Charts

The charts are powerful tools with lots of options. The charts all function basically the same. This is a somewhat generic description. On some charts, just below the window title bar, is the current time-day-date display. This time display functions like the time display in the Master-Control Palette. However the two operate independently and one may show local time while the other shows UTC. The beacon chart has a unique time display associated with an “Activate” feature described below. Each chart window size is adjustable to suit the user.

Charts may be displayed in two ways: by "default" following a prediction and from the "Charts" menu on the Master-Control Palette.

The topic describes charts available for the three types of predictions are as follows:

Point-to-Point:

     BUF                        Best Usable Frequency

     Chart                        The standard Point-to-Point chart

Beacon:

     SmartChart                  A unique and efficient chart to view while monitoring the beacons

     Beacon Chart                  The standard Beacons chart

     Comparison Chart            Signal Comparison Chart

Prediction Batch:

     SmartChart                  A unique and efficient chart

     BUF Prediction Batch            Best Usable Frequency

     Prediction-Batch Chart            The standard Prediction Batch chart

     Comparison Chart            Signal Comparison Chart

     Contest-Plan SmartChart      A unique and efficient chart designed for the contester

For a discussion of the Beacon SmartChart or the Prediction Batch SmartChart see those topics.

#1 This is the "beacon timer". It's much like those elsewhere is WinCAP Wizard. When the Beacon Chart is "Active", meaning tracking the current beacon, the highlighted beacon will change at each second number "8". This is typically after the beacon has completed its transmission and before the next begins.

#2 This is the tool bar and holds several buttons.

Activate

The "Activate" button (beacon chart only) may be clicked when the selected prediction is for the current month. When down, the chart displays a prediction for the “current”, or scheduled, beacon station. The prediction must, of course, be created before this function is useful. The displayed prediction actually changes two seconds early, so it will be available when the beacon should begin transmitting. Click the button to disengage this feature.

Grid

The point-to-point, beacons and Prediction Batch charts have a "Grid" button. The grid button displays a spreadsheet-like table of values, near the bottom of the chart window. The values shown in the grid are the values used to create the current chart. Addition hourly details are included. Clicking a data point on these charts causes the grid to move to match the "hour" of the clicked data point.

A click on a chart-data point can cause three different actions - although not all on a single chart type. First, the “value” and unit type of the data point is displayed near the clicked data point. Secondly, if the values grid is currently displayed, the grid is scrolled to display the values for the “hour” of the clicked data point. Third, the point-to-point, prediction batch best usable frequency and prediction batch comparison charts all have an extra "panel" above their navigator control and below their controls tool bar. When a chart data point is clicked several additional parameters are displayed in this panel.

Legend

Two of the chart types provide a "Legend" button. The Beacons Signal Comparison and prediction batch Comparison charts are somewhat unique in comparison to the other charts. These two chart types simultaneously display all the circuits from a single "prediction set". The legend button is useful when printing or exporting these charts, to help identify each circuit (line) on the chart.

Customize

The "Customize" button displays a set of controls that are used to change, or edit, chart appearance. There are numerous options available which should be self-explanatory. Feel free to experiment with these features to see the effects.

Preview

The "Preview" button provides a print preview and options. The preview shows a sample of how the chart will look when printed.

Save

The "Save" button causes setting you may have configured using the customize feature to be stored when you exit the chart and reloaded on next run. Current frequency and displayed parameters are always saved in any case.

The "Done" button closes the chart window.

#3 The prediction selection control, or "navigator".

Navigator

Below the row of buttons described above is a "navigator" control. This navigator control functions slightly different depending on the type of chart. On point-to-point charts the navigator moves between individual predictions. On beacon and prediction batch type charts this same navigator control moves between "prediction sets"; beacon predictions always have a set of 18 predictions, or circuits, while a "prediction batch" may consist of 1 to 18 predictions, or circuits. When more than one prediction set has been created, this navigator control lets you select among available prediction sets.

The actual chart, or graph, display occupies the major portion of the window. The chart top axis represents the local, civil, time at the "station" (if the correct time zone was entered during station circuit configuration) and the bottom axis represents UTC. A “green” vertical line indicates the current hour.

#4 The chart header provides currently displayed "prediction specific" information. This information is useful so you know what the chart represents. Much of this information in useful to help insure the chart actually displays a prediction created using the desired input parameters.

#5 This area is an example of the pop up hint created when a chart "data point" is clicked. This one is shown for the current (at the time of the screen capture) hour. Note the green vertical line marking the hour.

#6 This area is to draw your attention to the colored bars that run horizontally across the chart. These bars are "signal quality range indicators". Beginning with the bottom bar, they represent signal qualities of poor, fair, good and excellent. To change either the bar color or the range see the Signal Quality Selections topic.

#7 This area displays two horizontal bars of different color. These represent the hours of darkness, nighttime, at each end of the circuit. It can be enlightening to observe the chart values relative to these indicators.

Band Selection

#8 Below the chart are the frequency, or band, selector buttons. This area provides for control of the frequency for the displayed prediction data.

