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Table of Contents

Begin

Introduction 5

Installation 9

Quick Start 11

Organization and Structure 15

Preference File 20

General Functions and Menu Descriptions 21

Starting FSC 26

Operating FSC

Operations Common To All Categories 27

Continuous Category Jobs 30

Continuous Category Site 32

Contour Category Job 34

Contour Category Site 35

Great Circle (point-to-Point) 37

Controls - Function and Purpose

Continuous Category Job Controls 38

Continuous Category Site Controls 46

Contour Category Job Controls 53

Contour Category Site Controls 59

Great Circle (Point-to-Point) Job Controls 66

Great Circle (Point-to-Point) Site Controls 69

Boundaries/Roads 75

Calibration Aid 77

Labels 80

Map Projection 84

Page Size 86

FSC Instruction Manual

How To - Actions

Isotropic/Dipole Considerations 88

dBu Calculations 90

Antenna Input Power 91

Attach Universal Site to a Job 92

Copy Job 93

Copy Site 94

Create a New Job 95

Create a New Site For a Job 96

Create a New Universal Site 97

Create Roads/Boundaries 98

Create Terrain 100

Defaults - Setting 101

Delete a Site from a Job 102

Delete a Universal Site 103

Detach a Site From a Job 104

Display Results On Screen 105

Fixed Gains and Losses 107

Import Antenna 109

Modify a Universal Site 110

Printing 111

Save Coverage To Files 113

Scale of km/miles 115

Select An Existing Job 116

Discussions, Considerations and Background

Contour Methods Background 117

Contour Types 119

Graphics Output 123

Map Considerations 124

Map Scanning Issues 126


Preference File 127

Terrain

Expanding FSC Terrain Coverage 128

SRTM Data 129

SRTM Errors 131

Terrain For Jobs and Sites 132

Terrain Usage in FSC - WARNING 133

DeLorme XMap

Using XMap 134

Getting Started 135

Sizing A Map 136

Positioning A Map 139

Photoshop (Elements)

Using Photoshop 141

Working With A Defined Map 142

Working With An Undefined Map 144

References 145

Contact 147


Introduction

Do not be alarmed at the size of this manual. The length arisesnot from program complexity but from a rich feature set andmany notes describing technical practices, hints and historicalanecdotes. Actual operations of this program may beaccomplished by persons with limited knowledge or experience inthe field of radio-frequency propagation. Collecting various field strength program elements used regularlyfor many years by the radio frequency consulting engineeringfirm of Arthur K. Peters, Consulting Engineers, Inc. has led to thecreation of this software tool. By combining a variety ofsophisticated programs, tables and data into one tool, a simplifiedprogram using two screens has been created to solve manycoverage issues in a unified manner. The program has been giventhe copyrighted name FieldStrengthCalc, also referred to as FSC. Current FSC calculation functions include:

! FM and TV Contour calculations as used in the USA. ! A variation of the preceding FM/TV calculations thatpermits usage for mobile calculations by adjusting formobile antenna height. ! COST contour method for modern cellular and 2–waysystems. ! Carey contour methods for paging & mobile systems. ! Point-to-point great circle calculations with reliabilitystatistics for communications links.

FSC Instruction Manual 5

statistics for communications links. ! Detailed continuous area coverage analyses usingLongley-Rice (NBS, Technical Note 101) calculations forboth power (dBm, dBW, dBk) and voltage (dBu)problems.

Each calculation method produces some form of output report orfile. Each method produces a screen calculation, a print and oneor more graphics files. The point-to-point method produces agraphical report showing a great circle terrain profile with Fresneland earth radius data and path reliability information. Valid frequency ranges exist for each of the calculations. Forexample, the COST calculations have a valid frequency rangefrom 150 MHz to 2 GHz. Longley-Rice continuous analyses andpoint-to-point calculations are valid from 30 MHz to 20 GHz.Mobile, FM and TV calculations are valid in the range 50 MHzto approximately 1 GHz. Other parameters such as distance andantenna heights also may depend upon a specific calculationmethod. FSC is fully capable of using directional antenna patterns for allcalculations. Presently, FSC employs antenna patterns using theObspat internal antenna format. FSC has no antenna datamanagement or manipulation capabilities. However, FSCprovides for importing antenna pattern files using CelPlan, Planetand TIA-804-B formats. Moreover, FSC is supplied with anantenna database of some 10,000 common directional antennapatterns. The FSC database was created several years ago anddoes not include newer antennas, the patterns of which mayeasily be downloaded from manufacturers.


(Obspat is a tool that computes antenna pattern distortions due tonearby metallic objects such as when using side-mountedantennas. It also enables custom pattern creation and synthesisusing combinations of stock antennas.) FSC is supported with a 3 arc-second terrain database that isavailable for a substantial portion of the earth. Because of itsenormous size and the shear logistics of copying the terraindatabase, FSC is supplied with one regional coverage areaspecified by the purchaser. Other regions are available for anominal fee. Typical regions are North America, South America,Europe, Africa, Northern Asia and Southern Asia includingAustralia and New Zealand. At the outset of the FSC development process it was decided tokeep costs low and features high. Since we are experts in radiofrequency engineering and not as expert in mapping and graphics,the decision was made to leave mapping and graphics operationsto those experts, eliminating the requirement for us to incorporateand maintain that software. FSC was designed to provide overlaygraphics files that could be imported into software such asPhotoshop, Photoshop Elements and similar graphics programs. Itwas also decided that it is much more efficient and cost effectiveto use commercial mapping software to produce high qualitymaps when and where they are required. Both of these decisions are proving to be correct. The workproduct or output from FSC can be quickly imported into aninexpensive graphics program such as Photoshop Elements(under $100 USD). Base maps can be created using, for example,Delorme’s X-Map (under $200 USD) that may also be importedinto a graphics program. Adjusting the transparency of an FSCoverlay yields high quality, professional maps for much lowercosts. Note that the use of three programs (FSC, mapping and


costs. Note that the use of three programs (FSC, mapping andgraphics) is not onerous. Consider that once a base map is createdfor an area, it may be a long time before another map isnecessary. The graphics processing is as simple as creating theFSC overlay file and then importing a base map and the FSCoverlay into a graphics program and printing or saving the result.


Installation

This process depends upon how the user desires to utilize FSC.

Single Computer

The simplest configuration is operation on a single computer. Toinstall, drag the installer from the CD or DVD to your desktop.Double click and follow instructions. If this is not a newinstallation, before installing, please search for and delete all filesnamed FieldStrengthPreferences. Once the application is installed, double-click the FSC icon. ForWindows, this is located in Start>Programs>FieldStrengthCalc. The user will then be requested, via four dialogs, to identify 1) aJobs folder, 2) a Sites folder, 3) a folder containing antenna filesand 4) a folder containing digital terrain data. After the userperforms a validation process FSC will display its main screen.

Network

For network operations all folders may be located on a server oranother computer to which read and write access is permitted.However, it is required that an FSC application be placed on eachclient computer. On each licensed computer, multiple users mayuse FSC and will be provided with separate preferences.

Once the application is installed, double-click the FSC icon. ForWindows, this is located in Start>Programs>FieldStrengthCalc. The user, for each computer to be licensed for Obspat, will thenbe requested, via four dialogs, to identify 1) a Jobs folder, 2) aSites folder, 3) a folder containing antenna files and 4) a foldercontaining digital terrain data. After the user performs a


containing digital terrain data. After the user performs avalidation process FSC will display its main screen.

File And Folder Locations

Data folders and files may be located anywhere. Networked usersmay access them anywhere on the network and use them as theirown. Single computer users may have folders located anywhereon their computers. This permits subsets of Sites, antennas andJobs to be stored or grouped as desired. Be certain that all FSCfiles and folders permit read and write access.


Quick Start FSC

Many of the field entries presented here are normally set asdefault values that do not need to be entered each and every time.But for this exercise the process includes entry of all necessaryvariables.

