Radio Explorer

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Last updated:
page content on June 09, 2009,
source code on June 18, 2009.

History

October 14, 2008
Version 2.6.6 beta 4 Release
This version provides correction for a problem with the Print Preview dialog box not being displayed.

Furthermore, this version, similarly to the version 2.6.6 beta 1, brings improvement to the way in which information about transmitter locations is displayed in tool tips, also by means of using better formatting.

Finally, this version provides correction for a problem with Radio Explorer improperly handling incorrect user registration information.

June 10, 2008
Version 2.6.6 beta 3 Release
This version provides correction for a problem with incorrect display of information about transmitter locations for EiBi schedules.

This version also provides correction for a minor problem, due to which information formatted as HTML sometimes was displayed in Radio Explorer incorrectly. This information includes text in message boxes and in tool tips.

In addition to that, this version brings improvement to the layout of labels on the splash screen and on the Splash tab of the About dialog box.

Finally, provided with this version are larger icons for the Radio Explorer application, intended for use on recent operating systems.

June 5, 2008
Version 2.6.6 beta 2 Release
This version provides correction for a problem with incorrect display of day-long broadcasts, starting at 00:00 and ending at 24:00 world time (UTC), on the time chart after switching from the world time display mode to the local time display mode.

Similarly to the previous version, this version takes advantage of new features provided by Java software version 6, and makes use of more of them. In particular, Radio Explorer now handles dragging-and-dropping of schedule files onto it better, and provides better visual feedback.

In addition to that, now the built-in help viewer is not forced to always stay on top of modal dialog boxes, such as the Options dialog box. It is now possible to open a modal dialog box in any Radio Explorer window, and this will not affect the help viewer. This is also possible due to new features provided by Java software version 6.

This version also provides correction for another problem with the help viewer. The problem was present on operating systems where the default language is French.

June 3, 2008
Version 2.6.6 beta 1 Release
For this version, detailed instructions have been provided in the built-in help and on the Radio Explorer Web site for installing both Radio Explorer and Java software, required by Radio Explorer, on the Ubuntu Linux operating system. Also, instructions for uninstalling Radio Explorer have been provided in addition to the instructions on installing and upgrading Radio Explorer on all platforms.

In this version, the minimal allowed value for solar flux has been lowered from 67 to 65, in order to allow for very low values observed recently.

This version provides corrections for several problems. One of these problems was with display of CIRAF zone information for stations, parallel broadcasts, and serial broadcasts, which was sometimes incorrect. Another problem was with very slow scrolling of the MUF chart. One more problem related to the lack of focus highlight in the Days column for empty stations in HFCC schedules. Minor corrections have been made to the wording of user interface in different languages.

Changes related to schedules include correction for FCC HF Seasonal schedules, for which the broadcast language is now not displayed. Previously it was always displayed as English. There are also adjustments in response to very minor changes in the formats of EiBi and Prime Time Shortwave schedules.

This version also brings improvement to the way in which information about transmitter locations is displayed in tool tips, by means of using better formatting.

Finally, this version takes advantage of some of the new features provided by Java software version 6. In particular, Radio Explorer now uses the user's default browser for opening Web pages on all operating systems. Also, Radio Explorer now informs operating systems about several differently sized icons, which the operating system can use to display the Radio Explorer icon in various situations.

May 31, 2008
High compression for installation via Java Web Start
Radio Explorer has been prepared to take advantage of some of the new features offered by the forthcoming version 6 update 10 of Java software. This update of Java software is also known as the “Consumer JRE”. In particular, Radio Explorer now uses high compression for the files that are downloaded when installing Radio Explorer via Java Web Start. This allows to reduce the total size of these files by a third.

June 29, 2007
Version 2.6.5 Release
This version provides an adjustment that makes it possible to open the HFCC schedule for the current broadcasting season (summer 2007, A07) using the original schedule zip archive, without having to manually modify the names of some files contained in the schedule zip archive.

