Introduction Basic Program AGTC_anyGTa_2lite New Basic Program AGTC_2lite Basic Program AGTC_lite Demonstration why to use AGTC_lite Basic Program AGTC MS Excel Calculators FFTab to MS Excel Loader FFTab of ideal isotropic antenna
Antenna G/T Calculating Software by F5FOD with DG7YBN
Preface
As conceived the Antenna Temperature concept is meant for terrestrial-to-space communication. It is a theoretical
concept using a model environment. The Antenna under Test (AUT) is enclosed in a lower hemisphere (T-earth) and a
upper (T-sky). The Y-factor = T_hot / T_cold shows that T-ant becomes useful for antenna optimisation at above approx. 70 MHz.
In Antenna Simulation Software we can adjust pattern computation step size in degrees. The little patch enlighted in the sky
hemisphere (in sketch on left) is one of the resulting step size patches. The example shows just a single patch in straight
main beam direction. Actually both hemispheres are clad with patches all over. Each of them shines onto the AUT's pattern
with a brightness temperature. Depending on the hemisphere, the patch which belongs to this is either T-earth or T-sky.
The AUT's radiation pattern holds the gain coresponding to each patch, starting with a normalised 0 dB in beam direction
and likewise -24 dB for a side lobe. Now the pick up of noise power per patch is summed up, averaged over the full sphere
and expressed in Kelvin. This is the AUT's antenna temperature.
Same in explicite for calculating Antenna Temperature Ta, sketch: F5FOD
How many radio enthusiasts have been looking up this website since Dec. 2016?
Intro
The Antenna G/T Calculators project AGTC is built around two completely different methodological methods:
• Without mathematical rotation: AGTC_lite
• With mathematical rotation: AGTC and AGTC_fast
In each case, you can use two different tools:
• a program
• a Far Field table feeder azel plus a Microsoft Excel® work sheet.
All the program source codes are free and fully available. They are very documented so you may rewrite them in any language and interface you want.
In Dubus 4/2017, it is mathematically demonstrated that AGTC_lite produces the most accurate results.
Fortunately it is the simplest and the fastest!
References
• Antenna G/T Calculators with Open Source Code, F5FOD with DG7YBN, Dubus 1/2017, 2/2017, 3/2017 and 4/2017
AGTC_anyGTa_2lite, a DOS Console program
The AGTC_anyGTa_2lite is a DOS Console program.
The anyGTa_2lite version was developed to open the program for computing any models with any Average Gain.
It also allows entering new FFTab files in a row. It is so to speak the workhorse in the AGTC family of programs:
Latest Release: AGTC AnyGTa 2lite V2.00
• Shows T_loss_IN and T_loss_OUT:
Elder Release: AGTC AnyGTa 2lite V1.58
• 3 decimal digits instead of 2 for T_pattern, T_loss and T_total displays *.
• Copes with T_total <= 0 K now to handle even antenna models with Average Gain >> 1.
(In such a case, G/Ta value/s is/are replaced by "-99.999*" in a special color
and one single warning message in the same color is added at the bottom of the screen
when this happens on one line or any different lines whatever the number of such lines.)
(*) Addressing the critics:
3 digits for Antenna temperatures and G/Ta ... are these serious numbers?
Yes and no. In a free citation of DJ9BV 'anything below -30 dB are computed artefacts only' we can even question
giving 2 digits. But as technology moves on we encountered challenges with very long Yagis (> 7 wl) for 432 MHz
for which T_pattern and T_loss are so close while T_earth is so high that judging these even the 3rd digit margin counts.
AGTC_anyGTa_2lite is developed in Basic. The .exe file is compiled with the QB64 compiler.
Full Source Code is for download.
Read about the AGTC_anyGTa_2lite DOS Console program
AGTC_anyGTa_2lite, startup screen with entered numbers for T_sky and T_earth and FFtab file name
AGTC_anyGTa_2lite, After entering the FFtab file name it appears in the frame header of the program.
The screen output shows T_sky, T_earth in the header followed by the Antenna Temperatur and G/Ta Table in TANT style.