For each calculation type in this program there are certain data thatmust be entered. It is assumed that FSC has been installed and theoperating folders have been selected. To get started you will needthe following information. For the first coverage calculation we choose to perform a"Continuous" coverage calculation.Also we want to use metric units. Setting up a job:Start FSCIn the upper right corner:Select Continuous.Enter a Job name in the field below the Job pull-down menu(Select Job).Enter 250000 in the Scale fieldEnter 150 in the Resolution fieldEnter 800 in the Frequency fieldClick on the Save button at bottom of screen In the Job pull-down menu, select the job with the name you justentered. All FSC operations require certain SITE data. Switch to the Sitescreen (click on Site button)


Enter a Site name in the Site Name fieldClick the Save Site buttonFrom the Current Site pull down menu, select the site with thename you just entered Enter 800 in the Frequency fieldEnter v in the Polarization fieldIn the Latitude field enter 37 43 39In the Longitude field enter -83 56 41Leave the Ground elev field blank - FSC will fill it inEnter 100 in the Antenna Height agl fieldEnter 1.5 in the Mobile Antenna Height agl fieldEnter 0, 359,1 in the Start, Stop, Increment Azimuth fields,respectivelyEnter 0.8, 32, 0.32 in the Start, Stop, Increment Distance fields,respectivelyFrom the Climate Type pull down menu select ContinentalTemperateFrom the Soil Type pull down menu select Poor GroundEnter 301 in the Average Surface Refractivity fieldEnter 90, 90, 90 in the Locations, Time and Confidence fieldsClick the Save Terrain With Site checkboxClick the Save Site button Click the Make Terrain button. A value should appear in theGround Elev fieldWhen the Have Terrain words appear, Click the Calculate button.When the Have Calcs words appear click the Cancel button On the Main screen the Site name should appear in the Sites table(upper left)Click the site name you entered


Click the checkbox beside the site name you entered.If any other sites are checked, click to uncheck themClick the Save button The only data entry that remains is the selection of the systempower and selection of signal level values and colors you want toobserve. System power is determined by adding the transmitter outputpower to the sum of all system gains and all system losses.Assume a transmitter has an output power of 30 Watts (which is 10LOG (30) = 14.8 dBW) . Assume:10 dB = base station antenna gain-3 dB = base station transmission line loss3 dB = mobile receiver antenna gain-1 dB = mobile transmission line loss14.8 dBW = transmitter power output____________________________________23.8 dBW = Fixed Gains and Losses Enter 23.8 into the Fixed Gains and Losses fieldFrom the pull down menu next to the fixed gains/losses field, selectdBW The Level Table is located to the right of the Projection typeindicator and the +Row buttonFrom the Level pull down menu select dBmIn the first column of the first row enter -110Click the +Row button and enter -95 below the -110Click the +Row button and enter -75 below the -95Click In the right column of each row and select a color.Click the Save button at the bottom of the screen


Click the Display button for a screen display On the main screen:In the Sites table click (Highlight) the Site nameAbove the Display button click the Print Scale checkboxOn the left of the screen, check the Site Center CrossEnter some words in the Site Label fieldCheck the Print checkboxClick the Save buttonClick the Display button again To Print the Coverage to PrinterIn the File Menu Select Page Setup and choose a printerIn the File Menu Select Print (to printer) To Print Coverage to a picture file for use as an image overlayIn the File Menu select "Save Coverage to File"Open the images (coverage and scale) in an image editor foroverlaying on a base map To make a LabelIn the Tools menu select Create LabelClick the Init button.Type words into the various fields. Make them different sizes,colors, fonts, etc.When finished click OK.Go Back to the label and adjust spacings. Add Returns+Spaces forempty lines to space vertically.The label should show on the main screen. Set the print checkboxand position drop down menu.Click the Display button


Program Organization and Structure

Conceptually, the program is comprised of Jobs, each of whichcontains a collection of one or more Sites. A Job employs asingle calculation category. There are three general calculationcategories:

! Area coverage (labeled ‘Continuous’) using power and

voltage parameters (dBm, dBW, dBk, dBu) ! Contour calculations (labeled ‘Contour’) (Currently 10

types of contour calculations may be selected andintermixed.) See the discussion under Contour Typesin the Discussions, Considerations and Backgroundchapter.

! Great circle point-to-point calculations (labeled ‘Great

Circle’)

A Job may contain any number of Sites. (Point-to-point has onlyone Site file that holds data for two locations.) When printing orcreating a graphics file all Sites connected with a Job may beselectively included in the output. A Site is a collection of specific data, usually associated with aphysical location. Depending on the calculation category, this cancomprise geographical coordinates and details and selections ofvarious parameters used in coverage calculations including terraindetails, antenna heights, etc. Antennas are individual files (with .opa extensions) of oneantenna or antenna configuration. Antenna files are listed in andmay be selected from a contextual (pull-down or drop-down)


may be selected from a contextual (pull-down or drop-down)menu. FSC has two important screens and several less frequently usedsupporting screens. The Job screen is where jobs are establishedand selected. Print and file details are set on this screen and someSite details can be reviewed. The second primary screen is the Site screen that provides for Siteestablishment and holds data for one site. Its controls selectvarious parameters for a site and initiate terrain and field strengthcalculations.

The terms folder and directory have the same meaning.

Program Components

The executable application may be installed at any convenientlocation on the computer. Application aliases or shortcuts mayalso be placed anywhere, such as the desktop, etc. However,Windows versions are installed in specific locations automaticallyby the installer. There are four types of operational folders that may have anydesired names, are selected by the user, and their identities andlocations are retained in FSC until the user selects others. Thesefolders store functionally different data.

Jobs – A user selected folder where FSC stores new jobsand reads existing jobs. FSC will read and write job andother job support files to this folder. Since this folder isselectable, any number of Jobs folders may exist. Thisfolder will contain individual job folders.


Sites – A folder that contains site files. This folder may bevisualized as a pool folder containing sites that may beattached to any compatible job. Because sites in thisfolder may be selected for any job, we have termed themuniversal sites. Ant – A folder that contains antenna files formatted forFSC. Properly formatted files have an .opa file extension.Each antenna file includes a horizontal, and optionally avertical, plane radiation pattern with gain valuesreferenced to a dipole (dBd). Ter – A folder containing digital elevation data files. Allfiles contain a 1-degree x 1-degree matrix of terrainelevations at 3 arc-second intervals. These files areformatted in the SRTM format. There are two databases that are in an FSC Databasesfolder that may be placed anywhere that contain boundaryand road data. The databases have extensions of .rsd andare entitled COUNTRYdb and usCOUNTYdb.

Job

Each job in FSC is a folder with a job name preceded by “fsj_”.For example, a job named “Savannah” would be a folder named(by FSC) “fsj_Savannah”. A job contains several components.Foremost is a job file with the name of the job and a fileextension of “.fsj”. The job name is taken as the job file name,for example, “Savannah.fsj”. The job folder will contain site filesand may contain terrain files, a boundary file and graphics filesconsisting of results of coverage calculations, a scale of distanceand/or a label to be placed on a map.


A job file contains data common to all sites attached to it and theoverall job, including for example, site names of attached sites,printing and resolution values and, in the case of Continuous andContour categories, signal levels and colors. Each job folder contains one or more attached site folders. For anactive job, the names of all sites contained in the job folder areshown in a table on the Job screen. To attach a site to a jobsimply click the checkbox to the left of its name. Click again todetach a site from a job.

Site

A site file has as its name the site name with an “.fss” extension.Sites created when there is no active job are created in the Sitespool folder. Sites created while a job is active are written directlyinto the active job folder, as illustrated in the next section.

Site In a Job

An active job is one that has been selected on the Job screen fromthe Job popup menu. Actions described refer to the active job. When a job is selected all of the sites contained in that job folderare listed in the Sites table on the Job screen. Also listed in thetable are all the sites contained in the Sites pool folder. When a site from the Sites folder is attached to a job that has notpreviously been attached to the job (by clicking the checkbox tothe left of the site name on the Job screen) a copy of the site filefrom the site pool is placed into the job folder. The site name ofthe pool site is retained when placed in the job folder. Once a site is attached to a job, whenever that job is selected,functions and modifications are performed on the attached site.That is, the original pool site file remains unchanged; all changes


That is, the original pool site file remains unchanged; all changesare performed on the copy placed in the selected job folder. This architecture permits reuse of a site file from a pool to beused in many jobs with each job able to customize the site asdesired. For example, changing antennas, heights and/or powers.


Preference File FSC maintains on each computer, for each user, a file namedFieldStrengthPreferences. In that file are all of the user selectableoptions including data units and user entered titles to be printedon data sheets and coverage plots. Preferences are automaticallysaved when FSC quits. All information is saved in thepreferences file and will not be requested again unless thepreferences file has been replaced or corrupted. Because the possible names and locations of FSC data files arelimitless, there may be occasions when the user or applicationbecomes confused. If this occurs, locate theFieldStrengthPreferences file and move it to the recycle bin/trash.This will force FSC to start from scratch including re-enteringtitle information and identifying the various data folders.


General Functions and Menu Descriptions In the FSC menu bar are standard functional and operationalselections such as Edit and Help. Other functions specific to FSCare found in the File and Tools menus.

