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Gunamoi Software

   RadcomSearch - Radio Licence Search & RFI Calculations






RadcomSearch

Description

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VERSION 2.7 OF RADCOMSEARCH NOW AVAILABLE !! - (click here to find out what's new)

RadcomSearch is an easy to use windows program to search the register of radiocommunications licences (Radcom) kept by the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA), to extract matching entries, and from those extractions calculate possible RFI interference levels at a single site or across a map grid. 

While the ACMA provides a Web API to allow direct online search of the RRL database, the features of this API are very limited, and can be slow for large searches.  It is relatively simple to download the SPECTRA RRL zip file (see the Tools Menu), and RadcomSearch offers more flexible and faster searches using locally stored files.  For example, RadcomSearch offers a search for all licences within a specified distance of a desired location, while the ACMA API only allows a search for a specified number of "closest licences". 

Originally written to search the old-style RADCOM CD-ROMs (CSV version) purchased from ACMA, version 2 of RadcomSearch was updated to provide access to the newer SPECTRA RRL files which may be downloaded free from the ACMA website.  Support for the old-style RADCOM CD-ROM database files is still provided for compatibility, and allows for historical searches if the old database files are available.

RadcomSearch is not intended to be a stand-alone and rigorous assessment of Radio Frequency interference (RFI) issues.  RadcomSearch simply allows an initial desktop assessment, which may help to identify areas requiring further, more detailed, analysis and actual on-site measurement. 

The main functions of RadcomSearch are divided into several sections, which are accessible as tabs or menus on the program window. 

The Tools Menu provides easy access to a couple of useful tools for users of RadcomSearch, such as deciphering ITUR Emission Codes, or downloading the latest ACMA spectra_rrl.zip database file.

The Data Sources tab allows the user to define the locations of the ACMA database files, which are not distributed with RadcomSearch.  Including the old-style RADCOM CD-ROM files (if used), or the new style SPECTRA RRL files (which may be downloaded from ACMA via the Tools Menu).  This tab also allows the user to select which digital elevation model (DEM) database to use for path profile and interference calculations, either the built-in ITU-R DEM, the legacy ACMA AusDEM database, the more accurate NASA SRTM DEM files, or a User Supplied Contour file in GIS format.  This tab is available to all users, Lite and Pro.


The Extraction tab allows the user to search the ACMA database of frequency licenses and extract matching records to a CSV extraction file.  The extraction file may then be viewed and edited with a text editor or spreadsheet (such as Excel or OpenOffice Calc).  Extracted records may be used to calculate interference PFD levels at a single site or across a map grid, or to produce map files in a variety of GIS formats.  This tab is available to all users, Lite and Pro.

The Conversion tab allows users to convert various RadcomSearch output files to other formats.  For example, an extraction file may be converted to a GIS map data file to allow the locations of antenna sites and links to be mapped, using Google Earth, MapList-Flat, etc.  Also, extraction files, or single site PFD files, may be converted to TxPlan compatible carrier files, to allow the signal frequencies and levels to be plotted in our TxPlan program.  This tab is available to all users, Lite and Pro.


The Path Profile tab allows the user to extract a path profile of terrain heights between two specified locations, using the currently selected DEM.  The Lite unregistered program will save the path profile heights to a CSV file which the user may open and chart in a spreadsheet.  The registered PRO version of the program will plot the path on screen, calculate path loss for a specified frequency, and allow the user to save a Path Profile image, CSV path data, or GIS path map..

The PFD Single Site tab is only unlocked in the Pro mode if the program is registered.  This tab allows the user to calculate interference PFD levels at a specified location from a list of transmitters in a previously created extraction file.  Calculations take account of terrain shielding using the selected DEM, and climate induced propagation effects such as refraction and ducting.  Results are saved to a CSV file which may be viewed and further manipulated using a spreadsheet program.


The PFD Map Grid tab is only unlocked in the Pro mode if the program is registered.  This tab allows the user to calculate interference PFD levels, from the transmitters in an extraction file, to each point across a specified map grid.  Results are saved to a map grid file which may be plotted with a spreadsheet or an appropriate mapping program, such as MapList-Flat or MapList-Globe.

The Data Map Grid tab allows the user to extract various basic DEM and climate parameters used by RadcomSearch, across a grid of map points, and save them to a map grid file for plotting with a spreadsheet or an appropriate mapping program such as MapList-Flat, or MapList-Globe.  Map grid files may be produced from terrain height data from the currently selected DEM, or may consist of one of several climate parameters from the built-in ITUR climate models, such as average temperature, rain rate, etc.  This tab is available to all users, Lite and Pro.

The basic Lite mode of RadcomSearch is available free of charge for anyone to use.  This allows all of the search/extraction functions, and the data map and file conversion functions.  The Pro features of RadcomSearch include the interference PFD calculations, and Emission Code decoder. If you like the program, or want to use the Pro features, please register the program.


Click here to see some more sample screen shots and data outputs.