Does anyone know how I can convert the output from a speaker/headphones
jack
from a Laptop into a suitable input to the Mic socket of a TS430S? It's
for
running SSTV

I have not been able to find anything on the net - probably 'cos I'm
asking
the wrong question.
===========================
The best way to roughly match the 2 impedances is to use any small
transformer which can pass SSTV audio tones.
It is not a critical matching

I don't know the microphone input circuit of the TS430S ,but you can check
that by looking at the microphone itself.
Suppose that impedance is somewhere between 500 and 1000 Ohms and the
audio output of your Laptop 8 Ohms .

It means the impedance ratio is in the order of 800 to 8 is 100 ,so
the
winding ratio of the transformer should be in the order of sqrt 100 is in
the order of 10 to 1. So you would have to find any (small )tansformer
with
that winding ratio ( meaning voltage ratio)

But again the ratio is NOT critical

If the TS430S would have a high impedance microphone in the order of 50
kOhms , assuming a low impedance output from the laptop of say 10 Ohms
the
transformer ratio would have to be in the order of sqrt 50000/10 = sqrt
5000 = approx 70.


This is totally the wrong way to go. Part of the idea is fine but the main
problem is cutting down the voltage level from the laptop to a very low
level the sound card can use. By going to a stepup transformer you have
just raised the voltage by your factor of 10 or 70.

As this type of audio frequency response is not that critical , a simple
resistor network of about 100,000 ohms in series with the sound card output
and a 1000 ohm reisitor across the input of the mic socket should be in the
ball park.

For an inespensive interface, (about the cost of the cables ) do a Google
search for RASCAL. It is a Rigblaster type interface at almost no cost.

Any of the popular psk31 type audio interfaces should work as they all are
just lowering the leverl of the sound card to the mic input.