Note the AG excess warning: Average Gain = 1.026 ... G/Ta corrections might be needed
AGTC_anyGTa_2lite, hitting any key and it returns to the input prompt for next antenna FFtab file name.
AGTC_anyGTa_2lite, Test FFTab with Average Gain so high, set of T_earth, T_sky so low that
from a certain angle alpha on that |T_loss| gets > T_pattern ...
AGTC_anyGTa_2lite characteristics summary
• Computes at any Average Gain (AG)
• Sky and earth noise temperatures are constant.
• Mathematical method completely described and demonstrated.
• Automatic conversion of decimal separator from comma to dot in FFTab.
• Open source code, very readable and fully documented (QB64).
• May be rewritten in any modern language and interface.
• Any asymmetrical pattern allowed, with the maximum gain occurring anywhere.
• Very high accuracy whatever the antenna tilt angle, including 90 degrees, as the
trapezoidal calculations are “exact” and as there are neither mathematical rotation
calculations nor interpolations of any kind.
• No restriction to 5+8 DOS FF Table file names.
• “TANT format” screen to display results, including FF Table file name, Sky and Earth
Temperatures, Average Gain, Max. Gain in azimuth and elevation: in one screen
capture, you get all the essential documentary information.
• An extensive error handler included
Downloads
Current version is: v2.00
Download Source Code of the AGTC_anyGTa_2lite, here
Download the AGTC_anyGTa_2lite.exe as a .zip file, here
Elder version v1.58
Download Source Code of the AGTC_anyGTa_2lite, here
Download the AGTC_anyGTa_2lite.exe as a .zip file, here
Elder version v1.57
Download Source Code of the AGTC_anyGTa_2lite, here
Download the AGTC_anyGTa_2lite.exe as a .zip file, here
AGTC_2lite, a DOS Console program
The AGTC_2lite is a DOS Console program.
The 2lite version was developed to enable computing new antennas ie. FFtab files without having to restart the program.
After computation of an antenna G_T is completed. By pressing any key the next antennas FFtab file can be entered.
It holds the key features as AGTC_lite with these exceptions:
• No output file being generated,
• No choice of span of computed antenna tilt angles,
• Fixed output in a 5 degrees per step tilt angle table.
AGTC_2lite is developed in Basic. The .exe file is compiled with the QB64 compiler.
Full Source Code is for download.
Read about the AGTC_2lite DOS Console program
AGTC_2lite, startup screen with entered numbers for T_sky and T_earth and FFtab file name
AGTC_2lite, After entering the FFtab file name it appears in the frame header of the program.
The screen output shows Tsky, Tearth in the header followed by the Ant-.temp. and G/T Table in TANT style.
AGTC_2lite, hitting any key AGTC_2lite returns to the input prompt for next antenna FFtab file name.
AGTC_2lite characteristics summary
• Sky and earth noise temperatures are constant.
• Mathematical method completely described and demonstrated.
• Automatic conversion of decimal separator from comma to dot in FFTab.
• Open source code, very readable and fully documented (QB64).
• May be rewritten in any modern language and interface.
• Any asymmetrical pattern allowed, with the maximum gain occurring anywhere.
• Very high accuracy whatever the antenna tilt angle, including 90 degrees, as the
trapezoidal calculations are “exact” and as there are neither mathematical rotation
calculations nor interpolations of any kind.
• No restriction to 5+8 DOS FF Table file names.
• “TANT format” screen to display results, including FF Table file name, Sky and Earth
Temperatures, Average Gain, Max. Gain in azimuth and elevation: in one screen
capture, you get all the essential documentary information.
• An extensive error handler included
Downloads
Current version is: v1.56
Download Source Code of the AGTC_2lite, here
Download the AGTC_2lite.exe as a .zip file, here
AGTC_lite, a DOS Console program
The AGTC_lite DOS Console program is developed in Basic. The .exe file is compiled with the QB64 compiler.
Note the update from release v1.52 to v1.53 which now holds improved test for length of FFtab files. With v.1.55 it also shows
the name of the engaged with FFTab file in its window frame header. Which is welcome for documentation in form of screenshots.
