[UK-CONTEST] Site Planning

[Ian White GM3SEK]

ADRIAN REES wrote:
>Hi all
>Apart from VOACAP and the tables in the back of the ARRL Antenna 
>Handbook, (and MicroDem) does know of any software that can be used for 
>Aerial / Terrain analysis ?
>
>I want to do some terrain analysis for a QTH I am buying.
>
>Any comments about terrain / aerials etc welcome.
>

There's an article about HFTA coming up in 'In Practice', out in the 
next few days.

Just to be clear about this: HFTA is the terrain analysis program which 
comes with the ARRL Antenna Handbook. VOACAP is a propagation program 
(see another post). MicroDem (IIRC) is a digital mapping program of 
little relevance to the UK.

The best way is to buy the book (not just for the HFTA program but also 
for the extensive explanations) and get your own terrain profiles from 
the OS 1:25000 map.

Before Radcom comes out, I will put up some web links to digital terrain 
data from the Space Shuttle radar surveys. However, it didn't work very 
well for me - it showed hills that aren't there, and would have made 
HFTA give totally inaccurate vertical patterns. Map and ruler is a lot 
easier.



-- 
73 from Ian GM3SEK