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Reviews For: MMSSTV

Category: Ham Software/Apps - Other than logging

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Review Summary For : MMSSTV
Reviews: 19MSRP: FREE
Description:
Slow Scan TV software.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.amateur-radio.ca
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00194.7
KM6VZ Rating: 2004-01-13
Great Program Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Honesty, this is a great program! A free service to ham's everywhere. Mako has provided a wonderfull piece of software and has sparked interest back to this fun hobby of ours. Some people don't like it I hear. I say, then go buy a program. Thank you Mr. Mori!
G4IJE Rating: 2004-01-03
Good but not quite great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
In terms of features, it would be hard to criticise MMSSTV. However, I do feel that the basic "picture quality" performance is not quite as good as it could be. Martin 1 pictures - if examined critically - are just not as sharp as they might be and not quite as sharp as WinPix 32. The implementation of the PD modes is also a bit lacking. Don (K0HEO - now SK) and I spent a lot of time designing these modes to provide much higher resolution than Martin 1 without the very long frame times of the P modes. For examaple, PD180 offers 4 times the resolution of Martin 1 with just a 50% increase in frame time. Whilst I applaud the MMSSTV designer for including the PD modes at all the results are somewhat mediocre and do not really show what the PD modes are capable of.

I am also surprised by the way MMSSTV stops scanning if the signal disappears. QSB can be severe at times and it's not uncommom for a signal to disappear completely for a few seconds before coming up again. Unfortunately MMSSTV has often given up before the signal returns. Maybe there is a setting to change this behaviour; I haven't found it yet.

MMSSTV is certainly one of the best soundcard SSTV systems available and no-one can argue with the price. A few tweaks here-and-there could make it a truly great piece of software.

73, Paul Turner, G4IJE (co-developer of the PD modes).
M0ASR__2E0CIA Rating: 2004-01-03
'PICTURE PERFECT!' Time Owned: more than 12 months.
'A picture can paint a thousand words' ....well this software can paint a thousand pictures! MMSSTV by JE3HHT Makoto Mori is probably the best Slow Scan TV programme around, versatile, user friendly and completely free!, I tell ya what more could a budding SSTV enthusiast ask for!

This very up to date software simply uses your soundcard as the interface, basic leads can be made up for your receive and transmit audio. As with any other software there will be some experimenting required when setting up your receive and transmit audio levels. The software is pretty much ready to use in its default state so it gives you the chance to play around and tweak things a little, however I do recommend that the help file be read first which is easy enough to follow and will get you up and running quickly. The usual problem of getting your picture slant corrected is done so easy with MMSSTV. This can be done in a number of ways which include manual or automatic. Personally I found the best way for me was to tune into an accurate time signal such as Rugby which I used to get a straight received picture. Once you have done this no matter whether your soundcard is duplex or not its easy enough to transmit a picture and then receive it within the software to see if you need to set your transmit offset, this being done by internally looping back your audio via your Windows audio settings or if you prefer by externally looping. I had completed the whole process within 10 minutes which was such a far cry from the days of having to get your radio pal to keep transmitting a picture while you messed around for ages with those dreaded clock numbers.

There are plenty of SSTV modes that can be chosen complete with the ever so popular Martin 1 and Scottie 1. Once you have found an SSTV signal its relatively easy to manualy tune to it by a very clear spectrum window and waterfall. I found that by tuning to a signal and keeping the mode set to 'Auto' it very quickly sussed out what mode was being transmitted. There is automatic stop, restart, resync and squelch settings so it is quite versatile. MMSSTV can store up to 32 received images in its default state, however this value can be changed in options. Of course its easy enough to save and dump your received images elsewhere if you wish. Thats it its as simple as that, you will be receiving pictures to your hearts content and probably end up with a bigger collection of world wide pictures than the contents of the Tate gallery!

