Joel Dorfan wrote:

I want to evaluate some Yagis using NEC software. There seem to be many
EZNec, MultiNec etc. etc. Which have you tried? Which offers the best value
for money. I dont mind paying but dont have the time to evaluate all of the
free demos.

I would appreciate some pointers from the group.

Thanks

Joel
ZS6CBA

Visit the W4RNL site to look intot he different capabilities of NEC and
miniNEC. If still available, Beezley's YO is tailored just for Yagi design and
is very user friendly.

Dale W4OP

My three day use of EZNEC Demo has made EZNEC a
definite want. There is nothing that the demo
won't do, there are few differences, according to
the author. But the Demo has become my favorite
toy, and I am saving my pennies.

--
73 es cul

wb3fup
a Salty Bear

"Joel Dorfan" wrote in
message ...
I want to evaluate some Yagis using NEC
software. There seem to be many
EZNec, MultiNec etc. etc. Which have you tried?
Which offers the best value
for money. I dont mind paying but dont have the
time to evaluate all of the
free demos.

I would appreciate some pointers from the group.

Thanks

Joel
ZS6CBA

There is also 4NEC2, free, good value for the money, does optimization too and
works with MultiNEC and EZNEC.

Yuri

Thanks Dale,
Yes I believe that YO is the application that would do the job.

The next trick is to try and get hold of Brian Beezley. There does not seem
to be an updated email address for him and I can't find a site from where
the software can be downloaded.

Any clues anyone?

Joel

You can contact Brian at his callbook address:

Brian Beezley, K6STI
3532 Linda Vista Dr.
San Marcos, CA 92069

He only accepts orders by mail.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Joel Dorfan wrote:
Thanks Dale,
Yes I believe that YO is the application that would do the job.

The next trick is to try and get hold of Brian Beezley. There does not seem
to be an updated email address for him and I can't find a site from where
the software can be downloaded.

Any clues anyone?

Joel

And don't even think of trying to run it under XP.

Danny, K6MHE


On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 11:14:38 -0700, Roy Lewallen
wrote:

You can contact Brian at his callbook address:

Brian Beezley, K6STI
3532 Linda Vista Dr.
San Marcos, CA 92069

He only accepts orders by mail.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Joel Dorfan wrote:
Thanks Dale,
Yes I believe that YO is the application that would do the job.

The next trick is to try and get hold of Brian Beezley. There does not seem
to be an updated email address for him and I can't find a site from where
the software can be downloaded.

Any clues anyone?

Joel

Joel,
I have no experience with anything other than AO which I have used
for many years.

deletsky...

As far as I am aware the A.O. program can achieve what most of the
other programs can achieve whereas most other programs cannot achieve
what A.O. can achieve which really tells the story.
Hope the above helps you to make the right descision for you
Regards
Art


Does anyone see any contradiction here?
The question was about NEC based programs, AO is not NECky program.

Maybe too much SWR going on?
What a great artwise :-)

Bada NEC BUm

BTW try 4NEC2, its FREEEEEEE

I have no experience with anything other than AO which I have used
for many years. I purchased A.O. because it had the ability of
analysing any given radiator over different quality grounds and also
for it's ability to change the geometry of a radiator so that gain,
swr, F/B e.t.c can be optimised depending on your requirement.

So can 4nec2. It's optimizer was based on the same principles as AO.
Furthermore it can (almost) automatically convert *.ant files to 4nec2
input files. (just specify your *.ant file as a 4nec2 input file).
Besides that 4nec2 is based on the nec-2 core whereas AO was based on
the mininec core, especially important when modeling 'close' to
ground.

It is also a great learning tool because you can see where major changes
occur while the program runs that gives you insights as to
what further changes you can present to the program and follow the
computors progress as it changes geometries e.t.c.

I would suggest to take a look at the 4nec2 'evaluate' option. With
this you can stepwise change one or more antenna, ground, load or
other dimensions and see what effect they have on far-field pattern or
other antenna characteristics.

I have just purchaes the A.O. Pro program which cost $300.
This program is the same as the std A.O. program except it has many
more pulses available e.t.c.

