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About Us


The BATC was founded in 1949 with the aim then, as now, to encourage and co-ordinate the activities of amateurs involved in all aspects of television as a hobby. The Club is the largest such specialist organisation in the World and is affiliated to the Radio Society of Great Britain and is run by its members on a voluntary, unpaid basis. The Club is non profit making, in that members are not paid for the work that they do. Any profits made from the sale of various printed circuit boards, components and publications are used in the administration of the Club's affairs and to provide such things as an annual convention, exhibits at various shows and rallies and sundry other services to members. To ensure that ATV is properly represented, the Club liases with other international ATV organisations and has been represented at international policy making conferences.

The general committee is elected by members at general meetings held every two years. The Club supports a 'Technical Liaison Committee', to look after the ever-increasing myriad of technicalities, so essential to keep amateur television abreast of current technology.

BATC members' interests divide broadly into those who are licensed to transmit and receive television pictures on the amateur radio bands, and those whose interests lie in the technicalities of producing video equipment and programme material. Of course, many are interested in several different aspects.

Top of pageOur radio frequency enthusiasts transmit pictures from their homes, from portable locations and via repeaters. They use the medium to communicate visually with other similarly interested amateurs. They also enter special contests arranged by the BATC and by other television clubs throughout the World. In this group are to be found those who only receive, including those who enjoy receiving long distance broadcast television stations, either direct or via the growing number of broadcast satellites.

Video enthusiasts often construct much of their own equipment, or assemble commercial units to form their own private television studios at home. In these studios work includes designing and producing special effects, working with computer graphics, experimenting with colour, producing private TV programmes, video recording and editing, animating, etc. These enthusiasts range from private individuals to teachers in schools and colleges and businessmen involved in presenting their products in unusual ways.

Slow Scan Television (SSTV) enthusiasts are a special group who send their television pictures to other amateurs throughout the World via the amateur short-wave bands, for which they are properly licensed. It is also possible to send SSTV over domestic telephone lines and record pictures on ordinary cassette tapes for exchange with other enthusiasts.

Top of pageThe cornerstone of the Club is its quarterly magazine 'CQ-TV', through which the Club keeps in touch with its members. The journal is largely technical in content, and includes many articles, circuits and projects dealing with all aspects of television at technical levels from the very simple to the advanced. Also included are equipment reviews and activity columns, overseas interest, in fact anything which is new and interesting to television amateurs. Members' small advertisements are inserted free of charge in the 'Market Place' section of the magazine, which carries advertisements for every conceivable piece of equipment that one could want. Each magazine also carries complete lists of printed circuit boards, special components and sundries, as well as details of various BATC publications and the back issue and photocopy service. All are available at realistic prices to members.

CQ-TV is known throughout the World as a leading source of information for the television amateur, and is regularly read in over thirty countries.

The BATC maintains its own library, containing a great deal of literature covering every branch of television, most of which is available for loan to members. The Club video tapes which are also available for loan to groups and organisations.

The Club runs various ATV contests throughout the year for fixed and portable stations Also, there is an International ATV contest, organised each year by a different member country of the IARU, held over a weekend in September.

At least one major show is put on each year by the BATC, at which members are able to exhibit their own equipment and see what others are doing, look at and buy all that is new to ATV from the various trade exhibits, and to meet other enthusiasts and talk to the Officers and Committee Members of the BATC. The Club also exhibits at many of the major amateur radio shows and rallies throughout the year and country, thus maintaining a personal contact with as many members as possible.

The BATC is a founder member of the European Amateur Television Working Group (EATWG), whose purpose is to promote and protect the interests of amateur TV enthusiast throughout Europe. It seeks to gain official recognition from national amateur radio society and also from the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) to enable TV enthusiasts better control their own destiny.

The BATC Library Top of page

A duplicated summary list of the library contents is available to members upon receipt of a stamped addressed envelope, or you may send or telephone your specific requests for information. Should the material required not be to hand the librarian will try to obtain it for you.

At present the library contains a large number of manuals for Sony, Hitachi, Marconi, Pye, E.M.I. etc. broadcast, industrial and domestic equipment, back issues of CQ-TV, A5, Der TV Amateur etc., and a vast amount of manufacturers' data. A comprehensive range of SSTV material is held as are some historically interesting letters and photographs from the very early days of the Club. Also included are some (mostly early) audio tapes and lectures which are available for loan.

There are a number of video tapes available for free loan to groups and societies. The tapes include BATC demonstrations and exhibitions, programmes on ATV plus a good selection of material from other countries showing how they operate amateur television and demonstrating ATV repeaters. If you have any ideas or material for future programmes, Trevor Brown (Our Chairman) would be pleased to hear from you.