SSTV.org.uk

Recording practice

Record once, decode carefully.

SDR recordings are the tidy way to handle SSTV uncertainty: capture the pass or HF opening generously, keep the source evidence, and decode the best audio segment after the station has gone quiet.

Before recording

Set the receiver mode and bandwidth for the source you are monitoring, confirm the waterfall has enough room for drift, and start the recording before the expected signal. For ISS and satellite work, begin early enough to catch the first VIS sequence. For HF, record a little wider than the exact audio you expect so tuning errors can be corrected later.

Keep two files when possible

Keep the original SDR or IQ file if storage allows, then export a clean mono WAV for the SSTV decoder. The original lets you retune or change demodulation later; the WAV is the portable evidence you can feed to multiple decoders.

Replay checklist

  1. Trim silence only after saving the untrimmed source.
  2. Check the decoder input level before changing mode settings.
  3. Try automatic mode detect first, then manual mode selection.
  4. Save the decoded image together with the WAV and a short station note.