Rename Functions

Job Screen –Select the job to be renamed in the Job pull down menu.Type the new job name in the field beneath the Job pulldown menu.Click the Save button.

Site Screen –Select a site to be renamed from the Current Site pull downmenu.Type the new site name in the Site Name field.Click the “Save Site” button.

Save, Save As and Change Name Functions

Save functions take different meanings depending on the state ofFSC. FSC is designed to guide the user when extra information isrequired to perform a function. The following pseudo code is included for informationalpurposes. There will normally be no reason to study it.Job Screen – Save button clicked.

If a job is currently selected –If changes have been made to a site, the site is saved.

If the field beneath the Job pull down menu is empty, theJob is saved. If the field is not empty, user will getprompted for a name change or for a Save Asoperation.


operation. If a job is not currently selected –

If the field under Job pull down menu is not empty anew job is created if there is no existing job with thesame name.

Site Screen – Save Site button has been clicked.If a job is currently selected the following takes place in

the site’s job folder. Otherwise, the following takesplace in the Sites folder.

If a Site is selected -

If the Site Name field is empty the site is saved.If the field is not empty, the user is prompted for aname change or for a Save As operation.If a name change was selected the user is given the

option to change names of all occurrences of siteswith the old name.

If a Site is not selected -If the Site Name field is not empty a new site iscreated if there is no existing site with the same name.

File Menu

Save Job or Site – This is a smart save that saves either or bothjob and site. It may be invoked using the Ctrl-S (Cmd-S) keys. Itis also the equivalent of clicking the Save buttons on both Joband Site screens. Save Coverage To File – Saves the calculated coverage of theselected job to an image (.bmp or .pict-Mac) file. Also saves asimages a scale of km/miles based on the map scale, and any labelcreated in FSC. This function may also be invoked using Ctrl-F(Cmd-F) keys.


Print Coverage – Prints the computed coverage image to a printerusing the user specified dot resolution and map scale. May beinvoked using Ctrl-P (Cmd-P) keys. Print Job Data – Prints a text page to the printer containing userspecified job and site data for all sites. May be invoked usingCtrl-D (Cmd-D) keys.

Tools Menu

Create Label – Displays the Label dialog of FSC. May also beinvoked using the Ctrl-L (Cmd-L) keys. The label is saved ondialog exit. Boundaries/Roads – Opens a dialog with which boundaries androads may be selected for U.S. counties and roads and the samefor most countries of the world. Feature colors and linethicknesses are also set here. Copy Job – A job that has been selected in FSC, and its contents,is copied to another user specified folder. If copied to the samefolder as the selected job, FSC prompts for a different job name. Copy Site – Duplicates a site file and its attendant files. If copiedto the same job folder FSC prompts for a different site name. Set Site Preferences – Saves as default any data present in theSite screen. Once preferences have been set, clearing the Sitescreen will load the saved values. Set Job Preferences – Saves as default any data present in the Jobscreen. Once set, clearing the Job screen will load the savedvalues.


Calibrate – Invokes the Calibrate dialog that enables somestatistical analysis of signal levels or path losses in user specifiedareas. Used only with the Continuous category. Import Antenna – Performs a sequence of steps to import anantenna file. A pull down menu selector lists the permittedformats. When obtaining antenna patterns specify one of theseformats. Imported formats are converted to the Obspat format andstored in the “Ant” folder. Set Map Parameters – Invokes the dialog that selects the mapprojection used for output files and displays. These includeGeometric, Lambert Conformal Conic, Albers Equal Area andTransverse Mercator projections. Geographic coordinates may beentered that define the map reference from which Sites anddirections are computed for the selected projection. Earth shapeconstants may be entered or selected from a list of referencevalues. This data is stored with a job and may differ betweenjobs, if desired. Most of these parameters are filled-inautomatically by FSC. Select Jobs Folder – Selects the default folder within which FSCwill search for jobs. Select Sites Folder – Selects the default folder within which FSCwill search for sites if not found in the current Job folder. Select Antenna Folder – Selects the default folder within whichFSC will search for antennas. Select Terrain Folder – Selects the default folder within whichFSC will search for SRTM terrain data.


Select Database folder – Selects the default folder containing theCounty and Country boundary/roads databases.


Starting FSC Once installed, FSC may be started in all of the usual waysaccording to each particular platform.

Normal

Windows users may use the Start>Program menu or click ashortcut. Mac users have similar availability.

Emergency

FSC normally starts by using the user preference file that containspaths to the previously selected working directories. FSC can be made to start when one or more of these folderlocations are missing from the user preference file. Start FSCprogram in the usual manner. As each folder location is requestedin a dialog, click cancel. Several warning messages may beissued. Dismiss them. Eventually, the main screen will appear.Then, from the Tools menu, select the locations of the desiredoperational folders.


Operations Issues Common to all Categories

A typical session for any category, except point-to-point, beginswith an assessment of the desired project’s goals, usually startingwith obtaining or creating a base map of a known scale. If themap is digital, the resolution (dot density - dpi) should be known.Scale and resolution factors are entered in each Job. The base map creation process includes determining the overallkm or mile extent of the map. For example, determine therequired length and width of the map in km or miles consideringthe positions of the Sites to be plotted, including theirapproximate coverage radii. Other times a map might be requiredto include a specific geographic area. Next consider the featuresto be included on the map such as roads, political boundaries,cities, etc. (It is very useful – and impressive - to use topographicmaps with included contour lines because coverage data hasbreaks in coverage that match terrain undulations.) FSC can be run at any map scale. Therefore, one could pick anyrandom scale, create a map, the signal coverage, a label and atitle block and have accurate results – if one can create a map atthe selected scale. Without a mapping program this may bedifficult to accomplish. Usually it is necessary that scale alsoconsider the size of the desired output plot to match the desiredmap size to paper size. While it is true that any size is possible,simple reductions of oversize maps usually lead to losses ofresolution and poorer quality. The same is true for expandingundersized maps. So, get in the habit of sizing a project to bothmap scale and paper size. This is a simple process. To determine scale considering paper size, scales must becomputed for both the length and width of the paper and selectthe larger of the two values. Include a margin on each edge as


the larger of the two values. Include a margin on each edge asdesired. For metric sizes, divide the required map width in km(converted to cm) by the width of the paper (in cm), less the leftand right margins in cm.

Likewise, divide the required map height in km (converted to cm)by the height of the paper less the top and bottom margins in cm.For English units use miles and inches. The required map scale isthe larger of the two calculations and is spoken as a “scale of oneto ‘scale’ ” and written as 1:‘scale’. For example, assume a paper width = 20 cm and height = 30 cm.Assume margins of 1 cm on all sides. Assume the required mapwidth to be 50 km and the height to be 25 km. It is clear that thepaper first needs to be rotated to the landscape position for bestfit. To convert km to cm, multiply by 100’000. This obtains awidth = 5’000’000 cm and a height = 2’500’000 cm. Thencompute two scales as 5’000’000/(30 – 2) = 178’571 = width and2’500’000/(20 – 2) = 138’889 = height. The map scale that willfit inside the paper margins is 178’571, which can be rounded upto a scale of 1:180’000. For English units, use miles and inchesand a conversion multiplier = 63,360. To keep file sizes reasonable, a resolution of 150 dpi for mapsand all FSC images has yielded good quality maps. For organizational efficiency a Project folder is usually firstcreated to hold all project jobs, sites and terrain. With multi-siteprojects there are frequently several jobs, perhaps holdingdifferent combinations of sites or sites that have differentcharacteristics such as different antenna heights. If not alreadyselected, select the new project folder in the Tools/Select JobsFolder menu.


If sites are to be used repeatedly for a project and are not in theuser designated Sites folder, you may want to enter these sitesinto the Sites folder at this time or copy (and edit) a site to theSites folder. Recall also, that new sites may also be independentlyplaced in any Job folder at any time.


