Making a Map

SELECT Scale

The term "Frame" is synonymous with "Map." To map a station's contour first determine if the map scale default value is correct for your project. Set the "Map Scale" by clicking "Map" on the "Main Screen." The Map Default Screen will pop up. Next choose the radio button to select one of the fixed map scales or the selection called "automatic" which automatically sets the correct map scale to fill the screen with your station's contour or you can enter your own specialized scale.

The "Map Default" screen also has a radio button selection for the measurement units used for the distance scale found at the lower left hand corner of each map frame. You can select the scale to read in English or metric units.

Click the "Save" command button to save your default map values and exit the screen.

SELECT Overlays

Now click the "Geo Overlays" you wish to have appear on your map.

Clicking the "Set" button on the top of the map overlay frame on the main screen will cause the overlay selection boxes to reflect the default overlay selections set from the "Map Default" screen.

INPUT Reference Station

Next click the "Ref #1" command button and the "Reference" station parameters screen will pop up. Enter all the information requested for the reference station on this screen. Note that it is important to choose a channel number as the INTERDLG needs to know the frequency for the station you desire to map. INTERDLG uses only the Center of Radiation COR AMSL height (meters) for calculating distance to signal contours. When the COR is not available type in the antenna height HAAT and then click the "COR" command button.

ACTIVATE Query

From the "Reference" screen you may also query the database to find information on the station you wish to plot. To make a query of the database, first select either FM or TV at the FM/TV database radio button. Then type in the two letter state abbreviation where the station is located... tab to the "match" input line and enter the characters you wish to search for. You may match call letters, city, ownership or other topic values. Then click the "Find" button to find the station. If the station you are searching for does not pop up immediately, click the "Next" command button until you find the correct one. Then click the "Accept" button and the operating parameter values of the station will be automatically fill in the reference station blanks.

ACTIVATE Make

When you have finished entering the reference station operating parameters click the "Make" command button which should be visible from the main screen. INTERDLG will then start the process of making your map.

If you have forgotten to choose any overlays, INTERDLG will flag you to ask if you really want to make a map without any overlays on it. If you click "Yes" the program will continue on to make a map without any overlays. If you choose "No" then the program will use the instantaneous default values of the overlay selections. Since INTERDLG reads the overlays used on each frame and darkens the appropriate overlay selection boxes, if you choose no INTERDLG will use the darkened overlay selections of the previous map. If there are no darkened selections at all INTERDLG will use the default overlay selections from the "Map Default" screen.

Since the INTERDLG frame index always resides on an existing frame, when you select "Make" the program will ask you if you wish to “overwrite" the current frame or make a new frame. Once you make your selection you will then be asked for a name for the Index to use to refer to the map you are making. You must enter a name or the program will cancel this operation. The name you enter will also be used on map in the lower right hand corner. Of course you can edit this name using INTERDLG's editing controls.