4nec2 max is 5000 segments for XP systems, max 11000 segments for
none-XP systems

As far as I am aware the A.O. program can achieve what most of the
other programs can achieve whereas most other programs cannot achieve
what A.O. can achieve which really tells the story.

I would be very glad to know what you think could be added to 4nec2 to
make it even better.

Furthemore it might be usefull to know the following is also possible:
- Switchable genetic based or traditional hil-climbing optimizer
- 2D, 3D graphical- and chart- display of near-field data
- Optional surface wave-data included in far-field.
- Sophisticated Smith-chart display when using frequency sweep.
- Interface to VOACAP propagation prediction freeware
- CAD alike geometry editor for starting modeler (however not usable
when optization is required, see help-file)
- Nec-2 aware or default notepad editor also usable.

One drawback might be the lack of a very comprehensive getting started
and/or user manual, but you can always contact me in case of problems.

Please don't interpret this as an advertisement. Just as an attempt to
share some private-made software with others interested in antenna
modeling and/or propagation prediction.

Arie.

Arie 4NEC2 wrote:

I would be very glad to know what you think could be added to 4nec2 to
make it even better.

Thanks again for fine software Arie.
Things I would like to see is incorporation of terrain simulation with antenna
design. Few zones of different "ground quality" (radials, sand, salt water)
with linear and/or circular boundaries plus sloping terrain (contour profile).
Example would be four square array on the sloping hill of sand some distance
from the ocean. Verticals are very sensitive to the ground quality and terrain
slopes/profile and this feature would be a great tool in quest for maximizing
the performance of array by using the terrain features (enhanced F/B).
K6STI has Terrain Analyzer (?) I have never tried it, but I understand that he
uses free space pattern of antenna and then applies the geometry and quality of
ground. I can see that more true representation of antenna's performance is to
tweak the design with real ground/terrain situation. Vertical antennas, where
ground participation makes significant difference in the tuning of array, would
be more closely modeled by using real ground rather than free space (who's got
it anyway?) and then doing optimization with given ground/terrain situation.
Enough challenge? I don't know of any software that would do optimization with
participation of ground/terrain.
Thanks again!

Yuri, K3BU

oSaddam (Yuri Blanarovich) wrote in message ...

Things I would like to see is incorporation of terrain simulation with antenna
design. Few zones of different "ground quality" (radials, sand, salt water)
with linear and/or circular boundaries plus sloping terrain (contour profile).
Example would be four square array on the sloping hill of sand some distance
from the ocean. Verticals are very sensitive to the ground quality and terrain
slopes/profile and this feature would be a great tool in quest for maximizing
the performance of array by using the terrain features (enhanced F/B).
K6STI has Terrain Analyzer (?) I have never tried it, but I understand that he
uses free space pattern of antenna and then applies the geometry and quality of
ground. I can see that more true representation of antenna's performance is to
tweak the design with real ground/terrain situation. Vertical antennas, where
ground participation makes significant difference in the tuning of array, would
be more closely modeled by using real ground rather than free space (who's got
it anyway?) and then doing optimization with given ground/terrain situation.
Enough challenge?

What a strange coincidence..., I had the same thoughts and almost used
the same words when contacting Dean Straw for an evaluation copy of
his latest HFTA terrain analysis software, to figure out if it was
possible and if it would be worth the effort to interface with this
software to optimize over a specific terrain profile and/or interface
with the VOACAP propagation prediction software.
I also took a look at TA and to see how this would fit, but because
this package is DOS based I decided to take a further look at HFTA.

However, it seems both packages are restricted to the use of
horizontal polarized (Yagi) antennas only. Because 4nec2 was created
to support also other types of antennas (there are already a number of
Yagi optimization programs) it looks like both programs would not
match completely. Furthermore, I am not such an (antenna) expert that
I can create the equations my own to determine the resultant radiation
pattern over none-flat ground for both vertial and horizontal
polarized systems. Also concerning the user-interfrace for both
programs it seems not that easy to automatically interface with one of
them.

So maybe all this will "time-out" till the long winter evenings...

Arie.