By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
May 28, 2010

This week, Surfin’ kicks the tires on a cool new online HF propagation tool.

Jari Perkiömäki, OH6BG, wrote that VOACAP Online, a Web-based propagation prediction application, is now up and running and making HF propagation predictions between any two points on the globe. (VOACAP is arguably one of the best HF prediction engines available today.)

Just enter the coordinates of the transmitter and receiver sites and VOACAP Online uses the Voice of America Coverage Analysis Program (VOACAP) to calculate the maximum usable frequency (MUF) of the HF path between the sites. The results of the calculated prediction display a “circuit reliability” graph that indicates the probability of achieving a CW-grade transmission between the transmitter and the receiver.

If you’re Lot sure of a transmitter’s or receiver’s coordinates, you can use the Google Maps-based QTH locator to obtain that information. The VOACAP Quick Guide has loads of information about VOACAP including links for downloading the application.

In addition to Jari Perkiömäki, OH6BG, James Watson, HZ1JW, and Juho Juopperi, OH8GLV, are the wizards behind the curtain at VOACAP Online.

By the way, being an old shortwave listener, I really appreciated the World Radio Broadcasting Stations on Google Map Web pages, which are accessible from the VOACAP Quick Guide.

Until next time, keep on surfin’.

Editor note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, longs for more online ham radio applications. To contact Stan, send him e-mail or add comments to his blog.