| WinCAP Wizard - Enhanced VOACAP Toolset |
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DX-Gazetteer The WinCAP Wizard DX Gazetteer is a geographical dictionary where the focus is specifically geographic location and regional division. The DX Gazetteer utilizes a database "table" containing “records” of locations and related information of interest to amateur radio operators. The DX Gazetteer can be accessed in two ways from the Master-Control Palette – the Analyze, Point-to-Point function and from the Menu and DX Gazetteer function. Main Features
The WinCAP Wizard DX Gazetteer is organized in a “tree like” structure with "primary locations" organized in “DX list” fashion and oriented toward convenience for amateur radio operations. Incremental searching on any column - of information - is provided so even if you do not know a call "prefix" the target location can be located by country or city name. The DX Gazetteer features bi-directional integration with both the SmartMap-Geographic View and the Coverage-Analysis View. Using “Ctrl-click” on “map” locations selects the target in the DX Gazetteer and the DX Gazetteer “Locate” button “plots” - locate by means of coordinates - the target prefix and the great-circle path to a map for quick visual identification. If neither the SmartMap-Geographic View nor the Coverage-Analysis View is available – or open – when the DX Gazetteer Locate button is clicked then the SmartMap-Geographic View is automatically opened and the target location plotted. If the Coverage-Analysis View is available then the target location is plotted there – the Coverage-Analysis View is never automatically opened. There are tools with a few similar features available but the unique power and functionality of the WinCAP Wizard DX Gazetteer provides you a tool with no known peer. The screen capture below was “clipped” on the right and left edges to fit available space.
#1 The DX Gazetteer window-title bar provides an important notice of the “Station” currently selected in the Circuit-Configuration Manager and Station-Parameters Manager – location name, geographic coordinates and grid sub-square. The “azimuth” and “distance” displayed for each target location is relative to the currently selected “station” location and must be re-calculated when the "station" is changed. #2 The familiar tool bar holds several buttons that provide power and convenience - these are described below. Analyze To create a point-to-point prediction, select the desired target location and click the "Analyze" button. The “input parameter groups” used are those currently selected in the Circuit-Configuration Manager pages. Clear Prefix Search The “C” button can be easily overlooked but when clicked clears the “prefix search” box, resets the search and also makes the “prefix search” box the “current” control. Three functions in one click is a time saver and user convenience. Prefix Search The “prefix search” box is useful for finding any primary or secondary amateur radio call sign prefix. When the Canadian and US Calls “tables” are filled the “prefix search” box also gathers geographic information from those calls. To use the prefix search function, make sure the cursor is in the prefix entry box and begin typing a prefix. The search is “incremental” meaning locations are highlighted – in area #5 described below - as they are found. Column-Incremental Search The incremental type search is useful when searching for a place by its name. It is important to note the search occurs only in "expanded branches". All branches can quickly be "expanded" from the menu item. To use incremental search, first click a column and begin typing the item for which you are searching. For example, to search for a specific city, click any displayed city name - to select the city column - then begin typing the name of the desired city. Locate The Locate function draws the great-circle path from the “station" to the target and plots the current target prefix on the SmartMap-Geographic View the Coverage-Analysis View. If neither the SmartMap-Geographic View nor the Coverage-Analysis View is available – or open – when the DX Gazetteer Locate button is clicked then the SmartMap-Geographic View is automatically opened and the target location plotted. If the Coverage-Analysis View is available then the target location is plotted there – the Coverage-Analysis View is never automatically opened. New Station The “New Station” button copies the current prefix, name and geographic coordinates to the "Station-Parameters Manager" and makes the new entry the default for all prediction types. The change is, of course, also shown in the Circuit-Configuration Manager. Additionally, the DX Gazetteer azimuth and distance items are relative to the current "station"; see the DX Gazetteer window-title bar. To Batch When you click the DX Gazetteer “To Batch” button a new “circuit” is added to the current prediction batch. The circuit information consists of the current prefix, name and geographic coordinates. A default “input parameter group” is added to the new prediction batch circuit for "System", "X Ant" and "R Sys". The default “input parameter group” for each of these is the one "currently selected" in the Circuit-Configuration Manager, associated Manager or Browser. Sorting #3 These are the column "header labels” and identify the type of information provided by each column of the DX Gazetteer display. Click and drag a column “header” to the desired position to change the order in which the columns appear. Change the column “width” by placing your mouse cursor over the line between headers then clicking and dragging to the desired width. The column “width” and “order” are “sticky” meaning it is stored when the DX Gazetteer is closed and restored the next time the DX Gazetteer is access – or opened. #4The “order” – or sort – of displayed information can be change by clicking "header" label of any column. The display “sort order” is “sticky” meaning the selected order is stored when the DX Gazetteer is closed and restored the next time the DX Gazetteer is access – or opened. The default sort order is by Prefix and then by City. This is indicated by the triangle mark in the column headers. To select a second column on which to sort, hold your keyboard Shift key and click the desired column header. Alternatively, to return to using only one column sorting, hold your keyboard Ctrl key and click the column header to be removed from sorting. #5 In addition to the “primary” DX-list targets there are many others on "branches ". The top, or parent, level is typically the entity capitol and the branches hold subdivisions or simply other cities. For example, the primary USA entity is Washington, D.C. In the branches from Washington, D.C. is each state capitol and from each state capitol are cities or county “seats” – or county administration center - within that state. Area #5 – in the screen capture above – is the “grid” portion of the window and is an example of an "expanded branch". Note the minus sign, indicating the branch is expanded; also note other locations in view have a plus sign, indicating they are "collapsed". Click the plus or minus sign, as appropriate, to expand or collapse a specific branch. When the parent entity of interest is selected and the grid portion of the window “has focus” you can also use your keyboard plus and minus keys to expand and contract branches. The DX Gazetteer window size is adjustable to suit the user. Customize In addition to the default information columns the DX Gazetteer has several others available. Access the "Customize" window from the menu. To hide or show a particular column un-check or check the desired column items. The screen capture below shows all available column options.
As mentioned above - to rearrange the columns of information, click the column "header" (#2) and drag to the desired position and adjust column widths clicking dragging the line between the headers. When you are satisfied with the settings click the “done” button. Your custom settings are stored when the DX Gazetteer is closed and restored the next time the DX Gazetteer is access – or opened. |
