The TAP Pattern Distortion Module may be used to compute the distortion of an omni-directional antenna when the antenna is side-mounted on a vertical tower.  The Pattern Distortion module will model the horizontal plane pattern distortion of a side mounted, vertically-polarized, omni-directional antenna when mounted on a metal tower structure. It uses the mounting orientation and […]

To calculate free-space loss, the equation 36.6 + 20LogD + 20LogF, where D is the distance in miles and F is the frequency in MHz is commonly referenced. You will note that if you subtract the free-space loss (in dB) from the transmitter ERP (in dBm) to get the receiver input power (in dBm) that […]

If you choose to work with your topographic data on an external drive that you remove occasionally then you may want to create a “mount point” for the data drive that will eliminate the problem of changing drive letters when an external drive is removed and later re-connected. This technique is also useful if you […]

TAP™ includes several alternative ways to include surface features/obstructions in RF propagation studies.  The preferred method may depend on the type of obstruction, such as forests or buildings.  The most powerful and flexible way to include surface features is using vector (e.g., shapefile) surface features that define obstructions and can be used to calculate building […]

TAP models the communication system physical later. You can use TAP to design and evaluate both links and area coverage for most, if not all, of communications protocols. You simply need to know the parameters for the transmit and receive equipment configuration. Here is a basic list of the parameters you would need: Transmitter location […]

This FAQ describes alternative configurations or deployments of TAP software based on the number of seats purchased and computer internet access or lack thereof. TAP Installed on Stand-Alone Computers with Internet Access TAP software may be installed on any number of computers; however, the number of simultaneous “activations” is limited to the number of purchased […]

It is not uncommon for TAP users to want to share content and work product between TAP systems or with another TAP user.  Fortunately, this is easy using TAP 7.  The TAP database management utilities (e.g., Fixed Facility, Mobile Facility, Antenna, and Transmission Line) all contain “Export” functions with various options for sorting and filtering.  […]

TAP™ licenses including the 3D Display Module provide the ability to create a KML file to display a path profile in 3D in Google Earth.  TAP creates a mesh to display the entire Fresnel zone region to better visualize the effect of obstructions along the path:      

The TAP™ Antenna Manager can be used for creating, deleting, importing, exporting, and editing antenna pattern information.  See the TAP built-in help file for complete details on using the TAP Antenna Manager.  TAP includes thousands of antenna patterns from popular antenna manufacturers; however, the Antenna Manager gives users the ability to add and edit additional […]

TAP™ software allows elevation values to be corrected for earth curvature, including atmospheric diffraction effects. The formula used for elevation correction is: Ecorr = E + (78.5/k) x 10-3 x D x (P-D) Ecorr is the corrected elevation in meters. E is the actual elevation in meters. k is the curvature correction factor to compensate […]