Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!rochester!kodak!ornitz
From: ornitz@kodak.UUCP (Barry Ornitz)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: NEC source code?
Keywords: NEC, MININEC, NTIS, antennas, models
Message-ID: <1947@kodak.UUCP>
Date: 21 Jun 89 12:51:52 GMT
References: <2326@ur-cc.UUCP>
Reply-To: ornitz@kodak.UUCP (Barry Ornitz)
Followup-To: sci.electronics
Organization: Eastman Kodak Co, Rochester, NY
Lines: 35

The last time I checked, the NEC was available from the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS).  While the code available from the NTIS is in the
public domain, you cannot distribute what you obtain from them in the form
that they supply it.  This is a rather strange statement and is subject to
some likewise strange interpretation.  Rusty's callsign project was an
example of this - all of the FCC callsign and address information for amateurs
is available from the NTIS.  Rusty wanted to create a computer callbook from
this information.  Before he could distribute his "electronic callbook", he
had to extensively massage the data "so it was not in the same form" as it was
obtained from the NTIS.  I am not sure how this would be handled in the form
of programs. You could certainly use the NEC program for personal use, but I do
not see how you could distribute it further.  BTW, the last time I checked,
the NEC was over $1600 to get a machine readable copy from the NTIS (standard
9-track IBM tape).  If you re-wrote the program in C, you could probably get
away with distributing it.  Heck, you could probably sell it!  ;-)

Don't pass over MININEC so easily.  It is quite acceptable for very many
applications.  Data entry is easier than the NEC and when using compiled BASIC,
the speed is not so bad.  It is also available from the NTIS in machine
readable form - over $400, I think.  There are a number of companies that
offer programs based on MINENEC that have graphical outputs and easier data
entry still.  Many of these sell for less than $100; you can often find these
advertized for sale in many ham radio magazines (QST, Ham Radio).

I hope this information helps.  Good luck.  73 de WA4VZQ, Barry

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|  ___  ________  |
| |  / /        | |  Dr. Barry L. Ornitz  UUCP:..rutgers!rochester!kodak!ornitz
| | / /         | |  Eastman Kodak Company
| |< < K O D A K| |  Eastman Chemicals Division Research Laboratories
| | \ \         | |  P. O. Box 1972
| |__\ \________| |  Kingsport, TN  37662       615/229-4904
|                 |
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