Brief Description:
The Ionospheric Communications Analysis and Prediction Program (IONCAP)
provides the means to calculate HF propagation parameters at any location.
Field strength, mode reliability, the maximum usable frequency (MUF) and the
lowest useful frequency (LUF) are some of the parameters calculated by IONCAP.
They enable the user to specify antenna gains as a function of take-off angle
and to specify required system performance in terms of the signal-to- noise
ratio evaluated at the receiving point of the circuit. Required inputs include
the transmitter and receiver location, transmitter power, universal time,
month, and sunspot number.
The Voice of America Coverage Analysis Program (VOACAP) is a derivative of
IONCAP specifically for broadcast relay station design and horizontal
dipole curtain antenna specification. VOACAP has an interactive input menu.
Availability:
- On IBM PC diskette from the National Technical
Information Service, search for IONCAP or VOACAP
- IONCAP FORTRAN executable from the National Geophysical Data Center (ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/STP/IONOSPHERE/MODELS/IONCAP/)
References:
L. R. Teters, J. L. Lloyd, G. W. Haydon, and D. L. Lucas, Estimating the
Performance of Telecommunication Systems Using the Ionospheric Transmission
Channel-Ionospheric Communications Analysis and Prediction Program User's
Manual, National Telecommunication and Information Administration, Report NTIA
83-127, Boulder, 1983.
C. M. Rush, Ionospheric Radio Propagation Models and Predictions-A Mini-Review, IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag. AP-34, 1163, 1986.
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