Continuous Category Job Operations

Either select an existing job in the Job menu, or, start a new Jobby entering a job name in the field below the Job menu. If severalconfigurations are to be computed, it is usual to place eachconfiguration in a separate Job in the project folder. Each jobname should also reflect the configuration to avoid laterconfusion. For new jobs, select the Job Type. Then enter print scale,resolution and frequency. Next, click on the Save button. Thenselect the new Job in the Job menu. Create new or select Sites to be used from the Site list box. ASave is recommended at this point. Highlight each selected Site by clicking on its name. On the Jobscreen enter Site Label information, Site Center Cross, Print andlabel location with respect to the Site center. Select an antenna if the desired pattern is in the Antenna Patternlist and enter the antenna orientation azimuth. Omni antenna gainis included in the Fixed Gains and Losses field. Enter Fixed Gains and Losses and select the power units for theJob. If a job label is to be used, it may be created at any time. Notethe label will not appear in any output unless the Print (label) isselected. Select the position of the label. This category plots coverage continuously over a desired area.The size of the area depends on the desired signal level to beobserved, lower levels producing larger areas. In the Level


observed, lower levels producing larger areas. In the Levelsection select Level Units, fill in the table showing (signal) Level,Level Label and color. FSC first plots the top row of the Leveltable for each site and repeats for each subsequent row. Thisstrategy enables coherent plotting of multiple sites. It is importantthat the table use ascending signal levels. Recall that Sites for the Power and dBu categories compute pathlosses for a given polarization, transmitting antenna location andheight. Thus, any changes may be made, for any Site, to theSite’s transmitter antenna and Fixed Gains and Losses fieldwithout need to re-compute path losses. Any change of Sitelocation requires re-computing terrain and path loss. Antennaheight and polarization changes also require that path losses bere-computed.


Continuous Category Site Operations

If a site is to be added to a job, select the job. Transfer to the Sitescreen. If a site is to be installed in the general Sites folder, verify thatthe Sites folder path is correct. On the Job screen verify that nojob is selected, then select a Job Type. Transfer to the Site screen. Enter the site’s name in the Site Name field. If using Englishunits, click the English Units control on the lower right of theSite screen. Click the Save Site button at the bottom of the screen.Select the Site from the Current Site drop down menu. Enter the remaining data for the Site. Click the Save Site button. Click the Make Terrain button. Click the Calculate Button. Clickthe Save Site button. If everything is functional, the Have Terrain and Have Calcsindicators will be visible. Additional Site information, such as a site label that appearsadjacent to the site center mark, may be added on the Job screenafter a site has been selected for an existing job. The Job screenSite Center Cross, Print and Site Label controls are Site controlsthat appear in the Job screen. To add, change or delete the Sitelabel information, select a Job and click on the site name. On theJob screen, make desired changes or delete the label text. Clickthe Save button. Establishment of map markings may proceed as desired.Provisions are included to easily link map markings to one of thesites in a job. Select either Cmd-B/Ctrl-B or the Tools >


sites in a job. Select either Cmd-B/Ctrl-B or the Tools >Boundaries/Roads menu. Select one of the sites from the drop-down menu in the Boundaries window. Then fill in the rest of theinformation and exit the window. Selecting one of the job’s sitesis not mandatory. Any area center latitude/longitude pair anddistance may be used.


Contour Category Job Operations

Either select an existing job in the Job menu, or, start a new Jobby entering a job name in the field below the Job menu. If severalconfigurations of sites are to be computed, it is usual to placeeach configuration in a separate Job in the project folder. Eachjob name should also indicate the configuration to avoid laterconfusion. For new jobs, select the Job Type. Then enter print scale,resolution and frequency. Next, click on the Save button. Thenselect the new Job in the Job menu. Select Sites to be used from the Sites list. Save is recommendedat this point. Highlight each selected Site by clicking on its name. Enter SiteLabel information, Site Center Cross, Print and label locationwith respect to the Site center. Establishment of map markings may proceed as desired.Provisions are included to easily link map markings to one of thesites in a job. Select either Cmd-B/Ctrl-B or the Tools >Boundaries/Roads menu. Select one of the sites from the drop-down menu in the Boundaries window. Then fill in the rest of theinformation and exit the window. Selecting one of the job’s sitesis not mandatory. Any area center latitude/longitude pair anddistance may be used. If a job label is to be used it may be created at any time. Note thelabel will not appear in any output unless the Print (label) isselected. Select the position of the label.


Contour Category Site Operations

If a site is to be added to a job, select the job. Transfer to the Sitescreen. If a site is to be installed in the Sites folder, verify that the Sitesfolder path is correct. On the Job screen verify that no job isselected, then select a Job Type. Transfer to the Site screen. Enter the site’s name in the Site Name field. If using Englishunits, click the English Units control on the lower right of theSite screen. Click the Save Site button at the bottom of the screen.Select the Site from the Current Site list. Enter the remaining values for the Site. Begin by entering foreach contour a Contour Value and selecting a Data Source (rightclick), Line Color and Fill Color, if any. Then enter Label, LineType and Line thickness (mm) and other data. Click the Save Site button. When finished entering data and saving, click the Calculatebutton. The Have Calcs control will turn on if all is well. Note that all contour methods except manual entry and Cost-Hatarequire terrain calculations. However, since the required terraindistances are fixed, FSC automatically computes all requiredterrain without the need for user attention. Additional Site information may be added on the Job screen aftera site has been selected for an existing job. The Job screen SiteCenter Cross, Print and Site Label controls are stored in the Sitefile. To add, change or delete the Site label information, on theJob screen select a Job and click on the site name. Make desired


Job screen select a Job and click on the site name. Make desiredchanges or delete the label text. Click the Save button.


Great Circle (Pt to Pt) Category Operations

Either select an existing job in the Job menu, or, start a new Jobby entering a job name in the field below the Job menu. For new jobs, select Great Circle in the Job Type. Click the Savebutton. Then select the new Job in the Job menu. Transfer to the Site screen by clicking on the Site button. Enter ormake changes for data on that page. If the Have Calcs control isnot activated click on the Calculate button. Click the Save Site button at the bottom of the screen. Return tothe Job screen. Enter any remaining data and click on the Savebutton.


Continuous Category Job Controls There are a number of options, checkboxes and other controls onthe FSC Job screen. This Section deals with their functions. Notethat some controls from this category also appear in othercategories, their functions remaining identical. This category employs a detailed terrain database and a set ofsophisticated calculations to produce (isotropic) path loss over auser defined area. It can account for and employ atmosphericconditions, soil conditions, frequency and other physicalcharacteristics known to affect radio frequency propagation.Based on a series of worldwide, long-term measurements thismethod can also account for statistical variations to obtainestimates of reliability over time, location and situation. Because this category produces path losses it is independent of allradio system characteristics except transmitting antenna location,frequency, polarization and the heights above ground of thetransmitting and receiving antennas. Thus, once path losses for anarea have been computed, any system parameter may be changedwithout the need to recalculate. For example, antenna patterns,transmitter powers, receiver sensitivities and transmission linecomponents may be changed, provided that transmitter location,polarization, antenna heights and frequency remain unchanged.


Job Screen – Right Side

The right side of the Job screen deals with calculation categoryselection and those job parameters that are common to all sites inthe Job. The following describes these controls and theirmeanings. For an existing job: Select the desired job from the Job pull downmenu. To start a new job: Select Continuous. Enter a job name in thefield directly below the “Job” pull down menu. Press the Savebutton. Select the new job, which has been added to the job list,from the pull-down menu.


from the pull-down menu.

Print Scale – This is a ratio of cm to cm. Usually this isset to match your map scale. For example, a Print or Mapscale of 1:100000 would represent 1 cm (on map) =100000 cm (on Earth) (= 1000 m = 1 km).

Resolution – is in dots per inch (dpi) for historicalreasons. This value directly impacts the size of an outputfile. This number should also match your base mapresolution, a reasonable value being 150 dpi. Frequency – This is the “official” job frequency value andis stored with the job. There is also a frequency valueassociated with each site, which is the frequency used fordetermining the site’s path loss. These two frequencies areused as verification to help prevent a site computed at onefrequency from being used in a job having a differentfrequency. A warning is issued when the site and jobfrequencies differ by more than 15 percent. Map Markings Available – Four checkboxes indicatewhich features are included in the boundary (.bdr) file ofthis job. This file is created by selecting Tools >Boundaries/Roads or using Ctrl-B (Cmd-B). US Countydisplays Unites States county boundaries. Roads currentlydisplays US Interstate Highways and some other limitedaccess roadways. World Country displays countryboundaries for most of the Earth. Roads displays manymajor roads in most countries. Note that World Countryalso displays ocean boundaries and may be used with USCounty boundaries for states bordering water.


