OBSERVATIONS FROM SCOTLAND                            28 May 2008                                GM1SXX

This edition of Observations, is dedicated to Reg Edwards G4FGQ

Although posted in the Observations from Scotland section, all of the things presented here are the work of Reg. They are posted for your interest and benefit.  Reg gave us a wonderful legacy of simple to use DOS programs for a variety of radio engineering tasks. Each program is self-contained and can be run on a DOS or Windows environment. I use some of these on a more or less daily basis and have found them to be incredibly useful, especially in the area of radio aerial experiments. It's safe to say that most of the aerials in use in my shack were designed using this software.   These high-quality programs may be downloaded free of charge. They are not zipped up, are downloaded in a few seconds, and can be run immediately.   The programs were written in Borland Turbo Pascal and the resulting compiled executables are presented here.

If you like experimenting, especially with radio aerials, this is a goldmine of practical information that can be applied to your aerial designs.  I find a lot of uses for this software archive, particularly with regard to mag-loops.  It's yours to enjoy. As Reg rightly said, 'there is such a thing as a free lunch'.  Thanks Reg!  I've been using it for years but I've only scratched the surface.

73 Al.
GM1SXX

Over to Reg...

 

G4FGQ's Software

Original, high-quality, radio engineering/modelling programs.

Not freeware -- just free gifts -- please help yourself -- no catch.

Download in a few seconds -- not zipped-up -- run immediately -- user friendly.

There ARE such things as free lunches after all.

DOWNLOAD PROGRAMS FROM THIS PAGE

Visitors since 24th November 2003 ...

These are DOS-executable self-contained programs each occupying a single binary file. No use is made of external software. This ensures portability between DOS/Windows machines.   There is a brief one-line description following each program's name.

Approximate file sizes are from 25 to 70 kilobytes. Download, or to run without downloading to check program content, just click on a program's underlined name.  Download from here to a Windows Desktop icon or collect programs in a common Windows folder of your chosen name. There's no un-zipping inconvenience. Programs can be run immediately after download.  With other machine operating systems, programs can be run under DOS Emulators.

To run a program click on its desktop icon. If the program does not entirely fill the screen then look along the top tool bar and click on the button which expands the display outwards. The mouse is not available when the program is running full screen. Program control is entirely via the keyboard. Close the program from within by hitting either the 'E(xit)' or 'Q(uit)' key when displayed in the menu on bottom line 25. You will be immediately returned to the desktop.

If the program aborts into DOS due to entry of 'impossible' data, to return to Windows Desktop type the DOS command 'EXIT' against the C>prompt followed by the enter/return key. Or to run the program again type the program's name alongside the C>prompt. No harm will have been caused to your computer, operating system or to the program itself.

Remember, when in DOS and the C>prompt is showing, the typed DOS 'EXIT' command followed by the 'Enter' or 'Return' key, will always return you to the Windows DeskTop. No need to get lost!

The current program list follows -


RJELOOP1 *
Performance of Transceiving, single-turn, magloop antennas of various regular shapes.

RJELOOP2 *
Performance of Transceiving, single-turn, magloop antennas of rectangular shape.

RJELOOP3 *
Analysis of receiving, multi-turn, square, loop (or frame) antennas, ELF to HF.

HELICAL3 *
Continuously-loaded, helically-wound HF antennas, top-capacitance loaded with a rod.

TOROID *
Ferrite & iron-dust cored, toroidal coils. Dimensions, Core permeability, Turns, uH, pF, Freq.

VERTLOAD *
Base-fed vertical antennas, coil-loaded at any height, with coil design.

RADIOETH *
DC, power freq & RF characteristics of a single shallow-buried ground wire.

EARTHRES *
Ground electrodes. Resistance msmnts and predictions, rods, wires, plates, mats,

TANT136 *
LW & MW performance of small T-antennas above a system of buried ground radials.

ENDFEED *
HF performance of Inverted-L antennas above a system of buried ground radials.

LINEAR1 *
Models simple Class-AB, Push-pull, Bipolar Linear RF power amplifiers up to 30 MHz.

BALUN4 *
Design and performance of HF transmission line ferrite-core transformers, Z-ratio 4-to-1.

RJELINE1 *
Performance of openwire lines, Power freqs up to UHF, for any complex termination.

RJELINE2 *
Full analysis of balanced-twin lines, 20Hz-1GHz, for any complex termination.

COAXPAIR *
Full analysis of coaxial lines, Power freqs to UHF, for any complex termination.

RJELINE3 *
Full analysis of balanced lines with facilities for HF line xfmr design.

