Hfwin32 windows all operating systems 32bit versions of icepac voacap rec533. A caveat, though predictions using icepac are not as well validated as predictions using. Ntia does not make any warranty of any kind, express, implied or statutory, including, without limitation, the. The path is set between brussels and san francisco using a yagi at the transmitter side and a dipole at the receive site. Considered by many to be the most professional hf system performance prediction tool available, voa and a number of other international hf broadcasters and. Voacap and rec533 software implementation of recommendation. Another advantage is acehf mobile includes a 1 year warranty and support agreement. The various icepac parameters used in the computations are shown in annex 1. It is a simple front end to the powerful but complicated voacap program written and extensively tested for use by voice of america if you do not already have voacap version 10. Voacap propagation analysis and prediction program iii system group. Voacap predicts a signal strength in belgium of 140 dbw or s3 and a sn.
Signal to noise predictions using voacap, by george lane. Voacap was found to be generally accurate, although some discrepancies in. Voacap is a professional online highfrequency shortwave propagation prediction application. A more comprehensive discussion about the finer details of using the software can be found in george lanes book signal to noise predictions using voacap. View the news files that detail the changes made for each version of the software. This link is listed in our web site directory since sunday jun 29 2003, and till today online hf propagation prediction has been followed for a total of 362 times.
The result page at voacap propagation planner on the result page you will see the next steps to take. Only the year and month are used ccir coefficients with a ssn of 85. Also at great expense very accurate rf noise prediction models have been developed for use in computing the snr. First, you will need to download the numeric voacap prediction on your computer.
Lane, signal to noise predictions using voacap a users. The answer is yes as long as you input the correct parameters into voacap. The core physics and statistics in voacap are sound and this product could potentially be very useful to the us navy. A pointtopoint transmission forecast set for a power of 100 w in august 2004. The main category is propagation bullettins and charts that is about propagation forecast. Hfwin32 windows all operating systems 32bit versions of icepac voacap rec533 now 6may15 using installmate. With the aid of the collected data, the project aims to evaluate whether the implemented setup allows for the left and right. With the advancement in technology over the last few decades, we have made giant strides in radio propagation forecasting and assessment techniques.
Voacap, propagation analysis and prediction program, 4. Below are some screenshots of the new voacap online. If not already loaded, a voacap download window will pop up and ask to download the program. The signal power delivered to the hf receiver via the ionospheric channel is computed using the transmitter power plus the transmit and receiver antenna gain less the transmission loss.
A software method for the prediction of the performance of hf circuits based on recommendation itur p. Cwssbrtty, an obvious question is can i use voacap to. This one shows you how to use voacap propagation prediction software to find the bands and times when your chances of. If you want to generate predictions using your own computer, i suggest you visit voacap. Cd now available 792009 signaltonoise predictions using voacap written by george lane under contract from rockwell collins george lane was instrumental in the development of ioncap while working 17 years for the us army, and steered the development of voacap while working years for the voice of america. Comparison of propagation predictions and measurements. Voa monitors score signal, degradation, and overall reception quality. Predicting propagation in ham radio with voacap online. Free professional hf propagation prediction software from ntiaits, originally developed for voice of america voa. So, with the introduction of mufday in all assessments, there will be more gray cells in the prediction tables from now on.
This is an extremely helpful book in learning the secrets of voaca p. Lane, signaltonoise predictions using voacapa users guide, rockwellcollins, cedar rapids, ia, 2001. Tarma no longer would support new windows versions. Pdf the quality of the prediction for the nvis propagation. Voacap voice of america coverage analysis program is a radio propagation model that uses empirical data to predict the point to point path loss and coverage of a given transceiver if given as inputs. Fast and accurate calculation of multipath spread from voacap. Such prediction programs use a combination of measured data and generallyrespected algorithms to make statistical predictions of signal strength for arbitrary links. Hf mimo nvis measurements with colocated dipoles for future. About online hf propagation prediction the resource is currently listed in in a single category. Please be warned, though, that, as a consequence, there can be hours with the best operating frequency which does not, in reality, support any. Icepac only requires one more input parameter than voacap the q index.
Reliability calculations for adaptive hf fixed service. Corrected signaltonoise ratio distribution by george lane voacap quick guide. The core physics and statistics in voacap are sound and this product. Antenna gt degradation with inefficient receive antennas. Signal to noise predictions using voacap pdf download 140j4f. Ok, enough introductory information lets get into running a propagation prediction using voacap. Both programs use voacap, the underlying engine that does all the calculation based on current solar information. Fast propagation predictions for hf network simulations. Cd now available 792009 signal to noise predictions using voacap written by george lane under contract from rockwell collins george lane was instrumental in the development of ioncap while working 17 years for the us army, and steered the development of voacap while working years for the voice of america. The biggest advantage is acehf mobile allows the user to run snr predictions between any two points worldwide.
