Surfin': Linuxating VOACAP


By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor
October 05, 2007

Jari Perkiömäki, OH6BG, wrote recently to inform me that VOACAP, the
free professional HF propagation prediction program from National
Telecommunications and Information Administration's Institute for
Telecommunication Sciences (NTIA/ITS), is now available as a Linux
application. In addition, VOACAP now has a graphical user interface
(GUI) to make inputting and outputting data easier.

VOACAP is the initialism for Voice of America Coverage Analysis
Program (for HF Propagation Prediction and Ionospheric Communications
Analysis). It may be an acronym, too (vo-ah-cap), but I cannot attest
to ever hearing anyone using it that way.

VOACAP is the result of more than 50 years of US HF research and
development and many consider it to be "the most professional HF
system performance prediction tool available on the market." VOA and
other international HF broadcasters currently use the program for HF
frequency planning.

Originally a UNIX program, the official release of VOACAP is a Windows
program. This project represents an effort to compile the program's
source code on Linux/Mac OS X. Take a look at Jim Watson's, M0DNS,
VOACAP on Linux Web page for source code, output scripts, installation
information and such. Also, check out Jari's VOACAP Quick Guide for
general information about VOACAP and the new GUI.