Screenshots

Take a tour of ACE-HF PRO Version 2.0x

1. There are three major screens in the application. ACE-HF opens with the Main Screen, on which the primary point-to-point circuit appears. When you place the mouse cursor over the transmit or receive dot a hint appears giving the latitude/longitude of the terminal, the distance between the two points and the path heading from one terminal to the other. Distance units in km, miles or nautical miles are selectable.

After a circuit prediction is made, the "Open Bands Boxes" in the upper right corner show which bands are "open" (green) at the current time.

The Main Screen provides navigational controls to other ACE-HF features, including those of this screen. You can place up to nine additional circuit paths on the Main Screen, as well as Range Curves, curves showing Line-of-Sight limits (including satellite footprints), labels and symbols. For example, you might construct a Main Screen diagram to depict the various circuits of a favorite HF network. This example shows a family of range curves at 2500-km intervals.

2. The Data Inputs Screen provides controls for the major point-to-point circuit values. You can select a new receive location using the ACE-HF database from this panel, specify transmit station power, and select from several azimuths for each terminal.

The antenna selections are a powerful new feature of ACE-HF PRO Version 2. You may now select from an unlimited number of antennas for both ends of each circuit, for circuit groups and for area coverage predictions. You may add your own antenna models or select from numerous antenna models, including sample antenna arrays. Azimuths may be pointed along the great-circle path, or may be individually set at each end of the circuit.

Other circuit parameters including Smoothed Sunspot Number, Month, Service Type, Man-made Noise Level and Required Circuit Reliability may be specified here, and you can specify whether the propagation prediction is made for the Short or Long path. The program automatically computes path distance and azimuths for each selected circuit, and computes the equivalent solar flux level for the specified sunspot number. All specified parameters are shown in the Circuit Comment line.

You may retrieve new SSN values from the Internet from within the program, and you may compute magnetic declination and magnetic azimuth for each end of a circuit.

Once a circuit is specified, it's characteristics may be saved in a special file that may then be recalled at will. Favorite circuits may thus be accumulated for future use.

3. Once a circuit has been specified, the software shifts to the Circuit Analysis Screen where results of the predictions are given in various charts. A plot of Reliability vs. time-of-day at the specified SNR level is shown here. Each chart is for a band selected in the right-hand panel, and the charts may be animated through the bands.

Every time you run a new HF propagation prediction, ACE-HF simultaneously computes data for ten ham bands, including the proposed 60-meter band. You then select from 12 analysis graphs plus Best Frequency, Summary and MUF charts.

You will spend most of your time on this screen, because it's so easy to compare different circuits. Just click on the yellow receive terminal dot and move it to another location. The circuit will be re-specified and new predictions will be made automatically. The different charts will then be shown instantly.

This screen repeats the Open Bands Boxes and provides menu items that invoke other specialty charts. You can also view the VOACAP output files to see detailed tables of the predictions.

4. The most important feature of ACE-HF is the ability to generate animated area coverage maps. "ACE" stands for "Animated Communications Effectiveness", the key feature used to create area coverage maps that may be shown sequentially as a function of time-of-day, frequency, or sunspot number.

ACE-HF area coverage maps are based on similar displays developed for US Navy communications. In each map, the area covered is shown as a clear area. Areas beyond are colored red to show that receivers beyond the curve are "disconnected" at the specified level of circuit integrity. Terminator and day/night zones are clearly shown.

The example shows the limits of coverage at a specified SNR level and 50% reliability. The display may be animated slowly or very quickly, and may be paused at any frame.

The great advantage of ACE-HF is that the effects -- sometimes astonishing effects -- of the day's passage on HF coverage may be easily understood. With ACE-HF maps, you can see at a glance when the HF bands will be open in different parts of the world. In ACE-HF, the effect of time is always emphasized.

5. This example adds a second curve for 90% Reliability, and the area between the 50% and 90% curves is shaded. The 90% curve shows the areas likely to be covered during 27 days of a 30-day month and is typical of conservative commercial HF operation.

Starting with Version 2, you can now select any reliability level for the second curve of this display, or may show a selected reliability level as a single curve.

When showing the ACE maps one after the other, a movie-like display is produced. In fact, the program that displays the sequential coverage maps is called MOVIE.

Any of the area coverage displays may be shown on a world map -- a recommended procedure for the higher-frequency bands, where far-field fading is often present--or may be shown on a "zoomed down" map like the one shown above. Any one of four world maps or 24 zoomed-down maps of various world areas may be selected.

