What is GeoAlert-Extreme Wizard?

Above is a SAMPLE and not intended to represent actual solar activity on indicated dates.

GeoAlert-Extreme Wizard – “GEW” – is a powerful software tool - for ham radio operators and SWL listeners - developed to maintain updated geophysical indices and displays the information in a friendly – “at a glance” - manner. GeoAlert-Extreme Wizard features numerous tools including a “Global Maximum Usable Frequency” - MUF - map that creates, manages and displays predictions from the VOACAP engine. At a glance geophysical indices include the solar wind Bz component, speed and pressure, current WWV type indices and the predicted solar flux, planetary A-Index and probability of major storms at middle and high latitudes for the next day. The GeoAlert-Extreme Wizard retrieves updated solar-geophysical data when it is available. The Space Environment Center geophysical data is updated every 3 hours (typically at 0000, 0300, 0600, 0900, 1200, 1500, 1800, and 2100 UTC).

Additional information in the form of "mouse over" hints/tips is provided for each event. These pop up hints/tips explain the expected effects on HF radio communication - due to each event type and severity level. This extra information can be viewed by moving the mouse cursor over an event indicator. For example, if you could move your mouse cursor into the "Next 24 Hours" area of above and pause over the "Blackouts" event display, this hint/tip would pop up: "Complete HF radio blackout on the entire sunlit side of the Earth lasting for a number of hours".

Additional GEW Features Menu -

The GeoAlert-Extreme Wizard right-click menu provides additional functions and configuration options.

The NVIS Toolkit

The NVIS Toolkit features are included in the QSL-ware version and provides several useful views of HF propagation iformation available on the Internet. This toolkit is very popular for use between ham radio stations.

The screen capture above offers a look at just one of the NVIS Toolkit displays. The buttons toward the top offer a hint of the other displays.

The GeoAlert-Extreme Wizard Charts

Charts are provided for Daily Geomagnetic Data, Daily Solar Data and Predicted Flux/SSN. Accompanying tables are also provided.

Chart of Past and Predicted Solar Indices.

Chart of Daily Geomagnetic Data.

Chart of Daily Solar Data.

Report of Solar and Geophysical Activity

The SEC Report of Solar and Geophysical Activity is also provided. This is the primary daily report prepared by SESC. It is a summary issued each day at 2200 UTC and provides a summary and analysis of solar and geomagnetic activity during the previous 24 hours as well as the most recent solar indices. It additionally provides a probability forecast for geomagnetic activity, providing users with a quantitative measure of certainty in the forecast.

The SEC Report of Solar and Geophysical Activity probability forecast is utilized to provide the bottom section of the GEW at a glance display.

The Global Maximum-Usable-Frequency Map

Using a “Global Maximum-Usable-Frequency Map” GeoAlert-Extreme Wizard creates and manages predictions from the VOACAP engine. The “Global Maximum-Usable-Frequency Map” is more simply known as the MUF Map.

After an easy "initial setup" there should be an extremely small, if any, learning curve to operate and make use of the MUF Map. Of course the more well informed a user the more useful these software tools might become.

Why a MUF map?

The simplest way to plan HF sky-wave communications is an estimate of the frequency having efficient ionospheric reflections. Normally, an estimate of the frequencies expected to have efficient ionospheric support 90 percent of the time, FOT, and those having efficient ionospheric support 50 percent of the time, MUF, are adequate estimates of upper frequency limits for planning.

The maximum usable frequency (MUF) calculations are a description of the state of the ionosphere between two locations - ham radio stations or otherwise - on the earth and not a statement on the actual performance of any operational communications circuit. The reason is, the MUF calculations do not include any "system parameters", such as antenna, or transmit power or man-made noise at the receiver location.

Most of us typically learn faster by working, or playing, with software than from reading the manual. Omitting the need to specify system parameters lowers the learning curve and so helps the user concentrate on having fun. Hopefully operating the MUF Map controls will quickly become evident. Experiment and play with the map. Most of all enjoy and have fun.

Available Now

GeoAlert-Extreme Wizard is available for download and installs with a QSL-ware license. Download and experience it all for yourself in the comfort of your ham radio station.

The default install for each of our software applications is QSL-ware, meaning they can be used as is without time limit. GeoAlert-Extreme Wizard is fully functional for basic SEC automatic downloads and more.

A 60-day trial of the premium version is available upon request. Try the software tools. If you don't think them worthy of being registered and paid for, they revert back to the default QSL-ware/freeware mode and functionality, without time limit. This means you have a great tool in any case. This rare and unique opportunity may sound to good to be true, give it a try and decide for yourself.

Version 4.1.44 on 30 Dec 2007
Please note this is a 2.8 MB download.
This default GeoAlert-Extreme install is QSL-ware.
The QSL-ware version has no time limit and automatically downloads solar indices.

Click Here to Download GeoAlert-Extreme Wizard

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