In addition to that, this version provides correction for the problem with information about the days of week not being displayed correctly in some cases for Prime Time Shortwave schedules, as well as corrections for some minor problems.

It should be noted that there is still a relatively significant known problem in Radio Explorer, with incorrect information about the number of transmitter locations in a schedule displayed on the Statistics tab of the Properties dialog box for EiBi and HFCC schedules. Correction for this problem, as well as corrections for a few minor problems, will be provided in the next version of Radio Explorer, which should be released in the near future.

March 24, 2007
Version 2.6.4 Release
This version provides adjustments that add support for time-ordered EiBi schedules in the new format, which changed as compared to the previous, original time-ordered format during this ending B06, winter 2006–2007 broadcasting season. For details on opening the time-ordered EiBi schedules in the new format in Radio Explorer, please see the Input Data page.

June 1, 2006
Version 2.6.3 Release
This version is a response to a minor format change introduced in the latest Prime Time Shortwave schedule, published on May 13, 2006. The Prime Time Shortwave schedules now use the se keyword to designate broadcasts in Special English (a simplified variant of the language), currently offered by the Voice of America. Radio Explorer has been updated to handle this keyword and display language information accordingly. Keywords SpEng and SE, which were previously used for the same purpose, are now also supported. This means that you can query the latest Prime Time Shortwave schedule, as well as previous ones, for broadcasts in Special English using the language criterion.

In addition to that, handling of other keywords has also been improved. Previously, for broadcasts marked with the alt keyword, information displayed in the broadcast notes was the keyword itself. Now the keyword is expanded and broadcast notes display the alternate frequency text. Similarly, for broadcasts marked with the occ keyword, broadcast notes now display the occasional use text.

May 12, 2006
Version 2.6.2 Release
This version brings corrections for a number of minor problems discovered since the previous release. In particular, information about transmitter locations in EiBi schedules is now handled with increased precision.

Also, this version adds support for DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) broadcasts in EiBi schedules. For stations that contain the DIGITAL keyword in their names, broadcast modulation is assigned the DRM value. Now you can query an EiBi schedule for DRM broadcasts by modulation, and then precise your query by other criteria. It should be noted that with the Prime Time Shortwave schedules, support for DRM broadcasts has already been available.

December 24, 2004
Version 2.6.1 Release
This version adds two adjustments.

The first one enables Radio Explorer to open the FCC HF Seasonal schedule for the current broadcasting season (winter 2004–2005, B04). The schedule has changed the header format since the previous season (summer 2004, A04).

The second one makes it possible to use Radio Explorer with the latest version of Java software, the “Tiger” 1.5 version. Note that the java.com site, the consumer site for Java software, still installs the previous 1.4.2 version of Java software on user machines by default. You can get the Tiger version free from the Sun Microsystems' Web site by pointing your browser to java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/download.jsp and then following the Download JRE link. From the user point of view, the Tiger version of Java software better manages Java applications that can be installed via the Java Web Start technology.

July 1, 2004
Version 2.6 Release
This version adds support for the FCC HF Seasonal shortwave broadcasting schedules. More information about this is available on the Input Data page.

April 20, 2004
Version 2.5 Release
This version brings support for viewing all of the supported schedules in the local time mode, in addition to the world time mode.

April 4, 2004
Version 2.4 Release
This version, developed in collaboration with Peter J. Edwards MW5ARR, adds support for Portuguese as an interface language. More information about international features of Radio Explorer is available on the Radio Explorer in Your Language page.

March 24, 2004
Version 2.3 Release
This version, developed in collaboration with Mª Ángeles Barba Sánchez and Peter J. Edwards MW5ARR, adds support for Spanish as an interface language.

March 4, 2004
Version 2.2 Release
This version adds support for refreshing solar information values, including solar flux, A index, and K index, using data from the Geophysical Alert Message. The solar information values are used for estimating radio signal propagation conditions.