Preparing an image for transmission is easy enough using the usual drag and drop method. Templates can be custom made and of course there is a picture text editor. Macro texts and templates can quickly be brought forward. Once you have created some of your own favourite templates within seconds you will have a picture loaded complete with your chosen template. The choice is also yours as to whether you include a header or not which can also be custom made.

With the programme menu you can actually kick start some of your other favourite programmes such as image manipulation tools, PSK31, RTTY, etc. At this point MMSSTV will go into a suspended state to avoid any conflicts. There are various receive and transmit filters which can be set, these will take some experimenting with to see what results can be obtained all depending on ones personal preference.

The whole look of the programme is neat and very user friendly to get around. There are other features which include logging and customising options to change the look of the programme. Whether you are into the technical aspect of how SSTV works or are only interested in quickly receiving/transmitting images regardless of how it all works then this software will suit both. JE3HHT has developed other various free software and is well worth the look, you can download MMSSTV here
http://www.qsl.net/mmhamsoft/mmsstv/index.htm

Finally is there anything 'pants' about this software I hear you ask, well if anyone can find any negative points about it then ill eat my callsign embroidered skids for lunch!!


Reviewed 3rd January 2004.
By Dom (MOASR / 2E0CIA).

K5LDL Rating: 2003-11-05
The BEST SSTV program yet Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Currently trying out different SSTV programs as I try to figure out what software programs and computers I'd like to use for both shack and Rover use. Up to now, MMSSTV has the rest beat, hands down. By far the easiest to set up to 'read the mail', or put up/out your own images. Until I get my CW out of the way, I'm stuck using it on VHF+. No matter, the times I've used it on HF, with a General or higher present, I've been more than amazed at its ease of use, functionality, clarity of detail, its automtic response in deciphering which mode is being used and its speed when going from RX to TX. Above all, to think of such great software available to us for FREE! You just can't beat that. I rate MMSSTV, at this time, a 5 across the board. My follow up review may prove otherwise. Until then.... 73, Luis KD5KJD
NT9E Rating: 2002-09-13
Better than most commercial SSTV programs! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've been using MMSSTV for over a year now and find it to be a really super program. Point and click SSTV at it's finest. Once program is set up and sound card is calibrated, SSTV is no sweat! You'll need a PC soundcard interface(I use a RigBlaster Plus) some audio cables(1/8" mini stereo)and away you go!

Program features:

- Drag and drop operation
- Automatic received picture archiving
- Built-in logging program
- Text/grapic paint program built-in
- Picture editing
- Uses templates (open a picture file, drag it to the TX frame and superimpose a template over it and transmit it.
K7LZR Rating: 2002-08-27
Very good program Time Owned: more than 12 months.
MMSSTV is a true treasure. As a software engineer myself, I can appreciate the time and effort that was and is put into this program. That Mako, JE3HHT, has chosen to share his great programs with us all for free is truly wonderful. I use MMSSTV with both a Kenwood TS-430s and a Yaesu FT-101B on an old P166 computer and it works great. I give it all 5s for usefulness, functionality, ease of use, and stability.
AD6WL Rating: 2002-03-04
Bargain Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This program is easy to use and it works well. I was already setup for PSK31 and all I had to do was setup the software and I was running SSTV. The price can't be beat either unless they start to pay us to use it. Highly recommended.
YZ1BUL Rating: 2001-08-28
ecselens Time Owned: more than 12 months.
good program
KL7IPV Rating: 2001-07-23
Excellent software Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This product first came to my attention in the QST magazine for August, 2001 on page 61. I downloaded the software and after some reading of the included help manual, made my first SSTV contact on Monday, 0300 GMT. It is easy to use and almost begs the user to make a contact. After years of hearing and lately, watching SSTV, I jumped into the fray with the MMSSTV software because of its ease of downloading and use. It is amazing that a program so well put together is FREE and is heard all over the SSTV portion of the 20 meter band. Try it and you'll just have to get on SSTV. I use a RigBlaster interface to my IC-706 with a HP laptop running 166Mhz. Nothing fancy, but a solid working station , now on SSTV.