TRAPDIP *
Design and performance of 2-band trapped dipole antennas including trap design.

PHASENET *
Design of T & Pi phase-shifting networks for use with antenna arrays.

TPINET *
Design of T & Pi impedance-matching and phase-shifting networks.

SWR-FREQ *
Compare simple & folded dipoles. Input Z. Feedline VSWR vs freq. Bandwidth.

SOILSKIN *
Enter soil R and K characteristics. Display a table of skin depth vs frequency.

COAXRATE *
Power ratings of solid polythene coax cables vs dimensions and SWR. 0.3 to 3000 MHz.

ZL_ZIN *
Compute antenna feedpoint impedance from measured line input impedance, known Zo & length.

SOLNOID3 *
Single-layer, air-core coils of all proportions. Dimensions. Turns. Temp rise vs applied volts.

MAGLOOP4 *
Performance of regular-shaped magloop antennas versus height and type of ground.

PADMATCH *
T, Pi and L resistive matching-pad design using standard-range resistor values.

MIDLOAD *
Design of very short, centre-loaded dipoles above lossy ground. With coil design.

LCR *
Full analysis versus frequency of behaviour of an L+C+R parallel-tuned circuit.

SWRMETER *
Modelling, design, calibration & operation of HF SWR meters using a ferrite current xfmr.

LOADCOIL *
Design of short vertical antenna + loading coil. Slide coil up/down to maximise effncy.

PI_TANK *
Design Pi-match output cct for RF power amp. Effncy, harmonic suppression, phase shift.

ZOC_ZSC *
Calculate Trans-line Zo,L,C,R,G,dB,VF from open and closed input impedance measurements.

Pi_L_Net *
Design Pi and Pi-L output networks for RF Power amps. Effncy, harmonics, phase delay.

TETRODE1 *
Design of Class A, AB1, AB2 and C RF Power Amplifiers, using beam tetrodes or pentodes.

TOPHAT2 *
Short vertical antenna with Top-capacity-hat made with N radial wires. L-tuner values.

RJELINE4 *
Analysis of balanced-pair transmission lines. Line xfmrs with complex terminations.

T_TUNER *
Design & power efficiency, etc., of T-match tuning networks for transmitting antennas.

GRNDWAV4 *
Groundwave propagation. Field strength vs pathlength, terrain and frequency, VLF to HF.

DIFFRAC1 *
Radio propagation. Diffraction over a single obstruction. Tx output to Rx input.

DIFFRAC2 *
Radio propagation. Diffraction over two successive obstructions. Tx output to Rx input.

LINOSITE *
Simple Line-of-sight radio links. Approximate aperture, beamwidth, propagation loss etc.

MATCHSEC *
Impedance matching by inserting in antenna feedline a short section of different Zo.

BOTLOAD2 *
Inductance and bottom-loading coil design, or tune pF, for vertical or sloping antennas.

L_TUNER *
Calculate coil & capacitor values of an L-Network to match any pair of complex impedances.

WIRESKIN *
Skin resistance vs frequency of a single wire, an open-wire line and a dipole.

SELECT_1 *
Simple receiver preselector is a tapped parallel tuned circuit. Also coil design.

TWOCOILS *
Design & position two common-axis solenoids for desired coupling and mutual inductance.

DIPOLE3 *
A dipole at any height + balanced line + balun + coax line + L-match tuner L & C values.

DIPCAGE2 *
Cage dipole of N wires, resonant length, bandwidth vs SWR, end-effect, feedpoint impedance.

ADDALOAD *
Location and value of L or C loading component needed to resonate an antenna wire.

TRIODE1 *
Triode RF power amplifiers. Class-A, AB, C. Tuned tank or Pi-match output cct component values.

MULTILAY *
Design of multilayer coils wound in bobbins or other formers. 3 MHz and below.

WINDOM2 *
Performance of 1/2-wave horizontal dipole fed off-centre via vertical single-wire feedline.

FEEDPOWR *
Crude estimate of power radiated from coaxial line feeding 1/2-wave dipole without a balun.

COAXTRAP *
Design of antenna trap using length of coaxial line wound as solenoid on a coil former.

TWINTRAP *
Design of an antenna trap using length of twin-line wound on coil former. (Experimental)

OSCTRACK *
Superhet receivers. Optimum tracking of RF and oscillator tuned circuits. L & C values.

STUMATCH *
Match antenna input impedance to feedline with stub line xfmr. Balanced or coaxial lines.

STUBTUNE *
Match antenna input impedance to twin feeder with stub line xfmr. Includes xfmr efficiency.

