Contest-Plan SmartChart

The Contest-Plan SmartChart is a reasonable simple view. It is configurable to allow the user to select the contest bands and target areas to be displayed.

The Contest-Plan SmartChart, like the Contest-Plan SmartReport, is a specialized prediction batch set. Hopefully this view can be run during contest operation to provide a "guide". It is specialized for several reasons - not just any "prediction batch" can be displayed using the view. To create a suitable prediction set see the How to Prepare a Contest-Plan Prediction Batch topic.

In the screen capture below the view was configured for a "contest run station" operating in or near North America. For this reason it shows only the bands and target areas expected to be the "most productive" for that endeavor. Although the window is sizable the minimum height is with four hours visible. We are well aware that available desktop space on the contest-station computer is quickly filled.

#1 this is the tool bar area. The first tool bar control is the prediction set navigator. The second item is the "Prediction Set Information" button and displays some prediction set "header" type information for easier recognition. Further, when clicked, the Circuits & Antenna Info window opens showing extended information that defines the input parameters used to create the prediction set. The Configure button on the tool bar provides access to the "Contest-Plan Bands and Targets Selection" window where you select desired amateur bands and target areas.

#2 the "amateur band" columns - clicking a column header also opens the Circuits & Antenna Info window

#3 The "target areas" column header identifies each target by the two-character-continent abbreviation where the target is located. By default each "amateur band column" holds the same set of target area columns but these are independently selectable using the "Contest-Plan Bands and Targets Selection" window.

The actual chart portion of this SmartChart has 24 rows, for 24 hours (actually 25 rows, rows 0 and 24 are the same). Each hour row has space to hold a "percent probability value" for that circuit during the hour. If the "percent probability value" is zero it's replaced with a hyphen as this seems to un-clutter the display and enhance readability.

Circuits & Antenna Info

The Circuits & Antenna Info window opens when the Contest-Plan SmartChart "Prediction Set Information button" is clicked and provides a listing of the VOACAP "input parameters" used to create the prediction set. See the screen capture below for a brief description of Circuits & Antenna Info window contents.

#1 The very top line of the Circuits & Antenna Info window provides both short and long great-circle azimuth to each target in the prediction set.

#2 The remainder of the Circuits & Antenna Info window is filled with information specific to each of the circuits in the prediction set.

The SmartChart data -

The data in this SmartChart view is calculated using the K9LA probability method. The K9LA method takes two VOACAP output data and multiplies them together. The two data items are MUFDay and Reliability.

Notice some data items in the chart have an asterisk, * symbol, these note the long-great circle path may be usable or more usable than the short-great-circle path. Please note - The K9LA article "did not include long path because generally long path is more a 'DXing' and 'contest multiplier station' tool - not a 'contest run station' tool".

For more information on the K9LA method of calculating probability see his article:

Propagation Planning for Contests

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/propcontest.pdf

Also see the Probability report type in the Contest-Plan SmartReport topic. To create a suitable prediction set see the How to Prepare a Contest-Plan Prediction Batch topic. To disable the K9LA Introduction pop up message see Miscellaneous Defaults.