Any given display screen may be printed once the area coverage limitations are produced. Then, the point-to-point analysis charts may be used to see the details of transmissions to particular locations.

Each display includes an "ID" line that summarizes specified circuit parameters.

6. Required Power Gain is graphed in this display, for 50% reliability. The middle curve is the same as that of the SNR display and shows the coverage limits at 0 dB added power gain. Power gain is the sum of the transmitter output power plus the gain of the circuit antennas, diminished by any transmission line and/or matching circuit loss.

The other two curves are for power gains of plus and minus 10 dB with respect to the center curve. The red curve defines the further limits of areas that could be covered if 10 dB of transmitter power or antenna gain could be added, and the area gained is shaded red. The green curve shows the smaller coverage area that would result if the combined power gain of the transmitter or antennas was reduced by 10 dB.

These displays are useful for planning station design modifications. For example, the effects of changing from a simple horizontal dipole antenna to a directional beam with significant additional gain can be seen at a glance in the Required Power Gain coverage displays.

7. This screen shows a plot of SNR vs. time-of-day for the circuit from ARRL HQ (W1AW) to London. The chart shows two values for SNR. The black curve at the top is SNR in dB-Hz and its values are shown in the cursor hints. The lower black curve is SNR in dB for the bandwidth specified for the circuit.

SNR is the primary measure of circuit quality and is used to define whether each band is "Open" or "Closed". Both predictions are interpolated to show values at five-minute intervals, and the blue flashing bar shows current time. The solid horizontal line shows the Required SNR level for the selected service type (SSB in this case), and the dashed line shows a level 10-dB below the solid line. Chart colors are green, yellow or red, depending on the value of predicted SNR with respect to the two lines.

Most charts include "terminator bars" at the bottom, which show the condition of the circuit at each time-of-day. A light blue bar means that both ends of the circuit are in daylight; a dark blue bar indicates an all-nighttime path. Medium blue means that the day-night or night-day terminator (the twilight zone, or gray line) is passing over the path.

8. Clicking on the "Bands" control on the left changes the chart from "Time" to "Bands" and the circuit values for all bands are shown together. The right-hand controls select time-of-day, and the chart may be animated through all 24 hours.

Changing the "Values" and "Modes" controls on the left change from Value hints to Mode hints on both the Bands and Time displays. When Modes is selected, chart hints show the Most Reliable Mode (MRM) of the propagation prediction. The mode hints identify the number of hops the ionospheric layer for the MRM.

This chart is one of twelve in the Main Chart area. Other selections include Required Power Gain, Reliability, Elevation Angle, Signal Strength (in dB microvolts) and Signal Strength in S-units. Each parameter may be graphed vs. time-of-day or bands.

Each chart includes an ID line at the top that duplicates the comment line of the Inputs panel. The ID line qualifies the chart for a particular circuit specification when the screen is printed for reference.

9. Perhaps the most useful ACE-HF feature is the Circuit Analysis Screen Pop-Up menu. Right click anywhere on the screen to produce the pop-up. Then left click on the parameter you want to change. Current selections are marked. New predictions replace previous chart data in a few seconds, so it's easy to see the effect of a circuit change without returning to the Inputs Screen.

You may choose a different chart type or service type from the left column. Selections from other columns will automatically re-run the predictions. For example, changing the SSN value will quickly show the effect of increased solar activity on your favorite band.

The pop-up menu also permits a quick return to the Inputs Circuit or Area Coverage panel, or to the Main Screen, using the items in the right-hand column. Also, you can Hide the Main Chart or Open Bands Boxes and re-show them if you wish. This feature is useful when placing the receive site dot under the chart.

10. Four other user panels are included on the Inputs Screen. This one has the principal controls for generating area coverage displays.

Making ACE-HF area coverage displays is a two-step process. You first run VOAAREA predictions, and then create an ACE display to show the results. The top portion of this panel provides settings for SSNs, Bands and Times-of-Day. Area predictions may be made for any range of these parameters, and the different parameters may be combined into one display. You may also set antenna azimuths at either end of the circuit.

The most common animated display is one for 24 times-of-day, but a display at one favorite time animated for all ten bands is also instructive.

Starting with Version 2, you may now generate reversed "Reception Area" coverage displays centered on any receive location. Just set the receive location in the Inputs, Circuit panel and click on "Reversed" on this panel. This powerful feature is a great help in finding open-band areas from any distant location during high-pressure contest situations. You can prepare Reception Area predictions in advance and see at a glance when your favorite band opens to a distant land.

