Editing SimTX Guide/Stations

{{SimTX Guide navigation}}
A '''station''' is the place you transmit and receive from. It is saved to your account and works on every server. A ground station has a name, a callsign, a location, one to eight antennas and up to eight radios. Several transmissions and receivers can use one station at the same time. Satellites are stations in orbit; see [[SimTX Guide/Satellites|Satellites]].

You manage stations in the '''Stations''' tab. '''Mine''' lists your ground stations and satellites; select one to see its details. [[SimTX Guide/Map and coverage|Map and coverage]] describes the globe and the lists.

== Create a station ==
[[File:SimTX Guide Stations pick on globe.webp|thumb|center|770px|alt=Globe over central Europe with a Place the station card showing 48.1990° N, 15.8554° E with Cancel and Done, and a new pin east of Demo hilltop.|Pick on globe: the new station's pin, its coordinates and the Done button.]]
# In the '''Stations''' tab, select '''Mine''' and press '''New station'''. The station editor opens with the sections '''Basics''', '''Location''', '''Antennas''' and '''Radios'''.
# Under '''Basics''', enter a '''Name''' and your '''Callsign''', and choose '''Public''' or '''Unlisted'''.
# Under '''Location''', press '''Pick on globe''', click the globe where the station stands and press '''Done'''. You can also drag the pin or type the '''Latitude''' and '''Longitude'''.
# Under '''Antennas''', set up the dipole the station starts with, or choose another type.
# Under '''Radios''', check the radio the station starts with.
# Press '''Create station'''.

=== Altitude ===
When you place the station, the app fills in '''Altitude''' with the ground height at that spot, in metres above sea level. If you type your own altitude, the app keeps it; '''Use ground height''' goes back to the ground height. If the lookup fails, enter the altitude by hand. Antenna height is set on each antenna.

== Antennas ==
[[File:SimTX Guide Stations antenna mount.png|thumb|center|663px|alt=Antenna card for Sat X-Yagi with type Crossed Yagi, driven element length, height, feedline loss, Mount set to Az-El rotator, Parks at azimuth 180, Elevation 25, and an SWR check at 435 MHz.|A crossed Yagi on an Az-El rotator that parks at 180° azimuth and 25° elevation.]]
[[File:SimTX Guide Stations antenna gallery.png|thumb|center|663px|alt=Add an antenna panel with cards for Dipole, Inverted-V, Vertical, Full-wave loop, Longwire, Beverage, EFHW 49:1, Yagi 3-el, Yagi 5-el, Crossed Yagi, Helix, Monopole, Turnstile and NEC deck.|The antenna gallery, grouped as Wire, Beam, Whip and turnstile, and Your own model.]]
'''Add antenna''' opens the antenna gallery, grouped as '''Wire''', '''Beam''' and '''Whip and turnstile'''. '''NEC deck''' under '''Your own model''' imports a wire model; see [[NEC File Import]].

{| class="wikitable"
! Field !! Meaning
|-
| '''Name''' || The name shown in the Transmit and Receive tabs.
|-
| '''Type''' || The antenna type. Changing it resets the length.
|-
| Length || The main dimension. Its label depends on the type.
|-
| '''Height''' || Height above the ground, in metres.
|-
| '''Feedline loss''' || Loss of the cable to the radio, in dB.
|-
| '''Mount''' || '''Fixed''', '''Azimuth rotator''' or '''Az-El rotator'''.
|-
| '''Points toward''' || On a '''Fixed''' mount, the direction of a directional antenna, in degrees from north.
|-
| '''Parks at azimuth''', '''Elevation''' || On a rotator, where the antenna points when a session starts. '''Elevation''' is only on an Az-El rotator.
|-
| '''Check SWR at''' || The antenna's SWR at a frequency you choose.
|}

'''Import NEC deck…''' replaces the built-in model with your own and '''Use built-in''' goes back. '''Remove''' deletes the antenna; a station keeps at least one. See [[Antenna System]] for choosing and tuning, and [[SimTX Guide/Rotators and tracking|Rotators and tracking]] for rotators.

== Radios ==
[[File:SimTX Guide Stations radios.png|thumb|center|698px|alt=Radios section with HF transceiver expanded: Based on, Name, Power cap 100 W with 5, 10, 100 and 400 W shortcuts, Noise figure 8 dB and Transmitter imperfections, followed by a second radio, Portable 10 W.|A radio opened in the station editor, with its power cap and noise figure.]]
A '''radio''' is a saved transmitter and receiver profile. '''Add radio''' adds one; '''Based on''' fills in typical values for a radio model.
{| class="wikitable"
! Field !! Meaning
|-
| '''Name''' || The name shown in the Transmit and Receive tabs.
|-
| '''Power cap''' || The most power a transmission on this radio can use, in watts.
|-
| '''Noise figure''' || The receiver noise figure, in dB.
|-
| '''Transmitter imperfections''' || How the transmitter sounds. See [[Advanced Transmitter Settings]].
|}

* The first radio is the station's default. The Transmit and Receive tabs show it as ''&lt;name&gt; (default)''.
* A transmission can't exceed the power cap or your account's power limit, whichever is lower.
* Without a radio, sessions use a generic HF transceiver and your account's power limit.

== Public and unlisted ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Visibility !! Meaning
|-
| '''Public''' || Shown on the map, and anyone signed in can receive from it.
|-
| '''Unlisted''' || Hidden from the map and usable only by you.
|}

Only you can transmit through your stations.

== Transmit and receive ==
* '''Transmit from here''' in a station's details opens the '''Transmit''' tab with the station chosen. See [[SimTX Guide/Transmitting|Transmitting]].
* '''Receive here''' opens the '''Receive''' tab with the station chosen. It also works on other people's public stations. See [[SimTX Guide/Receiving|Receiving]].

== Edit a station ==
[[File:SimTX Guide Stations editor.webp|thumb|center|800px|alt=Edit Demo hilltop: a globe of central Europe with the station pin, and the editor with Name, Callsign, Public or Unlisted, the location 47.27° N, 11.39° E at 574 m, three antennas, two radios, Cancel and Save.|The station editor for Demo hilltop, with the globe on the left and the Basics, Location, Antennas and Radios sections on the right.]]
# Select the station under '''Mine''' and press '''Edit''', or press '''Edit station''' in the Transmit or Receive tab.
# Make your changes and press '''Save'''.

Running sessions switch to the new settings without reconnecting. A session on an antenna or radio you remove ends; the editor warns before you save.

== Delete a station ==
# In the station's details or the editor, press '''Delete…'''.
# Confirm with '''Delete station'''.

The station, its antennas and radios are removed and its sessions end. This can't be undone.

== Use my previous setup ==
With no stations yet, '''Use my previous setup''' creates a station from the callsign, location, antenna and radio of your earlier transmit setup.

[[Category:SimTX Guide]]