LPF_HPF *
Simple L and C High and Low-pass filters. T and Pi Sections. Insertion loss vs freq.

BANDPAS1 *
Simple L and C bandpass filters. T and Pi Sections. Insertion loss vs freq.

INV_VEE *
Performance of resonant 1/2-wave Inverted-Vee and Dipole antennas including feedlines.

RHO_SWR *
Exact values of Rho and SWR on mismatched lines. Compare with measured values.

WHIP_1 *
Signal strength received on whip antenna + un-un transformer + coax line + receiver.

TWOHOPS *
Skywave Trigonometry and insight into how losses are proportioned along a radio path.

HARM_GEN *
Simple single-transistor harmonic generator. Performance and behaviour vs frequency.

R_X_SWR *
Feedpoint Impedance and SWR of an antenna in the vicinity of resonance.

CHOKEBAL *
Design and performance of a choke balun in conjunction with feedline and antenna.

BALCHOKE *
Better, recommended, version of program ChokeBal above. Changes in input data.

XTL_SET *
Design, performance, of crystal set, or preselector, using two coupled tuned circuits. From Tx to phones.

NOTATRAP *
Design of a two-band antenna loaded with a coil + capacitor parallel tuned circuit.

TRAP3 *
Trap design and impedance vs frequency of an antenna trap.

SELFRES3 *
Performance of solenoid-wound choke coils, particularly coaxial chokes in antenna feedlines.

RJELOOP4 *
Multiband, horizontal loop antennas with any feedline, choke balun and L-network tuner.

COAXTUNE *
Using 1/4-wavelength of coaxial line as a tuned circuit. Tuning capacitor values.

TWINTUNE *
Using 1/4-wavelength of balanced-twin line as a tuned circuit. Tuning capacitor values.

VERTUNE *
Performance of vertical 1/2-wave antennas with LC tuned Z-matching circuit. Coil design.

TUNEHALF *
Impedance matching circuit for high impedance, end-fed, antennas, Plus coil design.

SWRARGUE *
Behaviour of a trans line plus an antenna with an SWR meter at each end of the line.

METALFLM *
Frequency response of wire-end resistors, small dummy loads and VHF chokes.

QL_QC *
Analysis of behaviour of parallel tuned circuit, including Q of both L and C.

TANTENNA *
Analysis of behaviour of a T-antenna. Zin of top. Zin of vertical. Efficiency.

L_NETWK *
L-matching network. Calculate load impedance, R+jX, from coil and capacitor values,

HYPERGEO *
Hypergeometric probability distribution. 2-by-2 Contingency Table calculations.

C_POISE *
Performance of coil-loaded antenna counterpoise or artificial ground.

OPANGLE3 *
Choose operating angles for Class-B and C RF power amplifiers + Plate circuit analysis.

CONNECT *
Degradation in system performance due to presence of a connector of incorrect Zo.

COILINE *
Behaviour of a single-layer solenoid coil as a transmission line at HF.

TWOLINES *
Input Z of two cascaded lines with a load. Design of transline transformer.

TRANCOIL *
A coil as transline. Values of primary and secondary constants. Performance data.

TRANCO_1 *
A solenoid as a transmission line. A 1/4-wave helical antenna. A new perspective.

INPUT_Z *
Input impedance of coaxial transmission line terminated with a load. SWR & line loss.

LINE_ZIN *
Input impedance of balanced-twin transmission line terminated with a load. SWR & line loss.

COAX_VLF *
Behaviour of coaxial transmission lines at low freqs. Zo,Zin,VF,RC,SWR.

SKYTRIG *
Skywave trigonometry. Input elevation angle, layer height and Fcrit. Calculate ground path distance, field strength and MUF.

PROPGATE *
Propagation over line-of-sight and multi-hop ionospheric paths. Path loss, field strength and S-meter readings.

HELIX_2 *
Very short, helically wound, monopole antennas. Length, diameter, number of turns.

LINELEN *
Performance of dipole + transmission line + balun followed by a tuner.

L_V_D *
Calculate input impedance of Inverted-L, Vertical, Dipole antennas. Plus coil design.

RADIAL_3 *
Choosing length and number of a set of shallow-buried ground wires. With vertical antenna.

 

The entire G4FGQ archive can be found at G4FGQ Archive on Observations or at Reg's original site at G4FGQ at BTInternet

I hope you get some useful stuff from these programs. They have certainly helped me in my quest to build effective portable aerials and covert aerials for my 'postage-stamp' type QTH.

73 AL.

 

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