Faros.zip

Faros 1.4

Automatic NCDXF beacon monitor for Radio Amateurs,
SWL'ers and HF communication engineers



Features:
continuously monitors 18 NCDXF beacons on five bands;
automatically detects the presence of the beacon signals, even in QRM and noise;
measures the signal-to-noise ratio, the QSB index, and the propagation delay of the signal;
automatically identifies long path openings based on the signal delay;
has a real-time display of band conditions;
maintains a long-term history of beacon observations;
generates signal charts at regular intervals in a form suitable for Web publishing;
generates observation logs optimized for automatic analysis.



System Requirements:
Operating system: Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10;
CPU speed: 1 GHz or higher is recommended;
Ports: one COM port for radio control (optional);
Connection to the Internet: direct (no proxies), 1 MBit/s or faster is recommended. Satellite connections cannot be used because of the propagation delay;
Receiver: any CW or SSB receiver that covers at least one of the beacon bands (14, 18, 21, 24, 28 MHz), preferably a model that is supported by the OmniRig engine;
Antenna: an omni-directional antenna is recommended;
Sound card: the on-board one is OK;
Cables: two cables are required for connecting the radio to the PC, a standard stereo cable for the audio signal and a CAT cable/adapter for radio control.

Note: if the Configure button in the Settings/Radio dialog is disabled, download the OmniRig Runtime package from the OmniRig page and install it.


Note: if a high speed connection to the Internet is not available, use a local GPS-controlled time server, such as ToyNTP.

IMPORTANT: Faros works with the audio device at a very low level in order to perform precise timing measurements. This may or may not work with a particular soundcard/driver combination. Be sure to fully test the program on your hardware during the trial period before you register.

Program komercyjny. W podstawowej (= niniejszej) wersji jako Trial.

Powinien działać również pod Linuksem (w Wine).