-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All 1998 News for NTIA/ITS HF Propagation Models (WINDOWS version) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 07 Jan 1998 News for NTIA/ITS HF Propagation Models (WINDOWS version) 07 Jan 1998 1. The BATCH Point-to-Point discussed in the 97_04_28.txt news file did not work correctly for ICEPAC in the 32-bit version of the software. That has now been fixed. The news is repeaded below: For those who wish to create their own IONCAP style input deck, that can now be processed properly with the Windows versions of ICEPAC and VOACAP. Perform the following: a. Create the input deck on a file (NOT named modelX.DAT) (That means NOT ICEPACX.DAT or VOACAPX.DAT) The file should be in the ..\RUN directory. b. Create an icon to execute with the following properties: Command line: ..\BIN_WIN\modelW.EXE directory BATCH deckname Where: model = ICEPAC or VOACAP directory = install directory (e.g. C:\ITSHFBC) deckname = file name used in (a) above. Working Directory: directory\RUN (remember, directory is defined above) For ICEPAC, below are the relevent comment lines directly from the source code that detail how ICEPACW.EXE may be executed: c Execute with: c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory ICEPACX.DAT ICEPACX.OUT (P-P circuit) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory ICEPACG.DAT ICEPACG.OUT (P-P graph) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory ICEPACD.DAT ICEPACD.OUT (P-P distance) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory ICEPACT.DAT ICEPACT.OUT (P-P time) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory BATCH (P-P batch) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory BATCH deckname.dat (P-P NEW batch) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory AREA CALC ICEAREAW.CIR (AREA batch) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory AREA method pathname (AREA single) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory INV CALC ICEAREAW.CIR (AREA INVERSE batch) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory INV method pathname (AREA INVERSE single) c where: c [S] = SILENT, then no messages are written to output window c SILENT must be spelled out completely and in UPPER case. c directory = full pathname to the install directory (e.g. c:\ITSHFBC) c method = (CALC/SCREEN/PRINT) c pathname = full pathname of input data file c (e.g. C:\ITSHFBC\AREADATA\DEFAULT\DEFAULT.ICE) c -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 06 Feb 1998 1. The version of REC533 has been updated to produce the same results as the official ITU REC533 Version 3. This was done to assist the ITU in developing a HF planning tool to meet the needs of HF Broadcasters as agreed upon at WRC 1997. 2. A minor fix was made to ICEPAC that would, under very unusual circuits (>10000km) that would cause frequencies above the MUF to produce no output results. An array was not properly initialized. It is unknown how often this could have happened, but was probably very difficult to detect. This may have also affected VOACAP, and the correction was also made to that model. 3. I have had trouble on my Windows-95 system of colors doing strange things. This began happening when I got a new SALFLIBC.DLL that was to fix problems on Windows-NT systems. I have therefore reverted to an older version of the SALFLIBC.DLL until this problem can be resolved. If anyone has problems and wants to try the new SALFLIBC.DLL that can be obtained from my web site: http://elbert.its.bldrdoc.gov/hf.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 04 Mar 1998 1. I have found some more problems with SALFLIBC.DLL for Windows-95 systems. Sometime, the area coverage program seems to hang during calculations. I have not found that to happen with the SALFLIBC.DLL packaged with this version. Sorry for any problems, but ever since migrating to the 32-bit compiler for Windows-95 & Windows-NT, I have had problems. I cannot seem to isolate the problem where Salford can give me a proper solution. With no funding, you will just have to bear with me. Please report problems so I have some idea how many this is affecting. 2. A ham operator (Ruediger Anders, AA2HT) has corrected some of the GEO data files to account for political correctness and spelling inconsistencies. These affected the files: ..\GEOCITY\EUROPE.GEO ..\GEOCITY\WESTASIA.GEO ..\GEOCITY\WRLDWIDE.GEO ..\GEONATIO\EUROPE.GEO ..\GEONATIO\WESTASIA.GEO I have included these files in this version of the software. Thanks Rudi. Anyone else willing to submit information of use to everyone is invited to do so. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Apr 1998 1. The Point-to-Point programs would fail if the Tx(0.,0.) and Rx(0.,180.) was used. Other antipodal conditions could also have caused the failure. I hope this has been fixed (again!). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 May 1998 1. ICEPAC Point-to-Point had a problem when using the DISTANCE or TIME plot options. Any percentage plot (e.g. REL), would plot OK to the screen, but if you printed it, it was scaled by 100 again. That has been fixed. 27 May 1998 1. Thanks to Tony Field, the world boundary data base has been updated to reflect the more recent country borders. Germany has been united. The former Soviet Union has been re-drawn. Two problems in North Africa have been fixed (Eritrea & Yemen). And some additional lakes and waterways have been added to Canada. Thanks again Tony!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 July 1998 1. In correcting some problems relating to Windows-NT, I may have created some additional problems when plotting the Distance and Time options in ICEPAC. If you obtained fatal errors indicating a file was not OPEN, this version should solve that problem. