In Europe for over 40 years, TV sets have been capable of receiving a broadcast information service known as Teletext. Now the broadcasting protocol is being harnessed for a modern digital radio mode using AX.25 packet radio data links on both HF and VHF bands.

This is an experiment by Stephen Cass. KB1WNR, who reported on his work in the IEEE [Eye Triple E] Spectrum, where he is an editor. Stephen writes that he was inspired by BBC's service known as Ceefax, which even in the days of analogue TVs, enabled viewers to select what they wanted to read on screen by entering different numeric codes into their TV remotes.

This experiment works on adapting Teletext for ham radio.

Stephen wrote: [quote] "I thought it would make a great radio protocol. In fact, I thought it could be a digital counterpart of slow-scan television." [endquote] SSTV transmissions are analogue and somewhat slow and are often transmitted a few times to ensure the entire message - images plus text - can be received.

Stephen asks that hams wishing to help him to experiment contact him via the IEEE Spectrum online magazine at spectrum dot i e e e dot org (spectrum.ieee.org)