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I have a full SSTV transmission pre-recorded. Is there any way that I could take the audio file and decode it?

Alternatively, is there a way to select the audio device (for example, to read an audio file), to allow the file to be played into any existing decoder?

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    $\begingroup$ software recommendation questions are sadly off-topic here. $\endgroup$ – Marcus Müller Oct 5 '20 at 21:47
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    $\begingroup$ I reworded the question to make it less "shoppingy" $\endgroup$ – Scott Earle♦ Oct 30 '20 at 2:09
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I don't know of digital-mode software that has the capability to open a file, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. However, there is a handy work-around to your problem: a virtual audio cable.

A "virtual audio cable" is a piece of software that registers itself with the operating system as being both an audio input device and an audio output device. Of course the audio input and output devices are connected together in software, which is why it's called a virtual cable.

So you install virtual audio cable software, and then you connect it to both your software that plays back the recording and your digital-mode software, which interprets the audio as SSTV. Then you press "play" in your audio playback software, and your digital-mode software should be able to decode the SSTV for you.

There is Windows software called Virtual Audio Cable, which is not free to use, but there are other software packages that can be found with a web search that do the same thing, and many of those are free.

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  • $\begingroup$ Another idea is to put the file on your phone and play it from there. $\endgroup$ – Duston Oct 7 '20 at 13:10
  • $\begingroup$ Yep, copying the file to a different device and then connecting the devices with a real audio cable would work also. $\endgroup$ – rclocher3 Oct 8 '20 at 0:20
  • $\begingroup$ @Duston thanks for the suggestion, I think that should work. I'd like to try the virtual cable though. rcllocher3, It says that I have sound on the "playback" AND "recording" part of the 'cable, but none of my decoders seem to be receiving any audio at all. I just need a program where I can change my audio device... but then, I wouldn't need the cable anyways because I could just select my sound card output as the device, right? $\endgroup$ – Galaxy Oct 8 '20 at 20:45
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    $\begingroup$ @Galaxy I haven't used VAC software in quite a while. All I can offer is generic troubleshooting advice: try swapping "ends" of the virtual cable in case you're confused (I'm confused which one would be "playback" and which would be "recording"); check if the levels are the problem (microphone level is much lower than line level); maybe the VAC thinks you're using stereo when you're really using mono, or vice-versa; maybe the VAC only works at a particular bit rate; if one VAC doesn't work, maybe try another. $\endgroup$ – rclocher3 Oct 8 '20 at 22:13
  • $\begingroup$ Ok, I'll try these soon, thanks for the help! $\endgroup$ – Galaxy Oct 9 '20 at 5:08

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