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Aug 1998 1. Some cities names were changed. The following cities changed countries: Banja Luka in BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA Dubrovnik in CROATIA Ljubljana in SLOVENIA (Capital City!) Maribor in SLOVENIA The following cities were renamed: TITOGRAD to PODGORICA (Capital of Montenegro, Yugoslavia) TITOVO UZICE to UZICE (Yugoslavia) TITOV VELES to VELES (Macedonia) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Sep 1998 1. I have finally gotten time to change the Point-to-Point GRAPH option to allow more than one GROUP to be calculated and plotted. If more than one GROUP (month/SSN) is calculated, when you go to the GRAPH, a new button called GROUPS will appear. This will allow you to select data from the other GROUPs to be plotted. 2. *****NOTE:***** ***************************************************************************** As of Oct 1998, NTIA/ITS can no longer accept funds to register the HF software. The consequences of this are: 1. Software is only available to users via the internet. 2. Installation disks can no longer be mailed. 3. User assistance will be given through email, and can only be done on a "Time-available" basis. ***************************************************************************** 3. It is, however, possible for you to contract NTIA/ITS to modify the software for your needs. This can be performed under what is called a CRADA. See the web page: http://flattop.its.bldrdoc.gov/index.html and view the Software Development CRADA for the legal words. 4. If you would also like training in how to use the software, that can probably be performed under the Pay-per-Use CRADA on the same web page. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 Oct 1998 1. The BATCH Point-to-Point discussed in the 98_01_07.txt news file has been modified again at a user request. The user can now specify the output file name when BATCH is used. The default name is ICEPACB.OUT or VOACAPB.OUT, depending on which model is used. For those who wish to create their own IONCAP style input deck, that can now be processed properly with the Windows versions of ICEPAC and VOACAP. Perform the following: a. Create the input deck on a file (NOT named modelX.DAT) (That means NOT ICEPACX.DAT or VOACAPX.DAT) The file should be in the ..\RUN directory. b. Create an icon to execute with the following properties: Command line: ..\BIN_WIN\modelW.EXE directory BATCH deckname outname Where: model = ICEPAC or VOACAP directory = install directory (e.g. C:\ITSHFBC) deckname = file name used in (a) above. outname = file where output is written. If omitted, will be VOACAPB.OUT or ICEPACB.OUT. Working Directory: directory\RUN (remember, directory is defined above) For ICEPAC, below are the relevent comment lines directly from the source code that detail how ICEPACW.EXE may be executed: c Execute with: c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory ICEPACX.DAT ICEPACX.OUT (P-P circuit) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory ICEPACG.DAT ICEPACG.OUT (P-P graph) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory ICEPACD.DAT ICEPACD.OUT (P-P distance) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory ICEPACT.DAT ICEPACT.OUT (P-P time) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory BATCH (P-P batch) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory BATCH deckname.dat (P-P NEW batch) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory BATCH deckname.dat out.out (P-P NEW batch) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory AREA CALC ICEAREAW.CIR (AREA batch) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory AREA method pathname (AREA single) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory INV CALC ICEAREAW.CIR (AREA INVERSE batch) c ICEPACW.EXE [S] directory INV method pathname (AREA INVERSE single) c where: c [S] = SILENT, then no messages are written to output window c SILENT must be spelled out completely and in UPPER case. c directory = full pathname to the install directory (e.g. c:\ITSHFBC) c method = (CALC/SCREEN/PRINT) c pathname = full pathname of input data file c (e.g. C:\ITSHFBC\AREADATA\DEFAULT\DEFAULT.ICE) c -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Dec 1998 1. You can now do area calculations of the whole world that are not required to be centered at Longitude=0 degrees. For example, if you wish the center to be the U.S., you would specify Xmin=-270 and Xmax= 90. This would put the center at Longitude= -90 degrees (90 West Longitude). 2. You can now create your own external antenna calculation program. If one of the internal antennas does not fit your needs, you can create your own executable program to calculate the antenna gain files. Look at the HELP documentation in the HFANT program for more complete details. 08 Dec 1998 1. Fixed a little problem in Point-to-Point ICEPAC/VOACAP using Method 23 with the GRAPH output. MODE is now forced to always be included. Even though it cannot be plotted, it needs to be there for the plotting to work correctly. 21 Dec 1998 1. A small bug was detected in REC533 when plotting the Point-to-Point output parameters. This was fixed by adding some lines to the file ..\DATABASE\REC533.GPH. 22 Dec 1998 1. The ability for you to create antenna files from external sources is now available. You can run models such as NEC and save the results on a data file in a format such as that defined by: ..\antennas\samples\sample.90 This particular file contains gain values for frequencies from 2 to 30 MHz in 2 MHz steps, from 0 to 355 degrees azimuth in 5 degree steps, from 0 90 degrees elevation angle in 3 degree steps. This file is already .5 MBytes in size. If all the above is in 1 unit steps, the file becomes about 15 MBytes in size. The program cannot resolve more than 1 unit step sizes. I will try to describe this more fully in a HELP file. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- End of 1998 ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------