can buy a new one from a dealer. One of our favorites is P.C. Electronics.
The last thing you might want to pursue is portability. It's pretty fun to send a picture from a remote site, and a necessity for special events. Primarily, you'll need 1) a source of power for your camera and transmitter, and 2) a quick, portable antenna setup. Of course, your transmitter, camera, and cabling must follow.
For all of these steps, WATS members are eager to give advice, lend a hand, and maybe even share/loan/give/sell some equipment to get you started. Give us a call!
Where can I find the club bylaws
When and where does the club hold it's monthly meeting?
Do I need to be a member of WATS to watch ATV?
What are typical projects and activities and WATS?
What do I need to get started in Amateur Television?
Where can I find the club bylaws?
The bylaws are available here, and are in Adobe .pdf format. You will need Adobe Acrobat, a free .pdf reader, to view the bylaws. Go here to download Adobe Acrobat.
When and where does the club hold it's monthly meetings?
We meet at 7:30pm on the third Thursday of every month at CORD. CORD is located at 601 Lake Air Drive.
Here's a map
Do I need to be a member of WATS to watch ATV?
No, all you need to do is tune into the TV channels for our ATV signals to see our pictures. However, by being a WATS member, we'll allow you to control our Skycam with your 2-meter radio. And, of course, we'll help you get on the air and send your own ATV pictures!
What are typical projects and activities and WATS?
Some past projects and activities are:
* KC5OYN ATV-repeater. We have mounted an ATV repeater atop the Hillcrest Medical Tower, one of the highest points in McLennan County. The repeater listens on an input frequency of 910.25 MHz and retransmits on an output of 421.25 MHz (Cable channel 57). The repeater enables ATV communications from almost anywhere within McLennan County, and in some places beyond. The repeater is currently operational and open to any amateur use.
* WATS Skycam. We have mounted a color video camera atop the Waco Hilton Hotel across the street from the Waco Suspension Bridge and Indian Springs Park. Using 2-meter FM radio signals, members can activate the camera and transmitter to control a pan-tilt head and point the camera in almost any direction. The video signal is beamed to the KC5OYN ATV-repeater. The Skycam is currently operational and open to all WATS members.
* WATS Sky-Eye. For Field Day 1999, we built a small package, low-powered ATV transmitter and camera for the purpose of tethered flying high above the HOTARC Field Day site. Unfortunately, the wind on Field Day didn't cooperate and we were only able to get a few minutes of pictures. We are now thinking about other ways to use the Sky-Eye...and maybe next year's Field Day will go better!
* Special Events. Our sister radio club, HOTARC, is a dedicated supporter of area special events (foot races, bike rides, etc), and typically supplies a radio communications trailer. WATS and HOTARC have equipped the trailer with ATV receiving equipment (antennas, rotors, downconverters, television monitor). For many special events, WATS members position themselves around the event and beam pictures back to the trailer where spectators can view the pictures. The ATV receiving capability of the HOTARC trailer is currently operational and open to all HOTARC and WATS members.
* NASA-TV. One of our members, W5TAH, has a satellite dish with which he can receive NASA-TV. Whenever there is interesting NASA activity, such as space shuttle missions, W5TAH sends the NASA-TV signal to the ATV repeater and we all get to see live space video right in our homes! We recently had a night-time shuttle re-entry right over Waco. We were able to monitor the progress of the re-entry via ATV, watch it's brilliant pass overhead, and then see it land in Florida a few minutes later via ATV. Wow!
What do I need to get started in Amateur Television?
The first thing is just watch our weekly ATV roundtable! (See Calendar of Events) Here's how:
1) Connect an outside antenna to the cable jack on your TV (or VCR).
2) Point the antenna towards the Hillcrest Medical Tower. If you're really close to the Tower, simple rabbit ears may do!
3) Tune your TV (or VCR) to cable channel 57.
The quality of picture and audio will largely depend on your proximity to the repeater when using this simple setup. If you are a ham, check-in on 2-meter FM using the W5NCD repeater on 147.24 MHz (+600 input) and let us know you're watching!
The next thing you'll want to do is improve your antenna system. Invest in an ATV yagi antenna and good quality coax. Mount your antenna, horizontally polarized, outside where you can get as clear a view as possible towards the repeater, yet as close to your TV as possible. Use high quality coax, such as Belden 9913 (not just RG-8). Note that your received pictures will not be as good as they can be, until you amplify your received signal...that can come later.
The third thing to do is begin planning for a transmit capability. The first thing to get is a video camera with A/V out jacks. Consider sources like old camcorders, security cameras, desktop cameras (for PCs), and such. Many times you can find old camcorders whose VCR capabilities are broke, but the camera is quite operational.
Finally, you must invest in an ATV transmitter or transceiver. The transceiver will have a built-in downconverter and pre-amp to really improve the received signal. You can often find these at hamfests or from hams who have lost interest in ATV. Or you can buy a new one from a dealer. One of our favorites is P.C. Electronics.
The last thing you might want to pursue is portability. It's pretty fun to send a picture from a remote site, and a necessity for special events. Primarily, you'll need 1) a source of power for your camera and transmitter, and 2) a quick, portable antenna setup. Of course, your transmitter, camera, and cabling must follow.
For all of these steps, WATS members are eager to give advice, lend a hand, and maybe even share/loan/give/sell some equipment to get you started. Give us a call!