Post by w0qe on Mar 21, 2008 16:50:02 GMT -5
I have gained a lot of experience with the AIM4170 in the past 2 months doing a comprehensive review of the product and using it regularly. I use it often for tuning a multi-resonator mobile antenna that I configure for different bands and need to re-adjust frequently. I have been using the AIM4170 for this purpose and have a feature suggestion for a future release of the software.
I have already talked with Bob about this feature and he suggested that I post it here to see how others feel and to encourage more discussion. User inputs do affect how Bob views feature requests.
I would like to see a box in the "Scan Limits Window" to allow the frequencies used in a scan to come from a text file. For example if the text file was:
3.5, 3.6, .005 // 3.5 to 3.6 MHz in 5 kHz steps
7.0, 7.3, .05 // 7.0 to 7.3 MHz in 50 kHz steps
14.0, 28.0, .1 // 14.0 to 28.0 MHz in 100 kHz steps
The scan frequencies would then be 3.500, 3.505, 3.510 ....... 3.600, 7.000, 7.050. 7.100, 7.150, 7.200, 7.250, 7.300, 14.000, 14.100, 14.200, 14.300, 14.400 ....... 27.800, 27.900. 28.000
This feature is exactly how the SWR button in EZNEC works when you check the box to use frequencies from a text file for doing the SWR calculation of an antenna.
Why have this feature?
To have a single plot of SWR for a multiband antenna that can be made in a reasonable amount of time.
To analyze a multiband antenna and have "decent" resolution on 80m requires steps as small as a couple of kHz and to go up to 10m would result in several thousand scan points. Even if Bob made the arrays big enough to handle this number of points the time to do a scan would be prohibitive. Generally only certain frequencies or ranges are of interest so why scan the frequencies that are not needed?
I would suggest the scan graph be done just like EZNEC where the points representing valid scan frequencies have a data point and the gaps are left blank of otherwise shown as invalid. An EZNEC demo can be downloaded for free from www.eznec.com and the just use any of the antenna models.
Comments?
73, Larry W0QE
I have already talked with Bob about this feature and he suggested that I post it here to see how others feel and to encourage more discussion. User inputs do affect how Bob views feature requests.
I would like to see a box in the "Scan Limits Window" to allow the frequencies used in a scan to come from a text file. For example if the text file was:
3.5, 3.6, .005 // 3.5 to 3.6 MHz in 5 kHz steps
7.0, 7.3, .05 // 7.0 to 7.3 MHz in 50 kHz steps
14.0, 28.0, .1 // 14.0 to 28.0 MHz in 100 kHz steps
The scan frequencies would then be 3.500, 3.505, 3.510 ....... 3.600, 7.000, 7.050. 7.100, 7.150, 7.200, 7.250, 7.300, 14.000, 14.100, 14.200, 14.300, 14.400 ....... 27.800, 27.900. 28.000
This feature is exactly how the SWR button in EZNEC works when you check the box to use frequencies from a text file for doing the SWR calculation of an antenna.
Why have this feature?
To have a single plot of SWR for a multiband antenna that can be made in a reasonable amount of time.
To analyze a multiband antenna and have "decent" resolution on 80m requires steps as small as a couple of kHz and to go up to 10m would result in several thousand scan points. Even if Bob made the arrays big enough to handle this number of points the time to do a scan would be prohibitive. Generally only certain frequencies or ranges are of interest so why scan the frequencies that are not needed?
I would suggest the scan graph be done just like EZNEC where the points representing valid scan frequencies have a data point and the gaps are left blank of otherwise shown as invalid. An EZNEC demo can be downloaded for free from www.eznec.com and the just use any of the antenna models.
Comments?
73, Larry W0QE