We discovered on 18th of March, 2018 that in case of
feeding the program with an FFTab produced by 4nec2 with a comma as decimal mark,
the program delivered wrong values. However there was and is no problem using
EZNEC produced FFTab files with either comma or dot.
Hence this new release v1.56 which fixes the bug.
Of course this new release works fine with 4nec2/dot and EZNEC/dot or comma!
Read about the AGTC_lite DOS Console program
AGTC_lite, startup screen with entered numbers for T_sky and T_earth
AGTC_lite, After entering the FFtab file name it appears in the frames header of the program
AGTC_lite, results plotted in TANT style, showing for what FFtab file in the header still.
AGTC_lite characteristics summary
• Sky and earth noise temperatures are constant.
• Mathematical method completely described and demonstrated.
• Automatic conversion of decimal separator from comma to dot in FFTab.
• Open source code, very readable and fully documented (QB64).
• May be rewritten in any modern language and interface.
• Any asymmetrical pattern allowed, with the maximum gain occurring anywhere.
• Very high accuracy whatever the antenna tilt angle, including 90 degrees, as the
trapezoidal calculations are “exact” and as there are neither mathematical rotation
calculations nor interpolations of any kind.
• No restriction to 5+8 DOS FF Table file names.
• Flexible choices for the sets of antenna tilt angle values to be computed.
• “TANT format” screen to display results, including FF Table file name, Sky and Earth
Temperatures, Average Gain, Max. Gain in azimuth and elevation: in one screen
capture, you get all the essential documentary information.
• An extensive error handler included
Downloads
Current version is: v1.56
Download Source Code of the AGTC_lite, here
Download the AGTC_lite.exe as a .zip file, here
AGTC_lite - DEMO -
Read about the demonstration and tests described in Dubus 4/2017,
which show that DJ9BV was 100% correct in 1987 and AGTC_lite is THE program to use
Read about the AGTC_lite DOS Console program
Rainer Bertelsmeier, DJ9BV, was 100% correct in his pioneering article Effective Noise Temperatures of 4-Yagi-Arrays for 432 MHz EME in Dubus 4/1987.
There is a total equivalence between the DJ9BV’s method and the method used in AGTC_lite.
Moreover, AGTC_lite is valid for any kind of antenna pattern, symmetrical or not.
Therefore AGTC_lite is the more accurate open source program to compute Antenna G/T for any kind of antenna, symmetrical or not, provided that Sky
and Earth Temperatures are two constants.
The most accurate … and very fast because:
• there are no mathematical rotation calculations,
• nor interpolations,
• the FF curves being point-by-point curves and not continuous curves, the trapezoidal method gives “exact” results and not approximate results.
Downloads
Download the AGTC_lite_DJ9BV MS Excel® Version 97-2003 (.xls), here
Download the AGTC_lite_DJ9BV MS Excel® Version 2007- ... (.xlsx), here
And the Test Antenna Files
Download the DJ9BV_BVO_3wl EZNEC file, here
Download the DJ9BV_BVO_3wl Far Field Table (lossless antenna) as a .zip file, here
Download the DJ9BV_BVO_3wl Far Field Table (antenna with losses) as a .zip file, here
AGTC
Read about the AGTC DOS Console program
We discovered on 18th of March, 2018 that in case of
feeding the program with an FFTab produced by 4nec2 with a comma as decimal mark,
the program delivered wrong values. However there was and is no problem using
EZNEC produced FFTab files with either comma or dot.
Hence this new release v3.06 which fixes the bug.
Of course this new release works fine with 4nec2/dot and EZNEC/dot or comma!
The AGTC full version rotation matrix program is available in 2 variations
• AGTC employs 91 rotation matrixes (which must be accessible for the program)
• AGTC_fast uses prebuilt rotation matrix numbers and runs as stand-alone application
AGTC_fast, startup screen with entered numbers for T_sky, T_earth and FFtab filename
AGTC_fast, results plotted in TANT style, showing for what FFtab file in the header still.
