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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Marketplace => Topic started by: AMC258 on February 18, 2008, 01:45:32 AM

Title: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: AMC258 on February 18, 2008, 01:45:32 AM
http://cgi.ebay.com/AMIGA-VIDEO-TERMINAL-MODEL-NO-AVT-HAM-RADIO_W0QQitemZ130199243740QQihZ003QQcategoryZ296QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The seller doesn't know what it is either!
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: Rabbi on February 18, 2008, 03:41:02 AM
Looks like this puppy is used with an Amiga as a slow-scan television interface & would be used on the HF amateur (ham) radio bands.  W/o instructions and a possible h/w driver, is not of much use.

Being a kosher ham radio operator myself (U.S. General class license), I just might decide to bid on it out of curiosity.

My only question being, is it a 5-finger special.  I would've thought that the seller would know what he's got or at least have a manual & a s/w disk for it.  It could be from an estate sale, too.
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: Nlandas on February 18, 2008, 04:18:42 AM
Interesting - Wikipedia has an entry on the technology and a nod to the AVT. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow-scan_television)

This company claims to have new in stock for $169. Amiga AVT (http://www.surplussales.com/Equipment/HamEquipment/amiga.html)
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: Rabbi on February 18, 2008, 04:31:27 AM
Yeah, I saw the link to Surplus Sales, but missed the Wikipedia reference.  I placed the bid.


Quote

Nlandas wrote:
Interesting - Wikipedia has an entry on the technology and a nod to the AVT. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow-scan_television)

This company claims to have new in stock for $169. Amiga AVT (http://www.surplussales.com/Equipment/HamEquipment/amiga.html)
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: wa9yoz on February 18, 2008, 04:02:26 PM
Doh! I'm interested, but do NOT have pay-pal...will check out that amateur dealer website about their AVT item..
Tony...amateur wa9yoz
Just wondering if this will work in conjuction with DCTV?
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: Hodgkinson on February 18, 2008, 04:14:29 PM
I'd also be interested if it had, or someone could turn up a manual and/or software.

Hodgkinson,
M0ZMM (UK).
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: wa9yoz on February 18, 2008, 07:09:11 PM
SSTV on da Amiga?..from my understanding the MFJ-1278B, multimode controller will do SSTV (and in color) amongst additional modes, both for the Amiga & PeeCee...they are even cheaper to get then the AVT...several amateur websites have them for sale....
thought I'd pass this on to my fellow Amiga Radio Amateur enthusiasts...73's...Tony...
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: hardlink on February 18, 2008, 07:22:36 PM
Quote

Rabbi wrote:
  W/o instructions and a possible h/w driver, is not of much use.


I have the software, which I could upload somewhere, but I hear it is not the latest/last version. Has anybody here actually used one of these?
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: Kin-Hell on February 18, 2008, 11:59:55 PM
Quote

hardlink wrote:
Quote

Rabbi wrote:
  W/o instructions and a possible h/w driver, is not of much use.


I have the software, which I could upload somewhere, but I hear it is not the latest/last version. Has anybody here actually used one of these?


I saw one of these in use at a College in Gloucestershire, UK, back in 1994. The college had it`s own Radio Station & one of these babys was sat alongside the A2000 Toaster in the Video/Radio office. Unfortunately, I was studying Mech/Elec Engineering & not Video/Radio. Amazing to think these are still around tbh! :-o
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: persia on February 19, 2008, 01:55:22 AM
Too bad he opened the box....
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: hardlink on February 19, 2008, 04:30:04 PM
Quote

Nlandas wrote:
Interesting - Wikipedia has an entry on the technology and a nod to the AVT. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow-scan_television)


Black Belt Systems, aka Ben Williams, is still alive and kicking, and still admit to building AVT:

http://www.blackbeltsystems.com/bx_cor2b.html#gphist

However, nowhere on their web pages do they mention Amiga, not even in relation to the AVT! Like many other such outfits, I doubt Ben would talk  to you about former Amiga products or support, espcially given the HAM-E history.
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: Rabbi on February 20, 2008, 04:16:22 AM
Not even in the first group of web pages archived in the Wayback Machine @ http://www.archive.org under www.blackbelt.com instead of www.blackbeltsystems.com that they are now using is there any mention of Amiga anymore.  I remember an SSTV program that Black Belt had for sale for the Amiga @ US$39.95 that I lusted after when it was listed a couple years earlier on their web site when Amiga stuff was included.  I wish I had bought that back then.  Oh well! :roll:


Quote

Black Belt Systems, aka Ben Williams, is still alive and kicking, and still admit to building AVT:

http://www.blackbeltsystems.com/bx_cor2b.html#gphist

However, nowhere on their web pages do they mention Amiga, not even in relation to the AVT! Like many other such outfits, I doubt Ben would talk  to you about former Amiga products or support, espcially given the HAM-E history.
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: Rabbi on February 26, 2008, 03:36:37 AM
Well, I won it.  I wrote to Ben, AA7AS, at his company's web site, Black Belt Systems (http://www.blackbeltsystems.com) asking him if he still had the AVT version 5.1 program for sale, as well as his Board Master PCB program for the Amiga that he used to design the layout of the AVT.  He wrote me back that it'll take him a couple days searching in a warehouse that's not too close to see if he's got any still there.  He said that he'd like to put the old Black Belt Systems Amiga programs up to D/L (for free?) but that a project like that requires more time then he currently has.  I'm planning on possibly getting some assistance for this project, so no one, please do not e-mail him any further about anything Amiga, or this might spoil our chances of getting this done.  I will update this further when there is something to report, but please be patient in the meantime.

My last request/project like this was AmiBroker, and that was successful.  Let's hope I can be successful here, too.

BTW, there's a discount price of 50% for his WinImages program for Amiga Imagemaster R/t owners.  :-D
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: Nlandas on February 26, 2008, 03:47:34 AM
If you get a copy of the program and a release from him, why not add the hardware to the Amiga Hardware Database and have them link to the software. That way anyone else who picks one up will get the software easily too.

Also, it means he won't have to go to the trouble of hosting it for download.
Title: Re: Amiga Video Terminal - Get it CHEAP!
Post by: N3vpd on December 10, 2009, 11:14:15 PM
Hello All   I know these threads are old however are any of you still on here  I use the avt 500 and am currently going thru hell with it  Let me know if anyone is still around   73