A study of PC-based HF Ionospheric Propagation predictions for use in Naval communications
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Authors
Giakoumakis, Georgios H.
Subjects
High Frequency (HF)
Ionospheric Propagation
Ionospheric Propagation
Advisors
Adler, Richard W.
Date of Issue
1990-06
Date
June 1990
Publisher
Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
High frequency (HF) ionospheric propagation predictions have been available on mainframe computers since the late 1960s. Since the advent of low cost, computationally powerful personnel computers, several propagation codes have been ported from mainframes to PC's. This study compares results from two versions of the IONCAP and PROPHET HF propagation prediction codes to a database of measured electric field strengths. IONCAP-PC 2.5 predictions were compared to IONCAP-VAX 85.04 predictions and to those from PROPHET 3.2 (PC-version). A database of measured signal strengths from the CCIR containing over 16,000 points or cases was used as a benchmark for comparing code results. For both IONCAP-PC 2.5 and PROPHET 3.2, field strength predictions were low in more than 50% of the cases examined. This was particularly true for PROPHET, which is considered to be a conservative model. PROPHET features quick solution, graphical outputs, and a user-friendly environment, in comparison to IONCAP. IONCAP-PC 2.5, which is an improved version of a previous mainframe IONCAP, produced slightly more accurate predictions than IONCAP 85.04, and substantially better results than those from PROPHET.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
vii, 55 p.
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.