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pythonprop

Graphical front end that makes VOACAP predictions readable

What it does

Runs voacapl and turns its output into plots: area coverage maps showing where a signal reaches at a given hour, point-to-point charts of band versus time of day, and comparisons between antennas or power levels. The input parameters are a form rather than a fixed-column text file.

Why you would want it

VOACAP's own output is a table of numbers per hour per band and reading it is a skill. The area map answers the question people actually have -- who can hear me, at this hour, on this band -- in one picture. It is the difference between having the model and being able to use it.

Before it will work

voacapl, which this manifest declares. Cartopy and matplotlib for the plotting, which Debian's package depends on directly. A smoothed sunspot number, as with voacapl.

How it installs

  • apt: pythonprop

Known problems

Map rendering pulls in cartopy, scipy and matplotlib -- a large dependency stack for a program whose job is to draw contours, and the usual source of a slow first launch. The predictions are only as good as the antenna description you give it; the default is a dipole at a default height and treating that as your station is the commonest way to get a confidently wrong answer.

Keeping it current

  • probe: apt policy
  • strategy: apt_upgrade

Where to get help with the software itself

Jim Watson, HZ1JW / M0DNS -- same author as voacapl.

Source: catalog/packages/pythonprop.yaml