Picture Label Print – Select if a label is to be printed onthe graphic. FSC has label generating capability. The labelroutine is invoked with Ctrl-L (Cmd-L) or in the Toolsmenu. Labels may be included separately as a file orprinted on screen and printer presentations. Position Label – This pull down menu positions the labelin one of the corners of the graphic. Open Area – A label generated with FSC and appearingin a job folder is displayed in this area. Level Units – A pull down menu that identifies the unitsof the Levels entered in the first column of the Leveltable. Choices are dBm, dBW and dBu (dB above onemicrovolt per meter). Levels and Colors – This is the input table controllingdisplay of computed field strength data. Power levels areentered at which the display of signals will change color.Each level and its associated color will be applied to allsites appearing in an output graphic. Words typed in theLevel Label column may be used in an FSC created Labelalong with the level entered in the first column. See thelabel in the example file. Clicking the mouse button in thethird column of the table invokes the system’s color pallet. (It is recommended that values producing the greatestdistance be entered first, followed in order by levelsproducing lesser distances. This sequence is recommendedbecause the coverage from the first row of the table isdrawn first, on top of which is drawn each of the others inrow sequence. FSC has some provisions for sorting, butwill automatically sort only in situations where it is clear


will automatically sort only in situations where it is clearwhat the user desires. For other situations the user isresponsible for ordering the data. For example, if levelsare entered in dBm, the sequence entered might be -110, -100, -85 dBm.) Projection Indicator – Shows the currently selected mapprojection. A mouse click on this indicator opens the mapprojection window. DBI Indicator – FSC antenna gain reference. Eitherisotropic (dBi) or dipole (dBd) reference. Draw Roads/Boundaries – Select to have FSC includeroads and boundaries in output graphics and prints. Show Page Size – When selected, prior to printing, amessage is issued that gives the page size required tocompletely contain the output graphic at the given scale. Draw Center Cross – Select to have FSC place a cross atthe center of the output graphic. Print Scale – Select if a distance scale is desired on thegraphic. Position pull down menu – If a distance scale is requestedthis control selects the corner of the graphic at which thescale is placed. Choices are upper right, upper left, lowerright and lower left. Jobs, Sites, Ant, Ter – These grayed words reveal thepaths to their respective folders when the mouse cursor ispoised above them. The paths are displayed beneath the


poised above them. The paths are displayed beneath therow of buttons at the bottom of the Job screen.

Job Screen – Left Side

On the left side some parameters may be entered orselected that will not require recalculation of a site’s pathlosses. These are specific to and are a part of a Site file. Sites in the Sites list are attached to an active Job byclicking the checkbox to the left of the site’s name. (A Jobis active once it has been selected in the Jobs pull downmenu.) Sites are deselected from a job by unchecking thecheckbox. To view limited Site data, whether or not the site has beenselected, click the desired Site’s name outside of thecheckbox.

Select Antenna Pattern – Pull down menu displaysantenna files in the current Ant folder from which anantenna may be selected. If no antenna is selected adefault gain of zero dBd (unity gain) is assumed. Inclu V Pat – If the selected antenna has a verticalradiation pattern, selecting this function causes FSC toalso utilize that data. Pattern Orientation – Antenna directional radiationpatterns are stored with their main lobes pointed to North(N 0° E). Azimuths increase from 0 to 360 degrees in aclockwise direction through East, South and West. Fixed Gains and Losses – This field should include allsystem gains and losses except path losses (calculated by


system gains and losses except path losses (calculated byFSC). Include the transmitting antenna gain unless anantenna has been selected in the pull down menu.Calibration and other adjustments may also be included.But, minimally, this number should include transmitterpower, filter and line losses at both ends, preamplifiergain and antenna gains (exclude the transmitter antennagain when employing an antenna pattern from the SelectAntenna Pattern drop down menu). FSC then computesthe received power including path losses. English Units – This indicator displays which unitsversion is in effect for the displayed site. Sites may useeither English or metric systems. Sites using either systemmay be freely intermixed in a given job. Site Center Cross – When selected a cross will be placedon graphics at the location of the site. Site Label Print – When selected this will include thesite’s text label. Site Label Position – Pull down menu selects the offsetdirection, from the site’s center, where the label is placed. Site Label – Text that will be placed on the graphicsoutput at the position selected above. Carriage returns andempty lines are honored, thus providing for limited layoutcapability. Clear Button – Clears, resets the screen and deselects thejob.


Delete Job Button – Deletes the selected Job Save Button – Smartly saves Job and Site changes asnecessary. Site Button – Switches to the Site screen. Page Setup Button – The standard printer setup. Display – Prints on the screen a scaled picture of theoutput. Cancel – Quits the program.


Continuous Category Site Controls There are a number of options, checkboxes and other controls onthe FSC Job screen. This Section deals with their functions. Notethat some controls from this category also appear in othercategories, their functions remaining identical. This category employs a detailed terrain database and a set ofsophisticated calculations to produce (isotropic) path loss over auser defined area. It can account for and employ atmosphericconditions, soil conditions, frequency and other physicalcharacteristics known to affect radio frequency propagation.Based on a series of worldwide, long-term measurements thismethod can also account for statistical variations to obtainestimates of reliability over time, location and situation. Because this category produces path losses it is independent of allradio system characteristics except transmitting antenna location,frequency, polarization and the heights above ground of thetransmitting and receiving antennas. Thus, once path losses for anarea have been computed, any system parameter may be changedwithout the need to recalculate. For example, antenna patterns,transmitter powers, receiver sensitivities and transmission linecomponents may be changed, provided that transmitter location,polarization, antenna heights and frequency remain unchanged.

Site Screen

Sites created with no job selected are placed in the user specifiedSites folder. Sites created while a job is selected are placed in theselected job’s folder. A Site is a file containing information about a site. A site filename is comprised of the site name with an “.fss” file extension.


name is comprised of the site name with an “.fss” file extension.Sites are individually calculated, by site, and may, if attached to ajob, spawn additional files such as a terrain file and path loss file.

Site Name – If no site is selected, entering a name in thisfield and clicking the Save Site button will create a newsite file in the current Sites folder. If a job has beenselected it will be placed in the current job’s folder. Comments – This field is for any notes or privatecomments associated with a site. None of these commentsare printed or otherwise exposed outside of the site file. Frequency (MHz) – The frequency that will be used withall calculations associated with this site.


Polarization – The main electric field vector orientationfor this site. The choices are v = vertical and h =horizontal. (In the case of circular polarization, create twosites, one h and one v polarization. This will at least givesome idea of differences in propagation between the twopolarizations. Site Latitude & Longitude – Geographic coordinates ofthe transmitting antenna. Entry may be in degrees,minutes, seconds or decimal degrees.


Ground Elev. – Elevation above mean sea level of theground at the transmitting antenna location using theprevailing units. If left blank, when terrain is computedfor the site, this field will be filled-in automatically. If amore accurate elevation is known, it should be utilized. Ant Hgt agl – Antenna radiation center height aboveground level. Mobile Ant Hgt agl – This is the height above ground ofthe test receive antenna radiation center. This antenna ismoved over the user specified area of interest. Calculation Limits Azimuth – The beginning, ending andincremental azimuths (degrees) of radials to be calculated.Frequently these values are [0, 360, 1]. However, if thedesired radial distance is great, the increment may bedecreased to provide less space between radials at greaterdistances. Incremental distances could be 0.5 or 0.25degrees, or less. Calculation Limits Distance – The beginning, ending andincremental distances in current units at which FSCshould compute the path loss. Incremental distances lessthan the distance between terrain elevation pointsproduces no accuracy improvements. A typical value forincrement is about 0.3 km. Hint: the start distance is usually made greater than zeroto provide an empty circle for a short distance around thesite location. This permits greater accuracy in aligning thesite on a map, particularly when a cross is also plotted atthe site’s center. The stop and incremental distances arealso used by terrain routines.


also used by terrain routines. Current Site – Pull down menu to select a site from thelist of Sites on the Job screen. The following three controls are to be used only if a JobTerrain file is to be created. (Terrain for individual sitesuse the site coordinates and end distance and MakeTerrain button for terrain creation.)

Terrain Radius, Center Lat, Center Lon – Enterdesired values and click Make Job Terrain. Thiscan be used to produce a common terrain file forall sites within the specified Radius. Be careful toensure the radius includes the full extent of thedesired areas of the enclosed sites.

