Q-Rap is Radio Planning plug-in for QGIS. It was developed for the Radio Technical Services of the South African Police Service by the University of Pretoria (through BE@UP). The SAPS specified that the source code be released to ensure continuous development and maintenance. The core propagation prediction algorithm was made available by CSIR Meraka Institute.
Why the name Q-Rap? It is to give recognition to its predecessor and enablers: RAP and GISRAP was RAdio Planning/Propagation software developed at Mikomtek, CSIR (now the Meraka Institute), and the enabling QGIS. Without the Open Sourced QGIS, this tool would not have been as user friendly, in fact it simply might not have been at all. We also use Qt extensively.
Q-Rap can be used by radio amateurs, Wi-Fi mesh designers, cellular operators, consultants, radio regulators students and lecturers of Mobile Communication courses and researchers in propagation prediction and cellular design.
While the software is free for use by any-one, we particularly hope that it will serve as an enabler for radio amateurs, students and researchers. As for those who intent making (saving) money using Q-Rap, we kindly request you say thank you.
- Magdaleen Ballot from University of Pretoria
- Gabriel de Sousa (now an UP graduate)
- Roeland van Nieuwkerk (now an UP graduate)
- Dirk van der Merwe (now an UP graduate)
- Thane Thomson (now an UP graduate)
- Shaun Barlow (now an UP graduate)
- Christo du Plessis (now an UP graduate)
- Hennie de Lange from Radio Technical SAPS
- Kobus Roux from Meraka Institute, CSIR
- Madelein van der Berg from Meraka Institute, CSIR
- Anita van Deventer from Meraka Institute, CSIR
- Adrian Tiplady from the SKA-project and the DST who initiated and sponsored the Spectral Interference Tool.
- Danie Nel from SAPS
- Richard Irish from SAPS
- Anita van Deventer from CSIR Meraka Institute
Currently this is a mirror repo of the source code available on sourceforge.net.
Detailed documentation can be found on the Q-Rap web site - http://www.qrap.org.za/