Downloads AGTC
Current version is: v3.06
Download Source Code of the AGTC here
Download the AGTC.exe as a .zip file (1.9 MB), here
Download the 91 ready built AGTC Matrixes
Current version is: v2.00
Download the AGTC matrixes V2.00 as a .zip file (30 MB), here
Downloads AGTC Matrix Builders Source Code
Current version is: v2.00
Download the AGTC step 1 phi 1 theta 1 generator v2.00 here
Download the AGTC step 1 matrix generator v2.00 here
Download the AGTC step 1 matrix 00 generator v2.00 here
Downloads AGTC_fast
Current version is: v3.06
Download Source Code of the AGTC_fast as a .zip file (12 MB), here
Download the AGTC_fast.exe as a .zip file (12 MB), here
AGTC_lite.xlsx/xls : Antenna G/T Calculation Microsoft Excel
An MS Excel® Sheet that computes an Antennas max. Gain, Average Gain, Temperature and G/T
Read about the Antenna G/T Calculation Microsoft Excel®
An MS Excel® Sheet that computes an Antennas max. Gain, Average Gain, Temperature and G/T.
For convenience of use a Basic Program has been written which automatically loads the necessary numbers
from an FFTab file as produced by EZNEC and 4nec2 into the MS Excel® Sheet (see next chapter)
A comprehensive Instruction Manual is also provided in the Download Section
Downloads
Current version is: v3.00
Download the AGTC_lite MS Excel® Manual (v.6-05) as a PDF file, here
Download the AGTC_lite as MS Excel® Version 2007- ... (.xlsx), here
AGTC.xlsx/xls: Antenna G/T Calculation Microsoft Excel with matrix rotation
An MS Excel® Sheet that computes an Antennas max. Gain, Average Gain, Temperature and G/T
Read about the Antenna G/T Calculation Microsoft Excel®
An MS Excel® Sheet that computes an Antennas max. Gain, Average Gain, Temperature and G/T with rotation matrix.
For convenience of use a Basic Program has been written which automatically loads the necessary numbers
from an FFTab file as produced by EZNEC and 4nec2 into the MS Excel® Sheet (see next chapter)
A comprehensive Instruction Manual is also provided in the Download Section
Downloads
Current version is: v2.00
Download the AGTC MS Excel® Manual (v.1-03) as a PDF file, here
→ Newer MS Excel®
Download the AGTC as MS Excel® Version 2007- ....(.xlsx) as a .zip file, here
Download the AGTC matrixes as MS Excel® Version 2007- ... (.xlsx) as a .zip file here
→ Elder MS Excel®
Download the AGTC as MS Excel® Version ... -2003 (.xls) as a .zip file, here
Download the AGTC matrixes as MS Excel® Version ... -2003 (.xls) as a .zip file here
azel: Antenna G/T Microsoft Excel® FFTab Loader (Basic Program)
Read about the Microsoft Excel® FFTab Loader
The 'azel.exe' is a Program written in Basic. It loads an FFTab into the AGTC_lite as MS Excel® Version
We discovered on 18th of March, 2018 that in case of
feeding the program with an FFTab produced by 4nec2 with a comma (and here: or a dot) as decimal mark,
the program delivered wrong values. However there was and is no problem using
EZNEC produced FFTab files with either comma or dot.
Hence this new release v1.02 which fixes the bug.
Of course this new release works fine with EZNEC/dot or comma!
Downloads
Current version is: v1-02
Download Source Code of the 'azel_V1-02' MS Excel® loader, here
Download the 'azel_V1-02.exe' MS Excel® loader, here
Iso-FFtab: Far Field Table of Ideal Isotropic Antenna
Read about the Ideal Isotropic Antenna Far Field Table
'Iso-FFtab' is an artificial Far Field Table which holds a Tot dB = 0.00 for all small areas on the pattern i.e. for any azimuth and
elevation angles. A perfect isotropic antenna for test purpose when developing antenna temperature computing programs.
A clipping of that FFtab:
Azimuth Pattern Elevation angle = 0 deg.
Deg V dB H dB Tot dB
0 -3.01 -3.01 -0.00
1 -3.01 -3.01 -0.00
2 -3.01 -3.01 -0.00
3 -3.01 -3.01 -0.00
...
Downloads
Download the 'Iso-FFtab' artificial Far Field Table, here
Introduction
