Propagation Predictors: Will my signal get through?

cockpitbob

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Who uses what to see if their signal will get there?

For HF, I've been using the app DroidProp. It's a little clunky, but I love how it presents the information because it tells you what band will work now plus later in the day. It grabs the latest ionosphere info from the web before making its prediction.

Below is the output for the following setup:
Tx: Home
Rx: Houston, Tx
Mode: CW
Power: 100W

Horizontal Axis: Time (24hr GMT). Vertical line is the time right now.
Vertical Axis: Frequency MHz

Red means Very likely to make the contact. It looks like 20 and 17 meters are rock solid right now.
Screenshot_2017-09-22-16-07-13_zpsoq96op1k.png



For VHF/UHV I just found http://lrcov.crc.ca/main/
You input the Tx and Rx antenna height and polarization, power, frequency then click on the map the Tx location and pull a box for the Rx area you want to see. Here's my home for 50W on 2 meters.

One thing it doesn't seem to do is account for the 100' hill across the street from me. Still, it's pretty nice and in general seems to agree with my experiences.
70cm%20coverage_zpsssaw0vkt.jpg


What do you use?
 
DXHEAT.com does something like that on their band activity section in the DX Cluster page. You have to select what country you're in so it's kind of generic. I've never really had much luck with transmissions based on their predictor so I just wing it.
 
I use 'Ham Cap' in combination with 'Ion Probe'. The results can additionally be displayed on "DX Atlas" if you choose.

You can also use Ham Cap to generate propagation maps to add to your personal or DXpedition website.

http://www.dxatlas.com/

It is kind of old-school technology, but so am I.
 
HAMCap w/IonProbe is very nice indeed. I keep that running along with PSKReporter and HAMSpots. Of course, I get QSOs where it’s a black zone and hear nada when it’s redhot, so YMMV. Not like I have several Yagis to phase on a tall tower, just a low G5RV, a 43ft Vertical and a 6m horizontal loop. I’m responsible for a lot of Global Warming w/o any carbon emission, as I heat a lot wire and inductors with little RF [emoji12]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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