Click for VK2JPL's HamShack

Last updated- 5 March 2011

   These DOS programmes are freeware for Radio Amateurs only. They have been tried with windoze, including winxp, and found to be OK when run from a short cut icon in full screen mode. All programmes require a VGA monitor and DOS 4.0 or later. Some of the programmes also need a maths co-processor which generally means you will need a 486 or better PC. All programmes have help and information pages included in the EXE file.
As usual, there are no guarantees or warranties of any kind for these programmes. Use them entirely at you own risk.

Additional  Items added  2011 
 UHF-ANTS New functions-design axial mode helical antennas, discone antennas, and calculate noise figure using hot and cold noise sources.

Additional programmes for 2010.
UHF-ANT    New version of DISHCALC with optimum gain horns added.
RESISTOR2  Combined decode/encode, similar to original programme (which has been up-graded, and remains for download).
RFFILTER   Three types of band-pass filter plus low-pass and high-pass filters.
PADSCALC   Comprehensive attenuator pad design.
OHMSLAW   Simple Ohms law calculator. OHMSLAW and PADSCALC include a  nearest preferred value resistor function.
TROPPO     Calculates tropospheric scatter path loss at VHF and above for distances of 50-1200 km using formulae from the ARRL UHF/Microwave
                    Experimenter's Manual. This programme was developed from LOCATOR2.EXE.

   All programmes, except the colour demonstration programmes, have been up-graded and/or have had bug fixes. Except for the two TPK programmes, all programmes now run in graphics mode; which means that they will automatically come up full screen in windoze without the need of a short cut PIF file (for windoze versions up to, and including, win xp). As far as I know, these DOS graphics programmes won't run in MS vista; but do run OK in windoze 7. 
In the later versions of windoze (win me onwards) you can shrink graphic programmes down to the tool bar by pressing the ALT+Tab keys.
   There are no known bugs in any programme, which is not to claim that there are no bugs. What remaining bugs there may be just haven't been found...yet.

   Up-grades include:
A clock in all programmes except for the TPK programmes. A configuration file make/read function in some programmes. A "Saved file" message when writing a file to disc in all programmes, except  for the two LOCATOR programmes. Also a "File loaded" message for configuration files, plus error messages, except for the LOCATOR programmes, and a moving menu bar where this was lacking, in some programmes.
   There are numerous other improvements to the code which, in many cases, have reduced the programme size, but may not be apparent to the user.

 Instructions if the selected program does not open in full screen
 After downloading the relevant programme and un-zipping to the drive or directory of choice-
Right click mouse on the [Name of Programme].EXE - Click on "Create Shortcut"
Right click mouse on the resulting Shortcut- Click on "Properties"- Click on the "Screen" tag- under "Usage" tick the "Full Screen" option-Click on the "Program" tag- Check to see if the box "Close on exit" is ticked (tick if it is not) then click Ok. (always run the programme from the shortcut)

Transmission
Line Calculator
TEXLINES.ZIP
Size 36.5 kb
March 2011

TXLINES.EXE designs (or synthesises) and analyses nine types of transmission line. Types are : Co-axial, Square co-axial, Trough, Balanced,Wire over ground plane, Wire between ground planes, Stripline, Microstrip and Waveguide. Data on some common dielectrics are included.
  Help and information are contained within the programme.

Ohms Law
Calculator
OHMSLAW.ZIP
Size 11.1 kb
November 2010

OHMSLAW.EXE  is a  simple programme that calculates the 12 different versions of Ohms law. OHMSLAW also includea a nearest preferred value resistor function.

Attenuator Pad Calculator
PADDY.ZIP
Size 25.5 kb
10 October 2010

PADSCALC.EXE  is a  comprehensive attenuator pad designer and parallel resistor calculator. It also includes a nearest preferred value resistor function

RF Filters
RFFILTER.ZIP
Size 57.7 kb
November 2010

Tropo Scatter Propagation Calculator
TROPPO.ZIP
Size 25.2 kb
November 2010

Resistor Colour
Codes
RESIST22.ZIP
Size14.8 kb
 10 November 2010
RESIST33.ZIP
Size14.3 kb
10 November 2010

RESISTOR.EXE is a programme that encodes a resistance into a colour code
or decodes a resistor colour code into a resistance value. It may be useful
if you can't remember the resistor colour code.

  The new version in RESIST33.ZIP has the encode and decode functions combined. You may prefer the older version in RESIST22.ZIP which has been upgraded from the 2009 edition of the programme.