Most users take time to build a database of area coverage predictions. If you create monthly 24-hour predictions for each band, you only have to do so once a month. The predictions you make may then be used year after year until the sunspot number changes significantly. Although it takes time to build the database, PCs are wonderful things-they can run ACE-HF while you sleep!

11. Animated Reception Area coverage maps may be created for any location. This example shows the 40-m reception area for a station in Mexico City.

12. This Circuit Groups Inputs panel permits you to define terminals at the distant end of up to eighteen circuits, with each using your station as the local transmit terminal. An unlimited number of circuit group files may be saved and recalled.

You can define new circuits by selecting a new receive location from the database, but there is an easier way. After clicking on the "Auto Define" checkbox, you can then go to the Circuit Analysis screen and automatically add circuits to the Defined Circuits list. Each time you move the Rx Dot to a new location, you have the opportunity to name the distant end of the circuit.

This feature is very useful in contesting, where you want to quickly set up circuits to various target areas to see when the bands might open to those countries.

13. This screen illustrates a typical group of 18 circuits that were set up using the "Auto Define" method. The table shows predictions at ten frequencies and 24 times-of-day for each circuit. The table cells change color to show when the bands are open, the best frequency is shown by the blue cells. The best frequency for the group as a whole is shown by the blue frequency cell at the top of the chart.

The table shows analysis data as well as best frequencies. Each cell is colored in response to the Required SNR level selected, and predicted SNR or Reliability values are shown by the cell numbers.

Predictions are first shown for the current time, but other times-of-day can be selected, and the display can be animated.

14. When a ham listens on one of the NCDXF beacon frequencies, the usual purpose is to determine whether that band is suitable for contacts with the beacon's home country. But when the beacon call sign cannot be heard clearly, it is difficult to know which beacon is transmitting. The ACE-HF Active Beacon Display solves that problem by showing the transmitting beacons by highlighted cells that move to a new beacon/frequency sequence every 10 seconds.

The Beacon chart also shows predictions for each beacon circuit to the user's receiver. Computed SNR values may be changed to Reliabilities, and the predictions may be animated.

Beacon predictions may be customized for your station by selecting a preferred antenna. If directional, the selected antenna is automatically pointed at each beacon when the circuits are run. Assumed conditions at the user's location may be changed by selecting a different SSN value, month, manmade noise level or required reliability.

As with the Circuit Groups table, each beacon prediction colors the table cells to respond to the CW Required SNR level selected. Predictions are made for the 100-watt beacon transmit levels, but lower beacon levels may be simulated by adjusting the CW Required SNR level upward in 10-dB steps.

The beacon predictions are also evaluated for best frequency at the user's location. If several frequencies have yielded green predictions, the best of those is colored blue. Also, the best frequency for the beacon network as a whole is shown by changing the top-row frequency cell from white to blue.

15. Adjustments for circuit parameters are given in this Circuit Options panel. Each item has a default value, which may be changed easily or reset to the default value.

The Frequency List, for example, has mid-band frequencies for each of the ten ham bands (including the proposed 60-meter band), but you may wish to specify a different value for the edge of a band. You may save and recall an unlimited number of frequency lists.

In a similar way, typical Required SNR values and bandwidths are shown for each of five Service Types, but you may wish to specify different values.

Starting with Version 2, the user may now select the more conservative VOACAP standard Required SNR values. Or, DX/Contest defaults may be used by the more experienced ham operator in contest situations.

Man-made Noise Levels are similarly specified in the right-hand panel. This screen also permits the user to decide whether the Sporadic-E (Es) ionospheric layer is to be included in the propagation calculations. Shutting off the Es calculation will result in more conservative predictions. Invoking the Es computation will cause the letters "Es" to appear in the circuit and area coverage comment lines, and in the Main Chart and Area Coverage ID lines.

16. Specifying transmit and receive antennas is perhaps the most difficult task of any HF circuit simulation. And yet antenna type, sitting and gain variations can influence prediction integrity more than most other parameters. For this reason, ACE-HF includes several aids to antenna selection.

You may select from many antenna models (and antenna array models) in the Inputs Screen. Further optional settings may set in the above panel. The most useful control is the Multi-Channel Antenna Schedule, wherein different transmit antenna types may be specified for up to four band ranges. Different Multi-Channel schedules may be specified for both ends of each circuit.

Multi-Channel Antenna Schedules may be saved and recalled as desired. When such schedules are selected, the point-to-point and area coverage computations follow the schedule as predictions at different frequencies are computed.

This panel also provides settings for Isotropic Antenna gains, and permits the user to specify a minimum elevation (takeoff) angle for the transmit antenna.

