This is the starting page where there is an introduction to Radio Mobile  and details of the steps required to download and install the latest version on your computer.

   The basic program concepts are described, followed by how to download and run my installer, which sets up the program on your computer with my 'Base Network'.

      The page also has a link to the Installation page which shows a 'Walk through' of the sequence of panes which will be seen when running the installer .

   My 'Base Network' consists of a map of my local area with a Base, Mobile and Hand Held set of radio Units defined and placed as a working VHF demonstrator. The installer also generates all the height data files for the area enabling the program features to be explored.

  The page ends with additional notes showing how to access the basic functions available, and a trouble-shooting table.

Installation

  This page shows a non-installing 'Walk Through' of the of the successive panes generated by the installer 'Radio Mobile Setup.exe'. The file is available from the Quick Start and RM Downloads pages, accessed via the control buttons at the bottom of the page, or the page names on the left.

Base Network Settings

  There are numerous screenshots showing the stages of setup procedure to enable modification of the program parameters to suit your individual requirements.

  The location and settings used to generate the Base Network are shown. These are the panes which require modification when you are changing Unit Names, locations and Radio Systems. The Map Properties pane is also shown which defines the centre location and area displayed by the map, plus the dimensions of the screen display in pixels.

Network Style

   The action of the Network Properties Style pane is demonstrated on a Network, a Radio Link and a Route plot. By changing the settings, the displayed signal strength colour limits can be modified to suit requirements.

Once you

get going

   This next page moves on to show how to create Extra Units, Place them on the map, Move and Rename them.

    There are also additional links to the Changing map location, Radio Link and Radio Coverage pages.

Changing Location

   A detailed description, with screenshots, of how to change the Base Network location from Central UK to any other part of the World to suit your own requirements.

    There is also a description of the use of the World Map and an Alternate world map for changing the map location. The Alternate World map shows the UK, but can be replaced by your own area map which can be generated by Radio Mobile.

Radio Link

  The Radio Link pane gives a visualisation of any selected Radio Link between selected a pair of Units. The Radio Link ground profile is displayed along with the Radio Link radio parameters and Fresnel zones.

  A cursor can be moved along the radio path with its position being reflected on the main display, path parameters and the elevation being indicated for the cursor position.

  Antenna heights can be incremented to immediately observe the effect on the Radio Path.

   Alternate displays can show tabular data or the view of one Unit from the other taken over an elevation map or aerial photograph.

   The additional data generated and changed representation, where Land cover is being used, is also shown.

Land cover

   This page describes the use of Land cover data, which indicates the type and height of foliage covering the ground.

   First, the data can be used to merge with existing plots,

   and second, this data can be added to the ground profile for propagation studies. In the propagation studies, the losses incurred by Land cover impinging on part of the Radio Link Path are calculated, and included in the final display.

Radio Coverage

    Radio Coverage Plots can be performed in Single Polar or Combined Cartesian form. The working units displayed being selected from S-Unit, dBm, μV or dBμV/m over an automatic or defined range.

   Single Polar plots are performed in a Radial manner, where plot areas may be defined by azimuth and radial range. The plot resolution reduces towards the edge of the area, as it is defined in degree wedges.

   With Combined Cartesian plots, these are performed in an X-Y mode with a defined pixel resolution over the whole plot area. There is also an option for selected rectangular area plots, and also zoomed area plots to be performed.

  With the Combined Cartesian Plots, the following functions are available:

  Single Unit Coverage.

  Where a single fixed Unit is selected, and the radio coverage to a defined mobile Unit is plotted over the map area.

  Multiple Unit Coverage.

    Where a number of fixed Units are selected, and the combined Best Coverage signal to a defined mobile Unit is plotted over the map area.

  Best Unit for Coverage.  

    Where a number of fixed Units are selected, and the one giving best signal coverage to a defined mobile unit is plotted over the map area. The 'Best Unit' being shown using the Unit label background colour.

  Detailed Area Coverage.

   A signal plot is performed over a full screen, zoomed area of the map, using any of the methods shown.

  Interference coverage.

    Plots are performed showing areas of a map where a defined signal margin between the Wanted and Interfering Unit are achievable.

  Fresnel Zone Coverage.

    Plots of areas of the map indicating selected Fresnel zone clearance regions.

Route

Radio Coverage

  Using the Object Editor, Route lines can be drawn on the map using waypoints and saved for future use. The Route Radio Coverage feature is described, where the Radio Performance between:

a)    a specified fixed Unit,

            with

b)   a mobile Unit traversing the Route on the map in defined distance step increments,

            may be evaluated.

      At any point on the Route, the Radio Link path profile and parameters can be examined in detail using the Radio Link pane.

      The Route Radio Coverage pane shows a linear representation of the Route with a plot of signal strength, and elevation, at every point with an indication of Line of Sight paths.

      Moving the cursor along the route gives an indication of Linear distance, Radio Path length and azimuth, Elevation and signal strength at the cursor location. The Radio Link Path Profile to the cursor position is also shown at the bottom of the pane.

Split Route

Radio Coverage

    A second ability of the Object Editor is to generate a sequence of unconnected Route segments on the map. This page describes how to use the Object Editor to generate segmented multiple Routes and evaluate the Radio Performance along a sequence of Split Routes.