February 15, 2004
Version 2.1 Release
This version, developed in collaboration with Tunç Aytı, adds support for Turkish as an interface language.

Furthermore, starting with this version you can use Radio Explorer to browse through the Prime Time Shortwave broadcasting schedules. Please refer to the Input Data page for details.

Also added in this version is support for monitoring memory usage, a convenient feature if you work with many schedules at once.

Lastly, this version features performance improvements in expanding and collapsing several tree table rows at once and in the online help system.

January 20, 2004
Version 2.0 Release
This version adds support for programming (thematic) schedules. Now you can open a broadcasting schedule (frequency schedule) and a programming schedule in one view and then query both schedules at once. In particular, SWBC English-language programming schedules are supported, as are SWBC broadcasting schedules. Please see a large screenshot displaying both of the schedules opened. For more information about the SWBC schedules, see the Input Data page.

This release also adds support for opening multiple program windows, so now you can browse through several schedules at once.

Additionally, in response to user suggestions support is added for expanding and collapsing several rows of the tree table simultaneously, so that you can easily get overview of the entire expanded schedule.

November 20, 2003
Version 1.5 Release
This version adds significant enhancements to querying schedules in Radio Explorer. Here is the complete list of query criteria available: station name; broadcast language; program name and format; time; frequency; signal modulation, power and azimuth; broadcast target area and CIRAF zones; transmitter location name, country and CIRAF zones. For textual criteria, such as broadcast language, you can specify several query values at once (like English, German). For numeric criteria, which include time, frequency, power, azimuth, target and location zones, you can indicate ranges (spans) and specify several single values and ranges at once (like 3:00, 6:00-9:00 or 5,000; 10,000-15,000). Moreover, with the frequency criteria, you can use shorthand abbreviations for the most common ranges, including meter bands: LW (long waves), MW (medium waves), and short waves starting from 120m (120 meter band) up to 11m (11 meter band).

November 7, 2003
Version 1.4 Release
This is an adjustment release, which provides correction for a problem with opening the HFCC schedule for the current broadcasting season (winter 2003–2004, B03). The problem is due to a very slight format change.

This version also adds support for opening schedule files via drag-and-drop.

Starting with this release, a new site is recommended for downloading and installing Java software. The new Java software consumer site is available at java.com.

October 21, 2003
Version 1.3 Release
This version, developed in collaboration with Francesco Di Giovanni, adds support for Italian as an interface language. Please see the Radio Explorer in Your Language page for more information.

Also, some minor corrections have been made to handling EiBi schedules.

October 9, 2003
Version 1.2 Release
This version adds support for Eike Bierwirth's Comprehensive Schedules, which some consider as the best shortwave guide available on the Internet (for example, visit this link). For more information about the EiBi schedules, see the Input Data page.

In response to user suggestions, starting with this version Radio Explorer displays the latest modification date of a schedule file in the window title bar near the file name.

The scrolling behavior of the Station tree table when using the wheel mouse has been corrected so that the scrolling direction is now vertical rather than horizontal.

Lastly, this version provides correction for a problem with internal files of the online help, which prevented Radio Explorer from starting on some localized operating systems.

September 3, 2003
Version 1.1 Release
In response to user suggestions, this version comes with the new feature of MUF chart and map printing.

Also, starting with this version Radio Explorer is Java Web Start compliant and can be installed on your machine with a single click on a Web page link.

August 26, 2003
Swing Sightings feature Radio Explorer
Sun Microsystems have included Radio Explorer into the Swing Sightings #17 review, which is intended to provide good examples of what is possible with Swing. Swing is a software library by Sun Microsystems used for developing user interfaces on the Java platform.

July 15, 2003
Version 1.0.1 Release
This maintenance version provides correction for a problem with displaying detailed information about a station or a broadcast in a tool tip.

July 12, 2003
Version 1.0 Release
The first version of Radio Explorer is publicly available.