Climate Type Selection – This pull down menu selects forthe general type of climate in which the system willoperate. Select the one that applies. Soil type – The pull down menu selects for soilconductivity and dielectric constant with types rangingfrom poor to seawater. If in doubt select Average Ground.Conductivity and Dielectric values for the selected soiltype are automatically entered. Conductivity and Dielectric constant – These two fieldspermit direct entry if the values are known. Averages overradial distances or over the entire area should be used. Average Surface Refractivity – Tables and graphsshowing average values worldwide are available. Ifunknown, use the default value.


unknown, use the default value. Statistics: Locations, Time and Confidence – These fieldspermit modification of path loss values based onpercentage of time and locations. Median (50%) valuesmay be used, although many problems require 90% timeand locations reliability data. For interference calculationsvalues of 10% time/locations are typically assigned topotential interferors. Confidence is a statistic that biasesthe calculations; for example, one area may be more likelyto provide lower path losses than another area. This mightoccur when one system has significantly fewer trees thananother. Confidence is an estimate of how the currentsystem relates to all possible systems from the poorest tothe best. If a pessimistic outlook (higher path loss values)is desired, confidence should be given a higher percentageand vice-versa. Have Terrain – An indicator that illuminates when theselected site has appropriate terrain data. FSC operatesthis control. Have Calcs – An indicator that illuminates when theselected site has appropriate path loss data. FSC operatesthis control. Save Terrain With Site – If unchecked, terrain will berecalculated each time path loss is calculated. The size ofa 32 x 32 km terrain file is about 1 Mb. English Units – A user control that selects English units.This applies only to the current site. The default is metricunits.


Jobs, Sites, Ant, Ter – These grayed words reveal thepaths to their respective folders when the mouse cursor ispoised above them. The paths are displayed beneath therow of buttons at the bottom of the screen. Paths to thevarious folders are selected from the Tools menu bar. Clear Button – Clears and resets the Site screen. Delete Site Button – Deletes a selected site from a currentJob or from the Site folder if no Job has been selected. Save Site Button – Saves the selected site to a Job folderor to the Sites folder if no job has been selected. Make Terrain Button – Creates a terrain file for theselected site. Calculate Button – Computes the path loss after firstdeveloping any necessary terrain data. Cancel – Quits the Site screen.


Contour Category Job Controls

Job Screen

Most technical data for this category is entered on the Site screenwhere each site may have different antennas, powers, types ofcontour lines and different fill and line colors for each contour.The Job screen has fewer controls than the Continuous categories,but each control has the same functionality as described in detailfor the Continuous category.

Job Screen – Right Side


The right side of the Job screen deals with calculation categoryselection and those job parameters that are common to all sites inthe Job. The following describes these controls and theirmeanings. Note that a label would show on this screen if this jobhad one. See Job screen of the Continuous Category. For an existing job: Select the desired job from the Job pull downmenu. To start a new job: Select Continuous. Enter a job name in thefield directly below the “Job” pull down menu. Press the Savebutton. Select the new job, which has been added to the job list,from the pull-down menu.

Print Scale – This is a ratio of cm to cm. Usually this isset to match your map scale. For example, a Print or Mapscale of 1:100000 would represent 1 cm (on map) =100000 cm (on Earth) (= 1000 m = 1 km).

Resolution – is in dots per inch (dpi) for historicalreasons. This value directly impacts the size of an outputfile. This number should also match your base mapresolution, a reasonable value being 150 dpi. Frequency – This is the “official” job frequency value andis stored with the job. There is also a frequency valueassociated with each site, which is the frequency used fordetermining the site’s path loss. These two frequencies areused as verification to help prevent a site computed at onefrequency from being used in a job having a differentfrequency. A warning is issued when the site and jobfrequencies differ by more than 15 percent.


Map Markings Available – Four checkboxes indicatewhich features are included in the boundary (.bdr) file ofthis job. This file is created by selecting Tools >Boundaries/Roads or using Ctrl-B (Cmd-B). US Countydisplays Unites States county boundaries. Roads currentlydisplays US Interstate Highways and some other limitedaccess roadways. World Country displays countryboundaries for most of the Earth. Roads displays manymajor roads in most countries. Note that World Countryalso displays ocean boundaries and may be used with USCounty boundaries for states bordering water. Picture Label Print – Select if a label is to be printed onthe graphic. FSC has label generating capability. The labelroutine is invoked with Ctrl-L (Cmd-L) or in the Toolsmenu. Labels may be included separately as a file orprinted on screen and printer presentations. Position Label – This pull down menu positions the labelin one of the corners of the graphic. Open Area – A label generated with FSC and appearingin a job folder is displayed in this area. Level Units – A pull down menu that identifies the unitsof the Levels entered in the first column of the Leveltable. Choices are dBm, dBW and dBu (dB above onemicrovolt per meter). Levels and Colors – This is the input table controllingdisplay of computed field strength data. Power levels areentered at which the display of signals will change color.Each level and its associated color will be applied to allsites appearing in an output graphic. Words typed in the


sites appearing in an output graphic. Words typed in theLevel Label column may be used in an FSC created Labelalong with the level entered in the first column. See thelabel in the example file. Clicking the mouse button in thethird column of the table invokes the system’s color pallet. (It is recommended that values producing the greatestdistance be entered first, followed in order by levelsproducing lesser distances. This sequence is recommendedbecause the coverage from the first row of the table isdrawn first, on top of which is drawn each of the others inrow sequence. FSC has some provisions for sorting, butwill automatically sort only in situations where it is clearwhat the user desires. For other situations the user isresponsible for ordering the data. For example, if levelsare entered in dBm, the sequence entered might be -110, -100, -85 dBm.) Projection Indicator – Shows the currently selected mapprojection. A mouse click on this indicator opens the mapprojection window. Draw Roads/Boundaries – Select to have FSC includeroads and boundaries in output graphics and prints. Show Page Size – When selected, prior to printing, amessage is issued that gives the page size required tocompletely contain the output graphic at the given scale. Draw Center Cross – Select to have FSC place a cross atthe center of the output graphic. Print Scale – Select if a distance scale is desired on thegraphic.


graphic. Position pull down menu – If a distance scale is requestedthis control selects the corner of the graphic at which thescale is placed. Choices are upper right, upper left, lowerright and lower left. Jobs, Sites, Ant, Ter, DB – These grayed words reveal thepaths to their respective folders when the mouse cursor ispoised above them. The paths are displayed beneath therow of buttons at the bottom of the Job screen.

Job Screen – Left Side

On the left side some parameters may be entered orselected that will not require recalculation of a site’s pathlosses. These are specific to and are a part of a Site file. Sites in the Sites list are attached to an active Job byclicking the checkbox to the left of the site’s name. (A Jobis active once it has been selected in the Jobs pull downmenu.) Sites are deselected from a job by unchecking thecheckbox. To view limited Site data, whether or not the site has beenselected, click the desired Site’s name outside of thecheckbox. English Units – This indicator displays which unitsversion is in effect for the displayed site. Sites may useeither English or metric systems. Sites using either systemmay be freely intermixed in a given job. Site Center Cross – When selected a cross will be placedon graphics at the location of the site.


on graphics at the location of the site. Site Label Print – When selected this will include thesite’s text label. Site Label Position – Pull down menu selects the offsetdirection, from the site’s center, where the label is placed. Site Label – Text that will be placed on the graphicsoutput at the position selected above. Carriage returns andempty lines are honored, thus providing for limited layoutcapability. Clear Button – Clears, resets the screen and deselects thejob. Delete Job Button – Deletes the selected Job Save Button – Smartly saves Job and Site changes asnecessary. Site Button – Switches to the Site screen. Page Setup Button – The standard printer setup. Display – Prints on the screen a scaled picture of theoutput. Cancel – Quits the program.


Contour Category Site Controls Each control is described below, ordered from top to bottom, firston the left side and then on the right side of the Site screen.

The above Site Screen illustrates mixed calculation types. Notethat all required Site data is entered in this screen. However,display functions such as site labels are controlled in the Jobscreen. The following Site Screen is shown when a manual entry(azimuth, distance) contour is selected. The table entries areazimuths (degrees) and distances in the prevailing units (miles orkm). A maximum of 360 pairs may be entered.


Entry of a single pair is interpreted as a circle with a radius equalto the tabular distance value. All entered points are linearlyinterpolated to fill in the distances every degree.

Control descriptions and functions are detailed below for bothSite screen variations.

Site Name – If no site is selected, entering a name in thisfield and clicking the Save Site button will create a newsite file. This file will be placed in the current Sites folderif no job is selected, otherwise it will be placed in thecurrent job’s folder. If a site is currently selected, entering a name in this fieldand clicking the Save Site button invokes a dialogallowing selection of a Change Name or Save As


allowing selection of a Change Name or Save Asfunction. Comments – This field is for any notes or privatecomments associated with a selected site. None of thesecomments are printed or otherwise exposed outside of thesite file. Frequency (MHz) – The frequency that will be used in allcalculations associated with this site.

