HRZ to PICON Converter

Convert radio-transmitted HRZ images to PICON format online

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Bulk Conversion

Handle many HRZ to PICON conversions at once. Upload a batch, start the process, and download all results — no repeated uploading.

Universal Access

Convert niche HRZ data into standard PICON that opens on any device. Bridge the gap between specialized and mainstream formats effortlessly.

Cross-Platform

The converter works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Convert HRZ to PICON from whichever device you have at hand.

How to convert HRZ to PICON

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose picon or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your picon file right afterwards

About formats

HRZ is a simple raster image format associated with slow-scan television (SSTV), a method of transmitting still images over radio frequencies used by amateur radio operators since the late 1950s when Copthorne Macdonald pioneered the technology. HRZ files store images at a fixed resolution of 256x240 pixels in raw RGB format, with each pixel represented as three bytes (red, green, blue) at 8 bits per channel, producing uncompressed files of exactly 184,320 bytes. The format has no header, no metadata, and no compression — the file is simply a sequential dump of raw pixel data in row-major order. This extreme simplicity reflects the format's origins in the amateur radio community, where SSTV images are transmitted as audio tones encoding luminance and chrominance values over narrow-bandwidth HF (shortwave) radio channels. The fixed 256x240 resolution corresponds to common SSTV transmission modes, and HRZ files serve as the digital capture or storage medium for received SSTV transmissions. One advantage is the format's zero-overhead structure: with no parsing, decompression, or metadata processing required, HRZ files can be read by any program capable of reading raw pixel data with known dimensions — a single function call in virtually any programming language. The format's connection to amateur radio SSTV culture is another notable aspect: HRZ files document a unique form of image communication where operators transmit photographs over thousands of miles using nothing but radio waves and audio encoding, a practice that continues today alongside digital modes. HRZ files can be opened by ImageMagick, GIMP, and specialized SSTV software.
Developer: SSTV Community
Initial release: 1985
PICON (Personal Icon) is a small-format image type used in the X Window System ecosystem, developed by Steve Kinzler at Indiana University around 1990 as part of the picons (personal icons) database project. Picons are small, typically 48x48 pixel, color images used as visual identifiers for people, organizations, domains, and Usenet newsgroups in Unix mail readers, news readers, and other communication tools. The picon format is essentially an XPM (X PixMap) image stored with specific naming conventions and directory structures that allow software to look up the appropriate icon based on email address, domain name, or newsgroup name. The picons database organized thousands of these small images in a hierarchical directory structure keyed by domain name components (e.g., faces/com/example/user.xpm), enabling mail clients like exmstrstrstr and faces to automatically display a sender's photo or organizational logo alongside their messages. The system predated the modern concept of contact photos and avatars by more than a decade. One advantage is the system's pioneering role in visual identity for electronic communication: picons introduced the idea that email and Usenet messages should display a visual representation of the sender — a concept that eventually became standard in every modern email client, messaging app, and social media platform. The XPM-based format ensures that picons are displayable on any system with X Window libraries. Picon images are supported by ImageMagick, GIMP, and X Window display utilities, and the historical picons database remains archived online at Indiana University.
Developer: Steve Kinzler
Initial release: 1990

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert HRZ to PICON?

PICON is widely supported across devices and applications — converting from HRZ makes your SSTV images accessible to anyone without specialized tools.

What programs open PICON?

Open PICON with standard tools like Windows Photos, Preview on macOS, GIMP, Photoshop, or any web browser — no special software needed.

Do I need HRZ software installed?

No — the converter processes HRZ entirely in the cloud. You do not need any amateur radio slow-scan television software on your device to convert.

Does this work on mobile devices?

Yes — the converter runs in any web browser, so it works on phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops regardless of operating system.

Is batch HRZ to PICON conversion supported?

Absolutely — queue multiple HRZ images and convert them all to PICON in a single session. No need to process one at a time.

Is the conversion instant?

Near-instant for typical images — the cloud-based processing handles HRZ to PICON conversion quickly. Very large data may take a moment.