UCAN RR Pin maps

[wbloss]

This is a little complicated, so bear with me.

To be able to see on a map where UCAN sites are is very helpful. When there is a simo “site” it is of course comprised of a number of actual transmitter sites. To track the overall “simo-site,” the map pin shown in some arbitrary position perhaps in the middle. For example the “SLC Simo Site” pin is shown near “Granite.” To actually see the Transmitter sites, one can click FCC call sign and the map with the 5 actual transmitter sites appear – very handy!

There is a somewhat obscurely labeled link just above the system frequencies on the UCAN page that will take you to a map of all the sites. Very helpful. However, looking closer, what is usually shown is the arbitrary “simo-site” designator, not the individual transmitters. In the immediate SLC area, for example it shows the “SL Simo’site” designator near Granite, and also the ADC Jail, which apparently is NOT part of the SL Simo. In a metro area this may not make much difference.
But head north (pack a lunch) of Ogden and nothing shows up until Logan and Logan peak, when actually there are transmitter sites in Pleasant View and Brigham as a part of the “Weber Simo Site.” Oddly when you get into Cache Co, both of the Cache Simo sites are listed – Logan Peak which has been there a long time, and the recent Logan PD site – with 3 more planned.
My guess, knowing Tim’s responsiveness and willingness is that he’d be happy to show what we think best.
My thoughts: Keep/place the initial “Simo-Site” pin at some arbitrary midpoint, continue to show the actual simo- transmitter locations on the call-sign drill down map, change the name of the link from “RR Locations” to “System Transmitter locations” and ADD ALL transmitters in all simo and individual sites to this map.
Thoughts?

 

[kd7rto]

I use Delorme Street Atlas 7. It's an older program, at the time it was written Bangerter hwy ended at 90th South, but writing and importing a file containing UCAN lat/lon info is very easy, and there is a nice APRS application which works in conjunction with it.

 

[Utah_Viper]

One of our members I think is working on a google earth file to add to the google earth map project as well.

 

[wbloss]

Thanks for the comments on other programs that do a good job mapping. I loke Google maps/earth also.
What I am trying to get a feel for is changing the main UCAN system RR pin map to reflect actual transmitter locations - what does anyone think about that?

Wally

 

[qlajlu]

...change the name of the link from “RR Locations” to “System Transmitter locations” and ADD ALL transmitters in all simo and individual sites to this map.

I'm not sure I understand what it is, exactly, that you are asking for, wbloss. I grant that the locations indicated under call sign KNIV722 are a little questionable with sites being shown in Sanpete, Wasatch, and Cache Counties (I doubt that sites in Sanpete and Wasatch are helping Cache), but where the pins are located on the last "drill down" location, if you use the satellite option, you can zoom in and see the actual installation of the transmitter and the pin is only a few meters away.

If you have the FCC Call Signs and the GPS coordinates of the towers, I believe those new sites can be located with pins very easily. Someone just needs to report this information to the Admins of the Database. Even kd7rto would probably be grateful for that information to update his Web site using his mapping program. Maybe theaton could give us some insight.

I think that the maps do need some attention to bring them up to date, and when the "Simo" tag is used then superfluous installations that do not but contribute to the simo should not be shown even if that call sign covers far removed locations (i.e. KNIV722), but I don't think that using another location to store a map is necessary and may create confusion. Maybe that is not what you are proposing. I dunno.

 

[theaton]

Map nuts beware...

Thanks for the comments on other programs that do a good job mapping. I loke Google maps/earth also.
What I am trying to get a feel for is changing the main UCAN system RR pin map to reflect actual transmitter locations - what does anyone think about that?

Wally

Wow Wally, even I hadn't noticed those links (FCC Callsigns and RR Locations). But this just the sort of thing our dear Lindsay is such a genius at! I can offer some information on where this data is coming from, however.

The FCC Callsign map is taking all the transmitter locations listed for the licenses that I (and other admins) entered in the DB for the various sites. This would seem to be exactly what you want -- provided that 1) all the appropriate callsigns are listed, and 2) that the locations on the FCC licenses are complete and accurate. I can correct the first problem but not the second. It would take some work to see how complete and accurate the points are.

The RR Locations map is using the coordinates I entered for each UCAN site. With help from several contributers I made this list very complete and accurate, with one unfortunate exception (which you noted): I can enter only one set of coordinates for each "site" (even if it is a multi-site simulcast). Lindsay created fields for these coordinates mainly to map coverage areas, not to pinpoint transmitter locations. For single-transmitter sites I entered the exact coordinates from the license, so the map shows those sites perfectly. But, as you noted, I entered a "middle" location for the simulcast sites to best reflect the coverage area. (I also entered an estimated radius for each site, which produces the circles when you look at individual site maps.)

Bottom line: Except for entering missing licenses for the sites, there isn't much I can do to improve the current maps.

Now if you click on indivual sites you will first see a map with the "center" point and radius I entered, and if you click on the individual callsigns you'll get maps that show the FCC transmitter locations for that license. If one license shows all the simulcast sites then you have what you seem to be asking for. If there are multiple licenses, you may have to view the sites individually. The biggest problem is that the FCC may list extra sites that are not really in use (or be missing some). I notice that the license for the Weber County Simulcast (WPRH429) shows four transmitter locations, but it is supposedly only a 3-site system. As I've mentioned many times before--trusting the FCC data is not always a good idea...

-Tim

 

[wbloss]

Thanks Tim, yes in essence the "Big whole system map" as found under the "RR Ref map" link is where I'd like to see pins for ALL Xmtrs.
But as you note, it cant be done there.
Fooey.
I agree re trusting the FCC also.
Too bad we can't get a friendly UCAN Engineer with a real map here...
Thanks for listening
Wally