Send an animated GIF
Animated GIFs over amateur radio: the built-in GIF search, sending from a file or the clipboard, and the one rule that keeps the animation alive.
Yes, animated GIFs over amateur radio. Two ways in, one rule to remember.
From the built-in GIF search
The composer’s Picture… area includes a GIF search (powered by Giphy and KLIPY through the Open Signal service — no keys needed on your machine). Search or browse trending, click one, and it stages for a hybrid send automatically.
From a file or the clipboard
Choose a .gif file like any picture, drag one onto the window, or paste one. If a photo/hybrid mode is selected, the original file is kept intact.
The rule: animation survives when the file travels intact
- Hybrid (default for GIFs): the original GIF uploads, the link goes over the air — arrives animated.
- Photo mode: the original file travels over RF — arrives animated.
- SSTV / Digital: these transmit a still image by nature, so the first frame is what goes out. The staged preview shows a still in these modes — that’s honesty, not a bug.
Where the animation plays
A staged GIF plays in the transmit preview and the ready-to-transmit strip. On the receiving side it plays in the Receive pane, the gallery cards, and the full-size viewer. Copying it out copies the original GIF, still animated.
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