Site Latitude & Longitude – Geographic coordinates ofthe transmitting antenna. Entry may be in degrees,minutes, seconds or decimal degrees. Ground Elev. – Elevation above mean sea level of theground at the transmitting antenna using the chosen units.If left blank, when terrain is obtained for the site, thisfield will be filled-in automatically. If a more accurateelevation is known, it should be utilized. Ant Hgt agl – Antenna radiation center height aboveground level. Mobile Ant Hgt agl –This is the height above ground ofthe test receive antenna radiation center that is movedover the user specified area of interest. This field isrequired only for those calculations that permit the mobileantenna height to be changed such as the Cost-Hata andMobile(TV) contour methods. The remaining methodshave mobile antenna heights implicit in their definitionswith no provisions for changing heights. However, byadjusting the contour value and/or power input values, anyfactor may be compensated for.

Calculation Limits – Start and Stop Azimuth fieldsprovide for display of partial contours. If left blank a full


provide for display of partial contours. If left blank a full360° contour is assumed. Current Site – This pull down menu selects the current sitefrom its list of sites, if any. Contour Setup – The following items occur in the table.Many of the tabular values may be defaulted.

Contour Value – All contour types except “EnterDistance” require a value in this column. Thevalue units are dBm, dBW or dBu. To enter avalue, click on the desired cell. Data Source – This column is activated by right-clicking (Ctl-click) when the mouse cursor issimultaneously poised over the desired row and theData Source column. A list is presented afterwhich scrolling the mouse and releasing selects thedesired calculation. Label – This column accepts a text label that isused by the job Label creation process. The labeltext and contour value are colored with either thecontour fill color or, if no fill is selected, thecontour line color. This cell may be displayed in alarger format by shift-clicking on a Label cell. Typ (Line Type) – This column selects one of theline types shown in the box of lines. Click on theTyp cell and enter the type number, 0 to 7. Noentry defaults to Line Type 0, a solid line. Clr (Line Color) – Clicking in these cells invokesthe system color picker. The contour line will bedrawn in the selected color. Colors may bedefaulted, typically using black. Recall that white


defaulted, typically using black. Recall that whitewill not print. Thk (Line Thickness) – The contour line thicknessin millimeters. A value of zero causes the line tobe not drawn. Fill Clr (Fill Color) – Clicking in these cellsinvokes the system color picker. The entire contourwill be filled in the selected color. Colors may bedefaulted.

+ Row – This button adds a row to the table. Clickingmultiple times adds multiple rows. However, when a Siteis “calculated”, rows missing a Contour value are culledfrom the table. - Row – This button deletes a row from the table. Click arow and then click this button.

Contour Units – This pull down menu sets the units forthe Contour Values. Choices are dBm, dBW or dBu. Allcontours must use the selected unit. (If mixed units aredesired, create an additional site and select a differentunit.) Select Antenna – Selects the antenna pattern from the listof antenna files in the user designated Antenna folder. Theantenna name is displayed and its maximum gain isdisplayed. If no antenna is selected the default gain is 0dBd. Pattern Orientation – Antenna directional radiationpatterns are stored with their main lobes pointed north (N0° E). Azimuths increase from 0 to 360 degrees in aclockwise direction through East, South and West.


Antenna Input Power – The value entered in this fieldshould include system losses and gains and include apower source. See an expanded discussion in the ‘FixedGains and Losses – Continuous, dBu and Great Circle’section. Antenna Power Units – The units of the power source canbe dBm, dBW or dBk. These units are referenced to onemilliWatt, one Watt and one kiloWatt, respectively. Enter Distance – When the Data Source is “EnterDistance”, an Azimuth/Distance table and two buttonsappear.

Azimuth – Holds azimuth values in degrees. Distance – Holds distance values in metric orEnglish units according to the selected system. Clear List Button – Clears the entire entry table. Save List Button – Saves only the manual entrytable.

Have Calcs – An indicator that illuminates when theselected site has had the contours calculated. FSCoperates this control. English Units – A user control that selects English units.This applies only to the currently selected site. The defaultis metric units.

Jobs, Sites, Ant, Ter – These grayed words reveal thepaths to their respective folders when the mouse cursor ispoised above them. The paths are displayed beneath therow of buttons at the bottom of the screen.


row of buttons at the bottom of the screen. Clear button – Clears and loads default values into the Sitescreen. Delete Site button – Deletes a selected site from a currentJob or from the Sites folder if no Job has been selected. Save Site button – Saves the selected site to a Job folderor to the Site folder if no job has been selected. Calculate button – Computes the results after firstdeveloping any required terrain data. Cancel button – Quits the Site screen.


Great Circle (Point-to-Point) Job ControlsThis category provides a point-to-point or link method thatusually is associated with dedicated communications between twofixed locations using fixed antennas. This category is namedGreat Circle because the terrain between two sites is generated byFSC on a true great circle path. (Frequently point-to-point terrain in other software uses a linearinterpolation of geographic coordinates, which is only accurateover relatively short distances. FSC enjoys no such distancelimitations.) The path loss calculator is the same as used for the Continuouscategory. Frequency limitations are 20 MHz to 20 GHz. Thus,this method is very versatile. It is also simple to use and achievesgood, practical accuracy for most calculations. This category features a single output form. A rectangular graphshows the terrain profile between the two selected sites. Includedon the graph are up to three user selected earth curvature linesand one FSC supplied earth curvature derived from the pathcalculations. Additionally, Fresnel zone terrain heights are shownbased on the first Fresnel zone multiplied by a user suppliedfactor (frequently 0.6). In this graph the terrain profile andFresnel zone are plotted minus the earth’s curvature. All otherdata and lines are drawn as curves that include the earth’scurvature. This form of display amplifies the effects of terrainblockages.

Great Circle Job Screen

Most of the functions for the Job screen have been relocated tothe Site page for convenience.


On the left side of this screen are the usual site data shown inother categories. The right side consists of Job selection andcreation.

Select Antenna Pattern – Pull down menu selects anantenna from the antenna files in the current antennafolder. If no antenna is selected the default gain is 0 dBd.

Pattern Orientation – Antenna directional radiationpatterns are stored with their main lobes pointed north (N0° E). Azimuths increase from 0 to 360 degrees in a


0° E). Azimuths increase from 0 to 360 degrees in aclockwise direction through East, South and West. Fixed Gains and Losses – This field should include allsystem gains and losses except path losses (calculated byFSC). Include the transmitting antenna gain unless anantenna has been selected in the pull down menu.Calibration and other adjustments may also be included.But, minimally, this number should include transmitterpower, filter and line losses at both ends, preamplifiergain and antenna gains (exclude the transmitter antennagain when employing an antenna pattern from the SelectAntenna Pattern drop down menu). FSC then computesthe received power including path losses.

The right side consists of Job selection, creation and name changefunctions.

Terrain Min Plot Elev – FSC normally plots all terrainvariations at the largest scale that fits in the graph. It alsoautomatically suppresses elevations below the lowestvalue of terrain along the path. This field permits the userto override FSC’s selection.


Great Circle (Point-to-Point) Site ControlsThis category provides a point-to-point or link method thatusually is associated with dedicated communications between twofixed locations using fixed antennas. This category is namedGreat Circle because the terrain between two sites is generated byFSC on a true great circle path. (Frequently point-to-point terrain in other software uses a linearinterpolation of geographic coordinates, which is only accurateover relatively short distances. FSC enjoys no such distancelimitations.)The path loss calculator is the same as used for the Continuouscategory. Frequency limitations are 20 MHz to 20 GHz. Thus,this method is very versatile. It is also simple to use and achievesgood, practical accuracy for most calculations. This category features a single output form. A rectangular graphshows the terrain profile between the two selected sites. Includedon the graph are up to three user selected earth curvature linesand one FSC supplied earth curvature derived from the pathcalculations. Additionally, Fresnel zone terrain heights are shownbased on the first Fresnel zone multiplied by a user suppliedfactor (frequently 0.6). In this graph the terrain profile andFresnel zone are plotted minus the earth’s curvature. All otherdata and lines are drawn as curves that include the earth’scurvature. This form of display amplifies the effects of terrainblockages.

Great Circle Site Screen

Most of the controls are the same as on the Site screens of theother categories. However, this screen includes data for two sites– a FROM site and a TO site. Geographic coordinate, groundelevation and antenna height data are required for both sites. (If


elevation and antenna height data are required for both sites. (Ifleft blank, the ground elevations for both sites will be filled-in byFSC. Data of greatest accuracy should be utilized.)

Site Name – If no site is selected, entering a name in thisfield and clicking the Save Site button will create a newsite file. This file will be placed in the current Sites folderif no job is selected, otherwise it will be placed in thecurrent job’s folder. If a site is currently selected, entering a name in this fieldand clicking the Save Site button will invoke a dialogallowing selection of a Change Name or Save Asfunction.