Now that you have voacap on your computer, you might be interested in using it directly. Both long term and short term forecasting methods have improved. Understanding hf propagation conditions and predictions are important for your contest strategy to maximize the points. June 2018 54 may 2018 91 april 2018 30 march 2018 33 february 2018 32 january 2018 24 december 2017 18.
Nevertheless, we must remember that predictions are just that predictions, not exact science. Voacap predictions and coverage maps run with rel set at 0. A poorly designed receive antenna will deny reception of a signal just as though the transmitter had been shut off. In most prediction programs, one is provided with the monthly median signal power or if the receive antenna is ignored, the field strength. Hf mimo nvis measurements with colocated dipoles for. Check out ljxuh lq wkh 8vhuv manual to convert the boulder k index to the q index. We will see at the end of last page that since 2010 an online version is available with new functionalities, preventing. The online prediction service voacap online is easy to use and helps you understand propagation. This guide should get you well started with voacap. However, since the 1940s radio engineers have used signaltonoise ratio as the preferred measure of communications success. This is a set of six fields which importance appears often at a second reading if you are not used to voacap and havent take the time to read additional documentation to master the program. Voacap, propagation analysis and prediction program. This is a brief, a work in progress, guide to using voacap point to point highfrequency ionospheric communications analysis and prediction program. And, due to the nature of voacap, you must visualize lowband openings with the help of grayline map software such as dx atlas by alex ve3nea or geoclock by joe ahlgren.
An introductory tutorial to voacap running your own. The area prediction data will be superimposed on the dx atlas map, and you will be able to magnify and scroll the map, and view it in the azimuthal and 3d projections. Apr 19, 2012 4 recently, a comparison was made between signal. Voacap, highfrequency ionospheric communications analysis and prediction corrected signaltonoise ratio distribution by george lane. And its a great enhancement, making the highband predictions even more realistic. A more comprehensive discussion about the finer details of using the software can be found in. Jun 17, 2018 the best predictions consider signal power, circuit reliability, and signal to noise ratio values. The best predictions consider signal power, circuit reliability, and signal to noise ratio values. Although voacap incorporates a sporadic e model, this was turned off because it has not been validated and its use might lead to overly. Review of propagation prediction programs voacapbased. Predictions are performed using the iturhfprop application a software method for the prediction of the performance of hf circuits in accordance with recommendation itur p.
The voacap software refers to ccir coefficients even though the ccir organization no longer exists, having been succeeded by the itur. This is an excellent site and has pointers to tutorials on voacap, links to download the software and the ability to generate ondemand predictions. This is a workinprogress guide to using voacap voice of america coverage analysis program free professional hf propagation prediction software from ntiaits, originally developed for voice of america voa. When combined with noise estimates, the programs produce. Voacap propagation analysis and prediction program i foreword.
Reliability calculations for adaptive hf fixed service networks. This workinprogress guide should get you well started with the software. Check out figure 52 in the users manual to convert the boulder k index to the q index. Institute for telecommunication sciences resources radio propagation software high frequency windows 32bit hf propagation models. Daily sunrise and sunset calculations for dxcc countries. Pdf comparison of three hf ionospheric prediction models. Signaltonoise predictions using voacap pdf download c16eaae032 share on facebook. Voacap is a tool for predicting the performance of high frequency hf.
This is not a port of the voacap fortran code, the algorithms have been reverseengineered from the code an then implemented from scratch in a modern language. There are a number of useful resources on the web to help you decipher this important tool and the related ioncap program. Using a web interface similar to voacap online but simpler, it differs from this latter by using the iturhfprop prediction model formely rec533 to calculate performances of hf circuits in accordance with recommendation itur p. The downloads made available through links on this page contain software developed by ntia. Note that voacap engineers use the word service instead of mode that we use when we speak about cw, ssb or sstv modulation mode for example to not make the confusion with propagation modes 2f, 3f2, etc. The data consist of subjective scoring on a 5 point scale system where 5 is excellent and 1 is nil similar to that recommended by the ccir 1. Also included is a selection of articles concentrating on some specific issues with voacap. Library oaml by 1 using provided and online documentation from hf experts, 2 installing the program on pcs, 3 running a series of test cases and 4 comparing the output results with other hf models and voacap versions. A caveat, though predictions using icepac are not as well validated as predictions using voacap. Figure 11 shows the voacap for windows signal to noise ratio at the required reliability 50% from the midwest us to japan. Online hf propagation prediction resource detail the.
The median signal levels have been compared with monthly median signal level predictions generated using voacap voice of america coverage analysis program and. Home this document is part of the help files integrated into the its hfbc software package. The itur have published a method of calculating the delay spread using such prediction techniques seeitur, 2007. The agreement is renewable and provides all active support customers with free bug fixes and new software revisions as they are release. Using voacap to predict ft8 propagation carl luetzelschwab k9la april 2018 with solar minimum between cycle 24 and 25 approaching and ft8 showing an advantage over cwssbrtty, an obvious question is can i use voacap to predict ft8 propagation. Hf radio waves propagate from a transmitter to a receiver via the ionosphere. Voacap, propagation analysis and prediction program, 3. Predict the median snr at each 1 grid point using interpolation from the corners of the 5 grid square and compare to direct predictions as above. Hamcap is a propagation prediction tool offered as freeware by alex shovkoplyas, ve3nea. In order to make this function work, voacap will be downloaded during the setup process of the tnc. So, the better predictions you have, the better basis for operating planning. You can have a lot of fun with propagation prediction programs, but remember. Well run a prediction from k9la to zf cayman islands centered on the middle of january 2001 at 2300 utc with an.