Find Best Sites in a Network

   Where it is required to locate a Control Unit, capable of communicating with a number of fixed subordinate Units within a network, at a suitable position on a map, the Find Best Sites function can be invoked.

  The resultant plot displays areas where communication is achievable with a specified percentage of subordinate Units, allowing a choice of location to be made for the Control Unit with consideration to site accessibility.

Find Best Sites using Waypoints

   Waypoints can be placed on a map using the Object Editor, and the Best Site for a Control Unit to communicate with these locations found.

   Where it is required to locate a Control Unit, capable of communicating with a mobile subordinate Unit as it traverses a Route, at a suitable accessible position on a map, the Find Best Sites function can be invoked, but using Waypoints.

  The Waypoints are generated using the Object Editor, and this procedure is also suitable for Split Routes.

Visual

Coverage

and

Visual Horizon

  A Visual Coverage plot is performed on the Base Network, with a demonstration of the use of the Visual Horizon pane. Using the Visual Horizon pane, the location of the Horizon is reflected by the main screen cursor, with Azimuth and distance to the point displayed on the status bar.

Merging Pictures

   Screenshots are shown of the effects of the various Merge options on the resultant picture. The use of Merge after a zoom on a screen area is shown, which produces a high resolution picture of the smaller area.

    Access to external Data Sources is also demonstrated, with pictures of Road and Aerial photograph merges.

Antenna Alignment

  Screenshots of the various control panes, with descriptions of the operation and alignment of Gain Antennas.

Antenna

Plots

   A description of the operation of an 'Antenna Gain Plot' spreadsheet which allows the self generation of radiation patterns at 5˚ increments  for use in Radio Mobile. In this version the antenna gain is entered directly in dB.

   The same procedure is used with AntDiag.xls where 10˚ entries are used, but antenna gain is entered as -ve dB from maximum gain.

    The spreadsheets are available from the 'RM Downloads' page.

    A new spreadsheet has been added - 3D Antenna 5˚ plot - which enables Azimuth or 'Azimuth + Elevation' data to be generated at 5˚ or 10˚ intervals for use in antenna.ant files.

Antenna

Pattern

Viewer

   This page shows the 3D Antenna Pattern Viewer, and the effect of its use with the Network Properties, Polar plots, Cartesian Plots  and Radio Link pane. The viewer can also explore the patterns in a 'stand alone' mode.

       and          

Large Maps

and Pictures

Object Editor

   Use of the Object Editor in generating Waypoints for Routes is shown. In particular, how to generate routes over zoomed segments of the maps to improve precision of placement.

     The Object editor can also edit previously generated route waypoint locations by deletion and insertion.

Fox Hunt

    This feature was added in version 7.8.9, and provides the facility to plot azimuth bearing lines from up to six Units on a map for use in Radio Direction Finding 'Fox Hunts'. It is now possible to produce bearing uncertainty coloured 'wedge' plots along the azimuth bearing, and also up to six different 'angle coverage' display plots for gain antennas from a single unit.

Importing Pictures

     A description, and example, of how a picture can be imported and calibrated for use in Radio Mobile. This takes a scanned UK Ordinance Survey map portion and imports it into the Base Network. Coordinate conversion to WGS-84 datum is also shown.

    Pictures generated in Radio Mobile can also be imported into Google Earth. User pictures can be taking from Radio Mobile and calibrated as an Overlay.

    Coverage plots may be saved in .gif or .png format, where their background is made transparent by Radio Mobile, and a corresponding .kml file generated for direct import into Google Earth.

    During import, the opacity of the picture overlay can be adjusted in Google Earth.

Exporting and Importing Units

    Units may be exported from Radio Mobile as Text or Google Earth klm files. The klm files can then be imported into Google Earth to show Unit locations as placemarks.

     It is also possible to generate a set of placemarks in Google Earth, which when saved as a klm file, can then be imported into Radio Mobile as Unit locations.

     An index to the Program help files as web pages.

RM Downloads

  Location of links to

1)  .pdf versions of all the web pages.

2)  Radio Mobile Setup.zip, my Installation file in zip format.

3)   Introduction to Radio Mobile

                     a Radio Communication article.

4)   Application of Radio Mobile to Fox Hunts

                     a Radio Communication article.

5)  Additional useful files including an Antenna Pattern file generator.

6)  A .pdf version of the Program Help Files.

7)  G8HUL's UK & Irish NGR add-ons for RM

       and Stand-alone UK NGR to/from WGS-84 converter.

8)  UK Alternate World Map - (unzip into RM folder).

9)   Links to alternative additional Documentation sources.

Toolbar

Icons

    Description of the Icon shortcuts on the main window toolbar,

   Pieces of information without a home:-

    Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts. 

    Antenna alignment.

    Antenna radiation pattern generation.

    Program Help Files.

    UK National Grid Reference coordinate Converter.

    Positioning the Elevation and other Legends.

    Changing signal threshold colours for Radio Link and Route displays.

Plus links to all other pages.

Walk

   A description of my initial use of Radio Mobile to find the Best Site for a Radio Relay Unit required to provide coverage of an 18 mile charity walk event in the Derbyshire Peak District.

Radio Mobile

  A selection of screenshots from my Base Network - located in the UK Derbyshire Peak District - showing some of the features available from the program.