Master-Control Palette

The main WinCAP Wizard display is the Master-Control Palette. It consists of a combination time-day-date indicator and seven buttons. Near the bottom of the display 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 software.

By default, the time-day-date indicator displays coordinated-universal time, UTC. If the system time zone is properly set, a mouse click will toggle to user local, civil, time. The UTC/civil (local) status of the time display is saved when closing the WinCAP Wizard and restored on next run.

The Master-Control Palette can be set (Menu Options/Miscellaneous Defaults) to “Stay On Top” and be positioned in a desktop corner to provide continuous information and control - while occupying a minimum of your desktop space.

The buttons function as follows:

Circuits:

The Circuits button displays the multi-page (or multi-tab) Circuit-Configuration Manager. This manager is used for configuring parameters of the communication circuit for input to the prediction engine.

The Circuit-Configuration Manager pages, or tabs, include:

• "System" - parameters necessary to define the actual system configuration,
• "Station" - location name, geographic coordinates and time zone selection,
• “Receive System” - settings for receive area noise and receive antenna,
• “Month” - for selecting date desired for prediction,
• “SSN” - smoothed-sunspot number,
• "Xmtr Antennas" - for configuring antennas used on transmit end of a circuit
• "Frequencies" - the set of frequencies available for use.

Analyze:

The Analyze button provides a drop-down menu with the types of predictions available.

• "Point-to-Point" option opens the DX Gazetteer, from which a target location may be chosen for a prediction.
• "Beacons" item executes the VOACAP prediction engine and prepares the resulting prediction data for viewing.
• "Prediction Batch" option opens the Prediction-Batch Manager, a group of locations and circuit configurations from which predictions may be created.
• "Grid Fields" item creates a set of predictions for use with the coverage map. Following this prediction type, open the coverage map.
• "Grid Squares" also creates predictions for the coverage map. However it requires much more time to complete as it provides significantly higher resolution. Following this prediction type, open the coverage map.

Results:

The Results button provides a drop-down menu with four items: Results Inspectors - user configurable data browsers, Results Manager - the results manager is used to delete predictions that are no longer wanted, Results Viewer - displays the last output from the VOACAP prediction engine, Default Prediction Views - choose the desired default charts and reports for each of the three basic prediction types.

Map:

The Map button provides a two-item menu. The first item displays the SmartMap-Geographic View. The second item displays the Coverage Analysis type map. See those topics for more information.

Charts:

The Charts button provides a drop-down menu with sub-items for three of the predictions types available. Each prediction type has a selection of charts.

Report: 

The Reports button provides a drop-down menu with sub-items for three of the predictions types available. Each type has a selection of reports.

Menu:

The final button on the Master-Control Palette is the Menu and it provides a drop-down menu with several useful tools:

DX Gazetteer

The DX Gazetteer provides an extensive list of worldwide locations.

Station-Parameters Manager

The Station-Parameters Manager item provides a grid like display of all previously configured "stations". It can be used for editing, adding, deleting, browsing and comparing locations. See the "Station" page of the Circuit-Configuration Manager (Receiver page when circuit is reversed - the station page is automatically changed to receiver). Note - the Man-Made Noise and R Ant parameters shown in the Station-Parameters Manager are used only for point-to-point and beacon circuits and when the circuit is "Reversed" - Reverse Circuit option on system page is checked.

Prediction-Batch Manager

The Prediction-Batch Manager item provides the list of locations and circuit configuration for up to 18 circuits. In addition to the "Analyze" control for the prediction type this window provides controls for editing, adding, deleting, browsing and comparing prediction batch circuit information and circuit configurations.

System-Parameters Manager

The System-Parameters Manager item provides a grid like display for editing, adding, deleting, comparing and selecting sets/groups entered using "System" page of the Circuit-Configuration Manager.

Receive-System Manager

The Receive-System Manager item provides a grid like display for editing, adding, deleting, comparing and selecting "forward circuit" receive end groups entered using the "Receive" page of the Circuit-Configuration Manager.

Transmit-Antenna Browser

The Transmit-Antenna Browser item provides a grid like display for comparing and selecting transmit antenna sets/groups entered using the Xmtr Antennas page of the Circuit-Configuration Manager.

Available-Antennas Browser

The Available-Antennas Browser item displays the Antenna Browser window. This is similar to the “Antenna Selector”, but is only used to view available antennas and their definitions. It’s a modal window, meaning you must finish and close it before continuing.

Frequency-Set Browser

The Frequency-Set Browser item provides a grid like display for comparing and selecting frequency sets entered using the Frequencies page of the Circuit-Configuration Manager.

Beacon Manager

The Beacon Manager item, of course, displays the beacon manager. This manager is used to change, or update, information for each specific beacon station.

Beacon-Time Wizard

If the Beacon-Time Wizard application is installed in the same folder as WinCAP Wizard this item is available. The Beacon-Time Wizard provides numerous tools, including easy downloading of Space Environment Center Space Weather reports.

ID Wizard

If the ID Wizard application is installed in the same folder as WinCAP Wizard this item is available. The ID Wizard provides you with several useful accessories.

Options

The Options sub-menu provides additional tools and configuration windows.

• The Miscellaneous Defaults item displays a dialog window for setting various user options as defaults.
• The Signal Quality Selections item displays a dialog window for changing default quality levels and associated colors.
• The Read Me item displays the application read me file containing and introduction and release notes.
• The About menu item displays a small window with the software version information, our web site and email address and the software license status. Software registration is also controlled from the About window.
• The Help item is a reminder that a help system is available and an alternative way of accessing the help file.
• The Display Work Time item displays the time required by the last session “Analyze” operation, for all prediction types except point-to point.
• The Calc CPU Speed item displays a calculated estimate of the system clock speed.
• The Equivalent SNR Calculator item displays the required SNR in 1 Hz bandwidth calculator tool.

The Close item exits the WinCAP Wizard application.