Comments – This field is for any notes or privatecomments associated with a selected site. None of thesecomments are printed or otherwise exposed outside of thesite file. Frequency (MHz) – The frequency that will be used in allcalculations associated with this site. Polarization – The main electric field vector orientationfor this site. The choices are v = vertical and h =horizontal. (In the case of circular polarization, create twojobs, one using h and one v polarization. This will at leastgive some idea of differences in propagation between thetwo polarizations.)


The following are the data for the station at the beginning of thepath, the FROM site.

Site Latitude & Longitude – Geographic coordinates ofthe transmitting antenna. Entry may be in degrees,minutes, seconds or decimal degrees. Ground Elev. – Elevation above mean sea level of theground at the transmitting antenna using the chosen units.If left blank, when terrain is obtained for the site, thisfield will be filled-in automatically. If a more accurate


field will be filled-in automatically. If a more accurateelevation is known, it should be used. Ant Hgt agl – Antenna radiation center height aboveground level. k1, k2 and k3 – Relative values of the Earth’s radius.When a value is entered, a line representing that (relative)radius is plotted on the graph. Weather and atmosphericconditions play a role in the diffraction of signals causingthem to more or less follow the earth’s curvature.Sometimes signals follow a sharp curvature andsometimes a broad curvature that may be represented as asphere. The ratios of these radii to the actual earth’s radiusare called k factors. Frequently, k values ranging between0.5 and 1.5 are used, depending on the nature of the pathand character of the region containing the path. FSCcomputes and displays an internal k value based on theClimate type and refractivity. The user can add threeadditional k-factors that will be plotted on the outputgraph. First Fresnel – A Fresnel zone is a locus of points aboutthe direct line between two site antennas where, if a signalreflection occurs, the reflected signal could causecancellation of the direct signal. The full set of pointslooks like a watermelon (ellipsoid of revolution) centeredon the direct line between antennas. There are manyFresnel zones, where the reflected signal is out of phaseby 0.5, 1.5, 2.5,… wavelengths, the most important beingthe first. For the waves to totally cancel they must beexactly out-of-phase and their amplitudes must be equal.As a result, many engineers accept path clearances that arewithin 0.6 of the first Fresnel zone. This relaxes somewhat


within 0.6 of the first Fresnel zone. This relaxes somewhatthe amount of ground, water and vegetation clearancenecessary for a given path.

Entering a value in First Fresnel causes a light line to be drawnabove the terrain line on the output graph. The distance betweenthis line and the terrain line is the Fresnel distance. If the k-factorline computed by FSC crosses (intersects) the Fresnel line, thenthe path does not have “Fresnel clearance”. The following are the data for the station at the end of the path,the TO site.

Site Name Site Latitude & Longitude – Geographic coordinates ofthe receiving antenna. Entry may be in degrees, minutes,seconds or decimal degrees. Ground Elev. – Elevation above mean sea level of theground at the receiving antenna using the chosen units. Ifleft blank, when terrain is obtained for the site, this fieldwill be filled-in automatically. If a more accurateelevation is known, it should be utilized. Ant Hgt agl – Antenna radiation center height aboveground level.

Climate Type Selection – This pull down menu selects for thegeneral type of climate of the path. Select the one that applies. Soil type – The pull down menu selects for soil conductivity anddielectric constant with types ranging from poor to seawater. If indoubt select Average Ground. Conductivity and Dielectric values


doubt select Average Ground. Conductivity and Dielectric valuesfor the selected soil type are automatically entered. Conductivity and Dielectric constant – These two fields permitdirect entry if the values are known. Averages over an entire pathshould be used. Average Surface Refractivity – Tables and graphs showingworldwide average values are available. If unknown, use thedefault value. Statistics are automatically included on the output graph as areliability factor ranging from 1 per cent to 99.9999 percent.Output values are given at the various reliability levels for bothpath loss and power including Gains, Losses and transmit antennagain, if any.


Map Boundaries and Roads

FSC is supplied with two databases containing boundaries andmajor roads for the United States and the rest of the world. Thesemap markings are applied on top of coverage data when selected.A two-step process first collects data from the databases. The datais stored in the job file and is given a name selected by the user.This file is recognizable as having an extension of “.bdr”. Once a .bdr file has been created, it may be relocated or copied toany job file. FSC searches for a .bdr file upon job selection.


Opening the Boundary dialog from Tools>Boundary or Ctrl-B(Cmd-B) displays data from an existing .bdr file. If one does notexist, the top pull-down menu lists the sites attached to the job.The user may reference the boundary file to one of the listedsites, or, enter any Lat/Lon desired. To change any data, type new data and click Make. To delete afile simply click the Delete button.


Calibration Aid

The Continuous category calculations can produce a very largenumber of data points. Consider a calculation that is computed atdistances of say, 1 to 20 km every 0.2 km for 360 radials. FSC’spath loss files would contain more than 32000 data points andwould have computed more than 32000 individual terrain profilesin the process. Sometimes users have some actual measurementsfrom a cell or station at known locations. FSC, like otherprediction tools, does a good job of obtaining field strength (pathloss) on a relative basis. For example, when FSC predicts the pathloss at two locations, the values obtained are typically accuraterelative to each other but, for environmental reasons, the absolutepath loss may be somewhat inaccurate and need adjustment. Aroutine is provided in FSC that helps the user select and viewstatistics of a series of path loss values for a selected radial anddistance span. From that information an adjustment factor may befound that can be added to Fixed Gains and Losses. In general,this works fairly well.


The various controls have the following meanings andrequirements.

Include Antenna Gain – Check if the antenna gain is to beincluded in the statistical results. Include Fixed Gain and Losses – Check if this value is to beincluded in the statistical results. Azimuth – The radial azimuth of the desired path for thiscalculation.


Start/Stop Distance – Include points between the start andstop distances.

For the selected points the mean, median, standard deviation andrms signal statistics are presented. If either of the upper twocheck boxes is selected, the statistics values will appropriatelyreflect those changes. Another less sophisticated, but equally valid technique foradjusting FSC’s calculated results, in areas where signal receptionexperience can be obtained, is to simply ask some users wherereception is inadequate. Then adjust the contour values or thelevels at which colors change or ‘Fixed Gains and Losses’, singlyor in combination, until coverage plots show losses of coverage atthose locations. This is a very successful technique even if not scientificallyrigorous. The results are very often quite accurate because FSC’srelative path loss calculations are accurate. Furthermore, userinterviews have the effect of including system equipment, actualarea clutter factors and usage patterns. This type of informationmay be of value, even if it pertains to different frequencies,because most gross coverage deficiencies are caused by grossfactors, such as terrain shielding, that affect signals over relativelywide frequency ranges. Note: This technique should never beapplied using just one or two locations. Employ a sufficientnumber of locations to be confident that adjustments arewarranted.


Labels

There is capability in FSC to produce labels. It is relatively easyand fast. However, a graphics program, such as Adobe PhotoshopElements, will provide greater flexibility. Labels created in FSCare saved as internal FSC files in the Job folder with a filenameconsisting of the Job name with an “.lbl” extension. Job labelscreated in FSC are also displayed in the Job screens of theContinuous and Contour jobs. Great Circle jobs use their ownspecial output presentations. Label making and modifications are invoked from the Toolsmenu (Tools>Create Label) or using Ctrl-L (Cmd-L). A label isturned on/off from the Job screens by selecting Print in thecheckbox above the Print Label field. The location of the Label isdetermined by selecting the printout target corner from the dropdown menu under the Print Scale checkbox. To create a Label, open the Label dialog. Fill-in the desiredinformation and close the dialog. If a job has been selected thelabel will be placed in the job folder. If no job has been selectedthe label will be placed in the Jobs folder as a default label withthe filename “fs.lbl”. Default labels may be assigned to jobs byselecting a job and then opening the Label dialog, then clickingthe Get Default button. Make changes, if any, and when finishedclose the dialog. Default labels are typically created to holdinformation that does not frequently change. When creating image files, by selecting Make File from the menubar or using Ctrl-F (Cmd-F), the user will be asked if a label fileis desired. If so, FSC will request a filename. This separate Labelfile is an image file that may be used in a graphics program toplace a label anywhere.


The above label is produced in the following label screen.

Each section (field) of the Label screen is independent. Blanksections add nothing to the label. Each section uses rich textformatting in which the text font may be colored and havedifferent font types and sizes. The individual sections arepositioned on the label in about the same order as appears on theLabel screen. Spacing within a section may be adjusted byinserting line feeds and spaces. Label controls and functions are: Font – Selected from th

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