== Getting Started with Propagation Prediction == === Forecasting Propagation from a DX Station to Your Station === To forecast propagation from a DX station to your station, 1. on the '''Configuration''' window's '''Prediction''' tab, set the '''Forecasting Engine''' panel to '''VOACAP SNR & Prob''' 1. on the '''Configuration''' window's '''General''' tab, set the '''Distance Units''' panel to '''Miles''' or '''Kilometers''', depending on how you'd prefer to see distances displayed 1. on !PropView's Main window, select the '''Parameters''' tab 1. set the '''Prediction Direction''' panel to '''From the DX Station''' 1. set the '''Prediction Path''' panel to '''Short''' 1. in the '''Conditions''' panel a. set the forecast '''Date''' (double-click for the current UTC date) a. click the '''U''' button to the right of the '''SSN''' to update the '''Smoothed Sunspot Number''' a. click the '''U''' button to the right of the '''K-index''' to update the '''Geomagnetic K Index''' a. set the '''Avail''' to 50 a. set the '''Mode''' selector to the mode you'll be using, e.g. ''CW'', ''SSB'', ''RTTY'', or ''PSK31''; this will set the ''Required SNR'' (in the box labeled '''SNR''') based on the settings in the '''Mode-dependent Settings''' panel on the '''Configuration''' window's '''Prediction''' tab 1. in the '''Your Station''' panel a. if [[DxInfo|DXView]] has not been installed and configured, type your QTH's latitude and longitude into the '''Lat''' and '''Lon''' textboxes respectively, using {{{ddd mm' ss" D}}} notation, e.g. 43 25' 32" N; alternatively, enter your QTH's grid square, and strike the Enter key. If [[DxInfo|DXView]] has been installed and configured, your QTH's latitude and longitude will be set from the '''Latitude''' and '''Longitude''' specified in the '''QTH''' panel on the '''General''' tab of DXView's Configuration window. a in the '''Man-made noise level''' panel, choose the setting appropriate to your QTH 1. in the '''DX Station''' panel a. if you're running [[DxInfo|DXView]], type the DX station's callsign or DXCC entity prefix into its '''Main''' windows '''callsign''' box and strike the Enter key, or click a location on its world map. If you're not running [[DxInfo|DXView]], type the DX location's latitude and longitude into the '''Lat''' and '''Lon''' textboxes respectively (e.g. 40 15' S and 150 12' E); alternatively, specify the DX station's grid square and strike the Enter key. a. set the '''Power''' panel to the DX station's estimated RF output power 1. click the '''Predict''' button; !PropView will compute a forecast, and produce a graphical display on the Main window's '''Prediction''' tab === Interpreting the Forecast === After generating a prediction, uncheck the '''Prediction''' tab's '''Plot Critical Frequencies''' box and check its '''Show Open Bands''' and '''Show Current Time''' boxes. The forecast is a graph of frequency on the vertical axis vs. UTC time on the horizontal axis. Frequencies are labeled in megahertz along the left side of the forecast, and in meters along the right side. Band openings are depicted as horizontal magenta lines; the thicker the horizontal line at a particular frequency at a particular time, the higher the probability that there will be an opening on that frequency at that time. The black vertical ''time line'' depicts the current UTC time, so its intersections with the horizontal magenta lines identify current band openings: {{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/PropView/Forecast.jpg}} You can use your mouse to drag the ''time line'' to the left or right to make it easier to see exactly when openings strengthen or weaken. Doing so will uncheck the '''Show Current Time''' box; checking this box will return the ''time line'' to depicting the current time. Text in the '''Prediction''' window's upper left corner identifies the engine used to generate the forecast, and the UTC date for which the forecast was generated: {{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/PropView/Headings.jpg}} As is highlighted in the screen shot above, text immediately above the the forecast graph specifies * Short path '''SP''' or long path '''LP''' * the ''Required SNR'' for which the forecast was generated (as specified in the '''Conditions''' panel's '''SNR''' box) * whether the forecast is for signals '''from''' the DX Station, or for signals '''to''' the DX Station * the location of the DX Station * the distance from your station to the DX Station in miles or kilometers To assess the strength and probability of an opening at a particular frequency and time, allow the mouse cursor to hover over the horizontal magenta line at that point; three values will appear: 1. the estimated signal strength, in decibels 1. the percentage of days in the current month during which the estimated signal strength will exceed the ''Required SNR'' specified in the '''SNR''' box in the '''Conditions''' panel on the Main window' '''Parameters''' tab (and in the text immediately above the forecast graph) 1. the ''Propagation Mode'', expressed as "hops" between ionospheric layers In this forecast, placing the cursor on the 40m opening at 0400Z shows the estimated SNR at 24 db, with 76% of the month's days exceeding the specified 10 db minimum SNR: {{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/PropView/Readout.jpg}} The ''2F2'' shown above means that propagation involves two F2 layer hops. Below the forecast graph's labeled time axis, two multicolored horizontal bars labelled '''You''' and '''DX''' show daytime (yellow), twilight (gray), and nightime (black) conditions at your QTH and the DX Station's location respectively. For the ''low bands'' -- 160m, 80m, 60m, and 40m -- twilight or dark conditions at both your QTH and the DX location are generally required; the intervals of common darkness are red-circled in this screen shot: {{http://www.dxlabsuite.com/Wiki/Graphics/PropView/CommonDarkness.jpg}} === Variations === You can immediately generate a long path forecast by clicking the '''Predict From''' panel's '''LP''' button; this panel is located in the '''Prediction''' panel's upper-right corner. Before predicting the strength of your signal at the DX Station's location, return to the '''Main''' window's '''Parameters''' tab and 1. set the '''Prediction Direction''' to '''To the DX Station''' 1. in the '''Your Station''' panel, set the '''Takeoff''' to 3 and set the '''Power''' to your station's RF output power, in watts 1. in the '''DX Station''' panel, set the '''Man-made noise level''' to reflect the likely conditions Now you can select the '''Main''' window's '''Prediction''' panel and generate short path or long path forecasts for your signal strength by clicking the '''Predict To''' panel's '''SP''' or '''LP''' buttons respectively. === Predicting Propagation with Active DX Stations === * [[SpotDatabasePropagationPrediction|Predicting Propagation For a Spot Database Entry's DX Station]] * [[DeterminingActualPropagationFromSpots|Analyzing Propagation From Active DX Stations]] === Troubleshooting === If after you initiate a forecast, the '''Prediction''' tab of !PropView's Main window displays ''...computing'' but never produces the requested forecast, [[WindowsEnableShortFilenames|enable short filenames in Windows]]. ---- [[DXLabDiscussionGroup|Post a question or suggestion on the DXLab Discussion Group]] [[GettingStarted|Getting Started with DXLab]]