Mobile Scan
The "Mobile Scan" mode must be selected for scans performed while on the move, for example, from a vehicle. This mode is intended for users who wish to perform coverage measurements.
Once the mobile scan file is imported, the interface will display the date and time the scan started, as well as the number of channels received, unique multiplexes received, unique transmitters received, and TII codes detected.
The different reception points present in the scan's CSV file appear on a map. Their color represents the global reception level of the multiplex.
• If the point is red, it means that reception is relatively weak, and therefore audio decoding of services is impossible or very difficult.
• If it is orange, reception is weak/very moderate, but audio decoding is generally possible, although it may cause interruptions.
• If it is green, reception is satisfactory, and audio decoding can be performed without problems.
Each color has a light and dark variant to show the intensity of the weak or strong reception.
When several multiplexes are present on the same mobile scan file, the user is prompted to select the multiplex of their choice in the top left corner of the map.
Clicking on a point displays its details. The global reception level (SNR) of the multiplex is shown, along with the number of transmitters received at that precise location. The list of transmitters is displayed, including the distance between each site and the reception point, the power (ERP), and the TII codes.
The reception level of each transmitter is displayed in dB format. The list is automatically sorted from the best-received to the worst-received transmitter.
The date and time of the reception point recording can be found at the bottom of the details window.
By clicking the "Draw Path to TX Site" button, the map zooms out to allow you to see exactly where the transmitter is from the reception point.
To exit this mode, simply click the button again, and you will return to the previous view.
The "Elevation Profile" button allows you to view the topographic profile between the reception point and the transmitter site.
By hovering your mouse cursor over the line in the window that opens, you will see the elevation of the location and its position on the map.
When the line is green, it means the transmitter site is in direct line of sight from the reception point. If it is red, there is an obstacle between the two locations.
You can specify a height (in meters) from the ground for the reception and the transmitter site points.
By clicking on a specific point along the line in the "Elevation Profile" window, the map zooms in precisely on that location. This allows you to see where an obstacle is located, for example.
To return to the previous view, simply click anywhere along the line in the "Elevation Profile" window.
By clicking the "Filter by transmitter site" checkbox, you can filter the display of reception points to a specific transmission site.
This allows you to clearly see where a particular transmitter was received along the route.
When a filter is active, you can choose between displaying the transmitter's own reception level or the general multiplex level (while only showing the points where the transmitter in question has been detected).
To do this, select either "Selected Transmitter Level" or "Multiplex Reception" in the upper right corner of the map.
The filtered transmitter site will then be pinned in the details of the points, while also displaying others.
By clicking the menu button in the upper right corner of the map, you can switch between several layer styles (to switch from a topographic map to a satellite view, for example), use a point display, or a heatmap display (with or without polygons).
It is also possible to indicate areas where potential SFN conflicts might occur and filter the display of points below or above a certain dB value.
The tool has a function that can identify and indicate areas where potential SFN conflicts may occur. These conflicts are caused by exceeding the guard interval.
To put it simply, without going into technical details: On a multiplex with several received transmitters, a transmitter with a high reception level located more than 74 kilometers from the reception location can cause what is called a "guard interval exceedance".
This results in a drop in reception quality (MER), which can cause decoding problems for the multiplex despite a good reception signal.
If you want to learn more about this, it's quite easy to find technical documentation online.
Points affected by this SFN conflict risk flash red on the map when the "SFN Conflicts" option is activated in the menu at the top right of the map.
If a transmitter in the list of received sites for a point has a reception level between 0.0 and -15 dB and the distance exceeds 74 kilometers, then it will be considered to be exceeding the guard interval.
Clicking on an affected point allows you to identify the sender causing the guard interval breach. This sender is indicated by an exclamation mark icon.
This filtering function allows you to exclusively display points whose SNR level is above or below a certain dB threshold.
To use it, enable the function in the menu at the top right of the map, then enter your desired dB value and indicate whether you want to display points above or below that threshold.
At the bottom of the page, you'll find a table listing all received transmitters for the selected multiplex. You can choose to sort them by the number of detections or alphabetically.
Each transmitter entry displays the number of detections, the distance range (from the shortest to the longest detected distance), the transmission power, the altitude of the transmitter site, the lowest and highest detection levels (in dB), and the TII code in a separate box in the upper left corner.
If the imported file contains reception points for several multiplexes, another section in the same style appears further down, with the list of the different multiplexes received and the transmitters detected.
For a simpler, less cluttered display, you can activate the "Compact View" option in the top right corner of the section.
It is also possible to sort the results by channels or multiplexes names.
