V-Soft Communications Newsletter: 03/23/07
In this Newsletter:
V-Soft Still Accepting Training Registrations
Free VIP Pass to NAB Exhibit Floor
FCC Approves Staff Point Assignments Decisions on 76 NCE Groups
Coming Soon: 2006 TIGER/Census Boundary Data
V-Soft Tutorial: Database Cull in Probe 3 and AM-Pro 2
V-Soft Still Accepting Registration Forms for Training
The NAB show is fast approaching, and V-Soft's training seminar is approaching even faster and beginning to fill up! V-Soft would like to remind you that this is a wonderful opportunity to become more familiar with the V-Soft product line, experience how the multitude of applications can fit your needs, and even see how your peers are using the software! This year's training seminar will be held at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino, the cost is $450 ($495 for non-tech support subscribers) and will be held April 14-15 with breakfast and lunch provided both days. To enroll in the training seminar, click here to download the registration form, complete it, and email it to Kate Michler or fax it back to 319-266-9212!
7% Discount Available Through NAB Show
V-Soft is, once again, providing a 7% discount on all software orders received during the week of the NAB media show. The discount applies to all programs, census and terrain databases, and additional overlays and modules. To order, stop by our booth at the show (N6026- map below), email Adam, or call us at 1-800-743-3684!
In its meeting on March 22nd, the FCC formally approved IBOC broadcasting and adopted a set of rules. The Commission also approved the controversial nighttime IBOC for AM. The Commission indicated that it would have procedures to handle complaints of interference. The approval also includes multicasting (without requiring experimental authority authorizations) and operations of HD translators, boosters and LPFMs. Top
FCC Approves NCE Radio Point System Decisions
Yesterday the FCC approved the staff decisions on 76 mutually exclusive NCE radio groups of over 200 stations. Many of the applications, approved yesterday, have been sitting in Commission files for nearly ten years. The Commission also stated that it would open a new NCE application window this year giving the public a six month notice of the window. Top
2006 TIGER Census Boundary Datasets
V-Soft will soon be releasing the 2006 TIGER Bondary Datasets for Probe 3 and AM-Pro 2. The political boundary dataset will provide updated City Boundaries, Urban Areas, and County lines. Also included in this dataset, are County Subdivisions Boundaries and Landmark Point and Polygon Data. If you are interested in this dataset update, email Adam Puls. Top
Recently, there has been a feature added to Probe 3 allowing a user to import an XPT file.
Importing/Exporting an XPT file is a magnificently easy way to export multiple stations and multiple contours from an AM-Pro 2
coverage study to Probe 3. Start by creating a new coverage study in AM-Pro 2, and add the desired transmitters and contours.
Once all the contours have been plotted on the map, click on the "Coverage Study" menu at the top of the main AM-Pro 2 window, and
click on "Export Study to XPT File...".
V-Soft Tutorial: The Database Cull Feature
Many of you have probably noticed a button called "Cull" in either AM-Pro 2 or Probe 3, but some of you may not have taken the opportunity to use this feature. This tool can be very useful when trying to find multiple transmitters meeting certain criteria, for example, performing a Fair Distribution of Service study for 307(b) filings. This tutorial will serve just that purpose using Probe 3. The only difference in this feature between Probe 3 and AM-Pro 2 is that Probe 3 allows a user to choose which database to cull between the FM, TV/DTV, DTV Allotment, or DTV Frozen databases.
- Start by creating a new Coverage Study, set your study options, and define your area of calculation.
- Click the "Cull" button on the Station Selection screen of the new study wizard.
- The first thing to do is set up the reference station and indicate which database to search. Do this by clicking the radio button next to the desired database, then change the Reference Point coordinates located on the right side of the "Load From Database..." window.
- Type the coordinates of the reference station in the Lat: and Long: text boxes. An existing station or city may also be used by clicking on the "Station" button or "City" button.
- Next, choose the search criteria. This example, uses 4 criteria: License Type, Channel, Distance, and Service. In the "Requirements" section of the window, click "Add". This will open the edit requirements window. Select "Lic Type" from the field drop menu, leave the Operator box at "Contains" and type "LIC" in the value text box because we only want to consider licensed facilities.
- Add the remaining criteria as follows: Channel < 221 (to only consider the non-commercial band), Distance < 120 (km is assumed. 60 dBu contour of a Class C = 92 km + 60 dBu contour of a Class A = 28 km. Consult the V-Soft Training Radio Book, FMCommander's help file or look up in the FCC rules the distance to the 60 dBu contour for the class of the reference station), and Service contains "M" (to exclude translators.)
- Click the "Query" button and view the search results
- Click the "OK" button to add the stations to the list of stations to be considered.
- Now click "Next" and Finish the study. The map will be drawn will drawn with all the stations plotted on the map (click for larger view.)
- To take this tutorial one step further, Probe 3 has another very useful tool that allows a user to add a contour to all the stations at once. To do this, click on the multiple Contour Tool from the tool bar. A window with all the transmitters appears with various contour options. To add the 60 dBu contour for all the stations, simply click the "Add Contours" button at the bottom of the window (the F(50-50) 60 dBu is the default contour.)
- The contours are calculated and the map is redrawn, now showing the 60 dBu contours for all the stations on the map (click for larger view.) Top
Notice after clicking "OK" the criteria now appears in the Requirements list box.