Values Grid

#9 The "grid" is a spreadsheet-like table of values. The “Values Grid” (only for charts described above that have a "Grid button"), located just above the status line, shows the values used to create the current chart. Additional values are also shown in the grid. Note the status line description of each grid column as the mouse cursor passes over. The columns of the grid are:

Hour – the hour in UTC to which the data in the row relates.

Frequency – the currently selected frequency. The frequency will generally be the same for all 24 hours, of course; frequency values will only be different, for each hour, when MUF is selected as the frequency.

Mode – propagation most-reliable mode, number of hops and mode type [E, F1, F2, Es layers]. The "most reliable mode" is determined as follows: the mode with the highest calculated reliability - if reliability values are within 5%, the mode with lowest number of hops - if the hop numbers are equal, then the mode with the largest median SNR is selected.

TAngle – Signal “take-off angle” at the transmitter for most-reliable mode

MUFDay, Fraction of the days of the month that the operating frequency will be below the mode MUF

SNR - Monthly median signal-to-noise ratio in dB

SNR-LW - lower decile SNR increment in dB. The lower decile value during a month is a value, which is, exceeded 90% of the time, 27 days.

Rel - Reliability is the percent of time the predicted SNR exceeds the “Required Reliability” specified when the prediction set was created. The default required reliability in WinCAP Wizard is set to 90% - which is the industry standard. In other words “Reliability” is defined as the fraction of days that successful communication may be expected at a given hour within the month at a specific operating frequency on the undisturbed days of the month. The undisturbed days of the month is generally considered to be when the geomagnetic index Ap is less than or equal to 27 and the K index is less than or equal to 4.

dB > µV is dB greater than 1 microvolt, dB > µV into 50 ohms

S-Units – signal level based on 4/6 dB per s-unit, S9 = 50 µV. Reliable sources indicate the average s-unit on today’s receivers is 4 dB. To select 4 dB or 6 dB reference, see the Miscellaneous Defaults.

CW Quality - The following values relate SNR and signal quality:

Poor, Fair, Good, Excellent

SSB 44 54 64 74 2.5 KHz

CW 24 34 44 54 250 Hz

See the Signal Quality Selections topic for more information.

SSB Quality – although voice operation is not considered for beacon signals, the SSB quality is provided for reference. See CW Quality above.

#10 Near the bottom of the chart is the status line. The status line provides additional information for the display area, or control, under the mouse cursor. This information is often very useful while operating the chart.

#11 Located to the right of the chart are the parameter select buttons. The available parameters are:

TAngle – Signal “take-off angle” at the transmitter for most-reliable mode

RAngle – Signal arrival angle at receiver for paths over 10,000 km, for the most-reliable mode

MDay – MUFDay, Fraction of the days of the month that the operating frequency will be below the mode MUF

dB > µV - dB greater than 1 microvolt, dB > µV into 50 ohms – this value is easily converted into the familiar “S-Units” - displayed by the meter on most radio receivers – as follows:

     +34 dB > µV is S9 = 50 µV on 50 ohms = -103 dBW on 50 ohms

SNR - Monthly median signal-to-noise ratio (1 Hz BW) in dB

Rel - Reliability is the percent of time the predicted SNR exceeds the “Required Reliability” specified when the prediction set was created. The default required reliability in WinCAP Wizard is set to 90% - which is the industry standard. In other words “Reliability” is defined as the fraction of days that successful communication may be expected at a given hour within the month at a specific operating frequency on the undisturbed days of the month. The undisturbed days of the month is generally considered to be when the geomagnetic index Ap is less than or equal to 27 and the K index is less than or equal to 4.

SNRxx - monthly median signal-to-noise ratio (1 Hz BW) in dB at the specified “Required Reliability” - For example, at the default-required reliability of 90%, SNRxx is the signal-to-noise ratio exceeded on 90% of the days.

#12 The beacon and prediction batch type charts (except for the two comparison charts) have a second navigator control. This navigator control allows selective display of the desired prediction, or circuit, from the current "prediction set". This navigator control has the same function as the upper, and only, navigator on point-to-point type charts. The difference being, the lower navigator can only select within the current beacon "group" or within the current prediction batch "group"; the current prediction set is the one selected using the upper navigator. It's a little confusing at first but should become clear shortly.

The charts can be zoomed to show fewer data points. To zoom a chart left click and drag from upper left to lower right. To restore the default view, left click and drag from lower right to upper left.

To scroll the chart, right click and drag.

#13 This is the window size handle. Click and drag to adjust window size to suit your needs.

Exporting

A currently displayed chart can be copied to windows clipboard, saved, exported or emailed in three formats. These formats are windows-meta (wmf) file, a bitmap (bmp) file or a jpeg. To access the export features click the “customize” button and go to the “Export” page. The other export types are for user experimentation only.

Best Usable Frequency Selection

The method used to select the best usable frequency is as follows. For each "hour", all frequencies used to create the prediction, except the MUF, are sorted in descending - highest to lowest - order using the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio), followed by Reliability and SNRxx (signal-to-noise ratio at the entered required reliability). The Best Usable Frequency is the "first" frequency and the Alternate Best Usable Frequency is the next frequency in the sort order, again excluding MUF. The 30-meter (CW only) amateur band is never selected as an alternate best usable.