Saturday, April 2, 2016

Kenwood VC-H1 Visual Communicator

Having got involved with the transmission of DATA over the airwaves, SSTV was bound to feature at some stage of the proceedings. After great success using MMSSTV and DM780's SSTV software on HF, it was apparent that this would be an interesting mode to use on VHF/UHF. It would certainly be more conducive with interference free pictures if used via the FM mode and better again it would be possible to send these via a Repeater if one really wanted to go from point to point. 

This does smack of Toys for Boys a bit, but in fairness, I could see the possibilities with our Emergency Communications Network and who knows where they may fit in. One very interesting application would be during the Galway Regatta where live feedback from the finish line would be a superb addition to the operation.  "A picture paints a thousand words".

My set up in the shack is very much tied to a desk top computer and obviously not geared for portable operation. Lap tops are a dead loss as they tend to be slow and very clunky and generally die at the most inopportune moments.

Enter the VC-H1 visual communicator manufactured by Kenwood some time ago during the 1990's. There are still a surprising number of these items out there either second hand and barely used or even still brand new and never sold.


The Kenwood VC-H1 Communicator 

Essentially the VC-H1 acts as a rather cumbersome Speaker Microphone when attached to a compatible handheld or the Kenwood TM-D700. To the left of its screen, the PTT and picture capture buttons are located.  The camera is located on the top of the unit and this can be swiveled for selfies, if absolutely necessary, or pointed in the direction of the subject. The 1.8 inch monitor screen is a little on the small side but is adequate for the majority of my needs. Received pictures can be stored in memory and can be re-sent to their originator. The pictures may be downloaded onto a PC if required. 

The transmitted and received pictures are sharp and clear and not too bad considering that they are received on such a small monitor. Images are transmitted from a  1/4-inch, 270,000-pixel CCD camera and seem to be good in most lighting conditions. The quality being about as good as a standard Web Cam.

The unit comes with a standard lead for connection into a Kenwood Handheld and this is also compatible with the Wouxun and Baofeng Handhelds. If used with these handhelds two modes are available in the form of Robot 36 colour, and Fast FM. If used with a Kenwood compatible handheld or the TM-D700 the unit is capable of operating the following modes in addition: Robot colour 72 , Scottie S1, Scottie S2, Martin M1, Martin M2, and AVT90.

Leads for this unit are expensive and very hard to come by especially the lead that connects into a PC and to the TM-D700. Of course if this lead is used the unit is extremely versatile as images may be uploaded and downloaded and the unit can be interfaced to a much more powerful tranceiver. 

Currently, the VC-H1 is being used to transmit pictures from the International Space station. Considering the distance travelled, the images are very good.




 Pictures Transmitted From the International Space Station

It is planned to hook this unit to the HF equipment although sending Selfies from the shack is really under utilising this type of equipment and I am not that vane! I would suspect that applications such as hill-walking and some of our outdoor activities may be enhanced with the use of this equipment.

Selling points

In addition to the detachable 1/4-inch CCD camera, the VC-H1 features a 1.8-inch color TFT (thin film transistor) type display. As well as viewing incoming pictures, you can review your own prior to transmission. The built-in microphone & speaker can be used in place of a separate speaker-microphone for your transceiver.

Up to 10 pictures can be stored in memory. This allows you to compare and pick the best shot to send. You can also store incoming pictures and protect them from unintentional deletion.

One of the great features of the VC-H1 is its ability to work with a personal computer. Hook it up to the RS-232C port on your laptop using the optional connection kit Microsoft Windows and you can save pictures (in JPEG format) that you send and receive. You can then cut and paste using standard graphics software, or even superimpose your own text. What's more, you can actually control the VC-H1 from your computer.

The Not so Good Points:

The unit requires 6 volts to operate and so is not great for mobile operation. It uses 4 AA batteries and these do not last too long with constant use. It does, however, work on 4 rechargeable AA batteries which is some consolation.

When you have bought one of these units it does become apparent that you need a second one if you want to get any fun out of it. It is no good relying on a friend to buy one or even hope that they will be on air if they do have one.

Interconnecting leads are expensive and as rare as hobby horse's droppings. The small connector into the unit costs more than 20 Euro. Any external leads have to be home-brewed apart from the lead connecting to the Handheld which they did include in the box. 


Lead wiring for TM-D700 and also for the PC