17. ACE-HF presents a traditional HF MUF chart in this separate graph. The MUF chart updates automatically whenever a circuit change is made.

The MUF curves give Maximum Usable Frequency predictions vs. time-of-day. The blue curve is the median of the daily Maximum Observed Frequencies (MOFs) over all days of the month at a given hour. The red HPF (Highest Possible Frequency) curve gives values expected only 10% of the time, and the FOT (Frequency of Optimum Traffic) green values are defined as the frequencies where the MOFs will be higher on at least 90% of the days of the month.

The MUF chart has a blue flashing line to indicate current time, and horizontal lines showing the frequencies assigned to each band.

MUF predictions give a measure of ionospheric conditions but do not account for other circuit variables such as atmospheric and man-made noise or antenna gain. MUF curves are another tool for predicting best frequency operation, but the SNR Summary Chart remains as the most accurate measure of circuit quality.

18. This separate graph shows the "Best Frequency Chart" where SNR is again graphed for each band. The graph is similar to those of the "Bands" style on the Main Chart except that here values are interpolated to five-minute intervals.

Bar colors are the same as those of the Main Chart Bands graphs and change with respect to the Required SNR lines.

The Best Frequency Chart updates automatically every five minutes and whenever a circuit parameter is changed. The Best Frequency at the current time is that of the blue flashing bar.

19. The ACE-HF "SNR Summary Chart" provides perhaps the best overview of circuit quality, because it presents a simultaneous summary of predicted SNR at all frequencies and all times-of-day for the specified circuit, service grade and Required Reliability.

In this chart, each grid point is colored green, yellow or red in accordance with the Required SNR value and a legend is given at the top of the chart. You can move the mouse pointer over the chart to position the cross-hairs over the current time-of-day to more accurately read the chart. The chart may be changed to plot a summary of the Reliability computations.

This chart is best used when a 90% Required Reliability is specified, where the green area is then bounded by the 90% contour and represents the Operational Working Area. The upper-frequency bound is then the FOT for the Required SNR and grade of service, and the lower-frequency bound is the Lowest Usable Frequency (LUF).

Assured contacts will most likely result when the frequencies and times-of day of the green area are used as a guide.

20. This screen shot again shows the Open Bands Boxes that appear on the Main Screen and Circuit Analysis Screen.

A green box shows that the band is "open" at current time. "Open" is defined as a predicted SNR value that is at or above the Required SNR level for the specified Service Type at the Required Reliability.

The colors track any circuit changes you make. Red boxes show "closed" circuits; yellow means a marginal condition. The box colors update every five minutes. The numbers under the boxes show the current user frequency settings for each band.

The Main and Circuit Analysis screens also have a station "ID Timer"--a small digital clock that may be started when an on-air session is begun and turns red every 10 minutes as a reminder to give a station ID announcement.

It is common practice to have an ACE-HF screen "up" during station operation. Glancing at the Open Bands Boxes and noting the ID timer status can greatly enhance the ham experience.

21. You may specify a new receive location by moving the receiver dot on the Circuit Analysis Screen or by using the Database panel shown in this screen shot.

Five databases of more than 35,000 records are available, including a DXCC database. You may also build your own list of favorite stations using the User Locations option.

You can quickly move through a list by using the Speed Select function. Just type the first few letters of the place name and the list will jump to the first record with that name. In the screen shot above, the first city beginning with JOP has been found.

Selections may be found more quickly by using the Filter feature. In the above example, you could have used Speed Select to find a MO item in the state field. Then, you could click on Filter by State to exclude all entries except those in MO. Finally, you could use the Speed Select feature to find JOPLIN, MO by clicking on the City field and typing the first few letters of JOPLIN.

The selection is registered by clicking on ACCEPT and a new prediction may be run.

22. If you have GeoClock installed on your PC, you probably use it to watch the day-night terminator as it approaches your station. This is particularly useful during contests, when the higher-frequency bands often open at the onset of the daylight hours.

ACE-HF and GeoClock can be used together so you can watch the Open Bands Boxes and the circuit prediction charts while you keep an eye on the GeoClock terminator display. One handy screen arrangement is to call GeoClock from the ACE-HF Circuit Analysis screen, and then use the GeoClock Window Controls to reduce its window size. Put GeoClock in the upper-left corner of the screen.

If you have called the ACE-HF SNR Summary Chart, you can now watch the summary predictions -- and even the ID timer if you have started it -- as well as the Main Chart predictions while you note the terminator's passage in the GeoClock window.

Screenshot
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