Co-ax Loss
and VSWR
Calculator
ANT-VSWR.ZIP
Size - 20.0 kb
 10 November 2010

ANT-VSWR.EXE computes the matched loss and total loss in a length of coaxial cable for an input frequency and VSWR entered by the user. VSWR at the far end of the cable is calculated, plus VSWR for an open or short circuit termination. Cable wavelength is also calculated. Data for 24 different coaxial cables are included. Other functions calculate stubs, 90 degrees Q lines and cable Zo. Needs a maths co-processor.

COLOURS
COLOURS.ZIP
Size - 20.1 kb
  10 Aug 2009

COLOURS.ZIP contains two small demonstration programmes that show how colours may be changed on the PC with a VGA card. COLOURS.EXE runs in DOS text mode and COLOUR-G.EXE runs in graphics mode. The Help/info page contains assembler code from the programmes that change the colours. You can select from many thousands of colours in both text and graphics modes, but generally you can only have 16 different colours on the screen at the one time.

dB Conversion
Aid V8.0
DBCONV-8.ZIP
Size - 18.7 kb
  10 November 2010

This programme does a number of different conversions and calculations where one of the terms is expressed in decibels, or a unit incorporating a dB.Conversions include power/voltage ratios, power to dBm/dBW, noise figure/Kelvins VSWR/return loss/mismatch loss. 

Folded Dipole Calculator V5.0
FOLD-DP5.ZIP
Size - 13.2 kb 
10 November 2010

FOLD-DP5.EXE is a programme for calculating the feed resistance of a folded dipole given element spacing and element diameters, or the spacing for a given feed resistance and element diameters.
The equivalent diameter is also calculated along with the approximate free space wavelength for a given frequency.

Gamma Match Calculator V4.1
GAMMA41.ZIP
Size -13.8 kb
10 Novemnber 2010

GAMMA4.EXE is a programme for calculating gamma arm length and the required series capacitance for matching the impedance of an antenna to a co-axial transmission line. This new version calculates gamma dimensions using formulae by R Nelson, from the ARRL Antenna Book 17th edition, as well as the original formulae. 

Helical Antenna Calculator V1.5
HELIX15.ZIP
Size - 31.9 kb
10 November 2010

HELIX.EXE is a design programme for axial mode helical antennas.

It calculates dimensions and gain for a given frequency and number of turns according to three sets of equations or formulas. The formulas are from J D Kraus, D T Emerson, and H E King/J L Wong. Three graphics screens show a typical gain/frequency curve, a polar pattern plot, and a drawing of the antenna with dimensions.

Convert Radix of
an Integer
RADIX8.ZIP
Size - 12.1 kb
 10 November 2010

RADIX.EXE is a programme for converting between base 10 and base 16 numbers.
In other words, converting between Decimal and Hexadecimal numbers.
It can convert unsigned numbers of up to 255 digit length as well as 16 bit
and 32 bit signed numbers. This programme uses integer arithmetic. It does not use floating point numbers or a maths co-processor.

Helical
Resonators
V1.5
HELIXRES.ZIP
Size � 31.9 kb
10 November 2010

    HELIXRES.EXE calculates the dimensions and other parameters of helical
resonators that can be used to make very nice bandpass filters for use at
HF to UHF. Included are drawings and details of two 3 pole filters for the
2 metre band.

Easter Sunday Calculator V3
EASTER3.ZIP
Size - 8.2 kb
 10 December 2010

EASTER.EXE calculates the date of Easter Sunday using the same algorithm as
used by the Christian Churches.

UHF Antennas
Dish antennas,
Dual mode feed horn design, and
Optimum gain horns
UHF-ANTS.ZIP
Size � 25.2kb
 10 November 2010

*NEW*

 New functions-design axial mode helical antennas, discone antennas, and calculate noise figure using hot and cold noise sources.
 Designs conical and pyramidal optimum gain horn antennas  as well as designing  dish antennas and W2IMU dual mode feed horns. It gives the numbers for plotting the parabolic curve of a dish.

You can also find the gain of an existing dish antenna at a given frequency.
Signal leakage through the  covering mesh of a dish antenna can be calculated.

Noise Figure
and EME Path Calculator
EMEPATH6.ZIP
Size � 19.9 kb
20 October 2010

EMEPATH.EXE is a three part programme that calculates signal to noise ratio (SNR) for EME (or Moon bounce) paths and line of sight radio paths.
The first part of the programme calculates an overall noise figure for up to three amplifier stages. This number is used in the SNR calculations.
Dish or Yagi gains are calculated from antenna size, or dBi gains may be entered for the SNR calculation.

