Answers to your questions about the Radio Coverage Tool.
I can’t register/login to my account, what’s the issue?
Please review these NUG/RF Toolkit account troubleshooting tips.
Why can’t I see the fields to start using the Radio Coverage Tool?
If you are logged in and don’t see the fields to start using the tool, then you may need to adjust your browser’s security permissions. Here are a few examples of how to change your browser permissions settings.
I don’t understand how to use the RF Toolkit, can you help?
Sure! We have a short free webinar that explains how to use the RF toolkit.
How do I save my current coverage to view at a later time?
Once you have completed a new coverage click the “Add To My Coverage Plots” button at the bottom of the screen. Your new coverage will now be available from the main menu under ‘My Coverage Plots”.
How do I save my new coverage plot as an image?
When you have your coverage plot on screen:
- WINDOWS: click Print Screen button (or Prt Scr) on your keyboard to copy the entire screen to your computer clipboard. (Note: Alt-Print Screen will copy just the active window) Now paste the image into any image manipulation program (MS Paint, PhotoShop, etc.), where you can crop the coverage plot from the screen capture.
- MAC: click Shift-Command (⌘)-4 on your keyboard, and use the crosshairs to select the coverage plot on screen. The .png of the image is now on your desktop.
What do the colours along the ground in the point to point view mean?
Here’s the legend for the ground cover colours:
What frequency ranges are covered by the Radio Coverage Tool?
The Radio Coverage tool supports the following frequency ranges:
Coverage
- 40 to 108 MHz
- 170 to 255 MHz
- 335 to 960 MHz
- 1.35 to 2.412 GHz
- 2.462 to 3.65 GHz
- 3.7 to 5.12 GHz
- 5.875 to 13 GHz
Links
- 20 MHz to 2.412 GHz
- 2.462 to 3.65 GHz
- 3.7 to 5.12 GHz
- 5.875 to 13 GHz
Can the RF Toolkit help analyze advanced situations, like directional antennas, other frequency bands, or SFN interference zones?
The Radio Coverage tool is based on Radio Mobile, a free program written for Windows by Roger Coudé, an RF engineer living in Quebec. The program is available from http://www.ve2dbe.com/english1.html.
Nautel licensed the tool and built a web interface for the broadcast frequencies, to help answer some common questions global broadcasters face. We simplified the Radio Mobile options to make it easier for broadcasters to get accurate results. However, as there are many features that probably can be implemented by more advanced users using Radio Mobile, there is an active online group where users discuss the various ways Radio Mobile can be used: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Radio_Mobile_Deluxe/info
Why do I get the error message “Illegal coordinates” when using the map to create a new transmitter site?
This happens if you move the pointer across the International Date Line (IDL). If you wish place the pointer somewhere to the east of the Americas, drag it to the right (towards the east) from the default (US) location. Make sure you do not cross the IDL from that direction either, otherwise you will generate the same error.
Is there a RF Toolkit that can provide similar coverage maps for AM stations?
Unfortunately, our RF toolkit only works in the broadcast allocations within the VHF/UHF bands. At this time, we don’t have an answer for AM / MW frequencies.
When creating a new coverage plot and selecting from the “Tx system” dropdown, does the power level refer to ERP or TPO level?
This refers to TPO and uses full wavelength by default. For a more accurate calculation, select “Custom” from the dropdown list so you can enter your own TPO and antenna gain manually.
How do I convert coordinates from degrees/minutes/seconds to decimal?
The FCC provides a handy calculator to do this: https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/dms-decimal