Signal to noise predictions using voacap by george lane. Snr required signaltonoise ratio and is defined as a circuit reliability. The evolution is not only obvious but the ease of use is without comparison with the old interface. It tells us the percentage of days in the month when the snr value which is not shown in the charts as a separate parameter will equal to or exceed the req. The received signal to noise ratio and the reliability values are computed by taking into account the ionospheric propagation conditions, as well as the atmospheric and local manmade site noise levels using the icepac. Voacap voice of america coverage analysis program is a radio propagation model that uses empirical data to predict the pointtopoint path loss and coverage of a given transceiver if given as inputs. Propagation planner predictions use all the pointtopoint.
Both sites use a crossdipole antenna setup, as well as the ettus universal software radio peripheral usrp software defined radio for the transmission and reception systems. Voacap quick guide hf propagation prediction and ionospheric communications analysis select language afrikaans albanian arabic belarusian bu. Comparison of three hf ionospheric prediction models asaps. Com written and maintained by jari perkiomaki, oh6bgog6g. Signal to noise ratio, input 48db which is in a 1hz bandwidth.
Icepac only requires one more input parameter than voacap. Since dec 1992 the following hf propagation models for windows pcs are available here. Want to know the best band and time of day to contact. Comparison of three hf ionospheric prediction models asaps, voacap, locapi. May 22, 2011 this guide should get you well started with voacap. Well run a prediction from k9la to zf cayman islands centered on the middle of january 2001 at 2300 utc with an assumed smoothed sunspot number of 109. The purpose of the comparison is to determine which prediction method in voacap agrees the best with actual measurements in the distance range greater than 7,000 km. Signaltonoise predictions using voacap written by george lane under contract from rockwell collins george lane was instrumental in the development of ioncap while working 17 years for the us army, and steered the development of voacap while working years for the voice of america. Compare this value to that predicted using direct execution of voacap. The highly volatile and variable nature of hf terrestrial radio propagation has always driven us to find more and more accurate means of predicting propagation conditions. Field strength or signal power is only half of the story. Pdf in this paper, three hf ionospheric prediction softwares are compared.
Also note that since that time voacap is included in the new dx summit cluster when you select a call sign, also select show voacap predictions to get a point to point prediction for your qth. Because the timestamp of samples captured on these disparate devices needed to match, a 1 pulsepersecond digital signal was generated by rx 1 and fed. The ntiaits package includes three prediction programs, voacap, icepac and rec533. Be warned that the 24hour prediction wheel i use on the voacap p2p front page is now outofdate on abovethemuf frequencies. The muf stays relatively high, which means that 40 meter absorption may limit openings on that band to a short time around 1200z. There is only a handful of free highquality prediction software available on the web. Voacap, propagation analysis and prediction program astrosurf. All predictions are performed using the itus iturhfprop application. Snr required signal to noise ratio, and is defined as a circuit reliability factor.
A more comprehensive discussion about the finer details of using the software can be found in george lanes book signaltonoise predictions using voacap. The new service uses voacap voice of america coverage analysis program as its calculation. The 20 and 15 meter openings are much narrower in time. The rel is related to voacap s output parameters of snr signal to noise ratio and req. Instead of going right to the page that downloads the software, ive listed it step bystep. Voacap online hf predictions, users manual 17 june 2018 old. Signaltonoise predictions using voacap pdf download. Voacap prediction compared to the one of ham cap, that uses also this model but with less parameters, giving thus an overview of propagation. Comparison of propagation predictions and measurements for. Use it to find out who should be able to hear you right now. Frequencies are monitored once per half hour in short duration auditions typically 30 sec. The voacap ionospheric propagation model is based on a semiempirical. This is a forecast calculated for a circuit between moscow ua3 and belgium on august 5, 2004 at 2200 utc on 20 meters and 100 w output ssn 27, sfi 85, a minimum takeoff angle of 3 and a.
Acehf propagation prediction software professional pc software for hams that uses voacap and includes area coverage maps animated by time or frequency. A receive antenna in a high noise environment will mask the signal such that no intelligence can be detected. Measurements of surface waves radiated by a vertically. Antenna gt degradation with inefficient receive antennas at. And this is also what the assessment of the best operating frequency for each hour is based on. Tools for setting the system clock, via the internet, are also provided. Of the three applications analysed, the best predictions were obtained by rec533. Voacap was found to be generally accurate, although some discrepancies in snr were observed that.
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