Skin Depth
Calculator
SKINDEEP.ZIP
Size � 13.7 kb
 30 October 2010

SKINDEEP.EXE is a programme for calculating the skin depth of an AC current
in 14 different metals. It also calculates the DC and AC resistance of a round
wire, plus inductance.
It is a DOS programme that runs perfectly well in windoze.
It needs a VGA monitor, DOS 4.0 or later and a PC with a maths co-processor.
Help and information are contained within the programme.

Puff 2.3
Circuit
analysis
programme

PUFF23.ZIP
Size - 99 kb
5 May 2010
PUFF23_B.ZIP
Size �76 kb
25 March 2008

PUFF23 is my version of the PUFF 2.0 circuit analysis programme.

It uses the standard VGA 8x16 character set instead of the non-standard 8x14 EGA character set that PUFF 2.0 uses. As a result it does not need a TSR to run and should work on any PC that uses a VGA type screen.

  PUFF23 fixes a great many of the problems/bugs of PUFF 2.0, 43 at last count, and has some useful additions to make it more user friendly. These include a directory list/file load function, online help with basic driving instructions and the ability to edit an extra eight board parameters from the keyboard.

  PUFF23.ZIP contains the executable and setup files plus a small readme file. PUFF23_B.ZIP contains .puf circuit files, device files, printer files and a larger readme file, listing most of the bug fixes and changes.

|S|-Z-Y
Converter
SZY-VSWR.ZIP
Size � 15.2 kb
10 November 2010

SZY-VSWR.EXE is a simple programme that uses the arithmetic of complex
numbers to convert between S(cattering) parameters admittance and impedance,
and to find the VSWR.

 You can find a few programmes that can do this conversion, but in this one
you may specify the system Zo with both resistance and reactance for the
VSWR calculation.   

Calendar
CALENDAR.ZIP
Size 46.2 kb
20 Oct 2010

  CALENDAR.EXE can produce a calendar for any year. It makes New style
Gregorian, Old style Julian and Islamic calendars.
 Sunrise/Sunset and Moonrise/Moonset times plus Moon phase information
are calculated for any latitude and longitude on Earth. There is also a
Sun and Moon ephemeris.

Coil Calculator
COILCALC.ZIP
Size 21.2 kb
20 October 2010

  COILCALC designs and analyses single layer, air cored, solenoid coils
of round wire, using the more accurate "current sheet" formula.
There are two design methods:
Method A uses wire diameter, winding pitch, length/diameter ratio and
the required inductance, to calculate the coil parameters.
Method B uses coil length, inside diameter, winding pitch and required
inductance, to calculate number of turns and wire diameter.

Great circle
and
Maidenhead
grid calculator
LOCATOR1.ZIP
Size 12.9 kb
10 November 2010

LOCATOR2.ZIP
Size 23.0 kb
10 November 2010

LOCATOR.EXE calculates six character "Maidenhead" grid strings from latitude
and longitude, and vice versa. It also calculates distance and azimuth angle,
or compass bearing, to a second station of given latitude and longitude, and
vice versa. Distance is given in kilometres, miles and nautical miles.

LOCATOR2 differs from LOCATOR in being able to read in latitude, longitude
and city name from the CITYDATA.TXT file.

TPK Utility
Programme
MAKE-LST.ZIP
Size 17.6 kb
10 August 2010

  MAKE-LST.EXE is a text mode DOS programme for making NEW *.LST and *.NUM
files as used by the TPK Packet Radio programme. The new files are made
from data in the downloaded message files on your hard disc drive. It works
for "private mail" and BBS .LST files. It should be OK for TPK versions 1.81 to 1.83.

 N.B. This programme is only of use to Radio amateurs who use the TPK Packet Radio programme.

TPK Utility
Programme
TPK-LIST.ZIP
Size 22.7 kb
10 August 2010

  TPK-LIST.EXE is a text mode DOS programme for updating and/or cleaning a
*.LST file as used by the TPK Packet Radio programme. It adds headers to a
*.LST file from a list of headers in an ASCII capture file. It works for
"private mail" and BBS *.LST files.
 It should work OK if you run TPK in a windoze OS. It should be OK for TPK
versions 1.81 to 1.83 and almost any BBS if TPK-LIST.CFG is set up right.

  N.B. This programme is only of use to Radio amateurs who use the TPK Packet Radio programme.