[amsat-bb] PREDICT Version 2 Released!

[John Magliacane <magliaco@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

PREDICT Version 2.0.0 for Linux has been released!

PREDICT is a multi-user satellite tracking and orbital prediction program
written under the Linux operating system by John A. Magliacane, KD2BD.
The major features of PREDICT Version 2 include:

   * Fully year 2000 compliant code.

   * Designed under the Linux operating system to permit operation on a wide
     and expanding variety of hardware platforms ranging from palmtops to
     supercomputers (including 32-bit PCs (80386s or better) and Macintosh
     PowerPCs).

   * Licensed under the GNU General Public License, thereby allowing anyone
     to contribute new features to the program while forever keeping the
     software, and any derivative works, non-proprietary and freely
     available.

   * Includes a *FAST* orbital prediction mode that accurately predicts
     satellite passes, providing dates, times, coordinates, slant range
     distances, and sunlight and optical visibility information. Predictions
     are displayed in tabular form and may be saved to a log file for later
     reference or printing.

   * Includes a visual orbital prediction mode that displays satellite
     passes that are potentially visible to the ground station by optical
     means.

   * Features a real-time single satellite tracking mode that provides
     dynamic information such as sub-satellite point, ground station azimuth
     and elevation headings, Doppler shift, path loss, slant range, orbital
     altitude, orbital velocity, footprint diameter, orbital phase, the time
     and date of the next AOS (or LOS of the current pass), orbit number,
     and sunlight and visibility information for a single satellite, while
     providing live azimuth and elevation headings for both the sun and
     moon.

   * Features a multi-satellite tracking mode that provides sub-satellite
     point, azimuth and elevation headings, sunlight and visibility, and
     slant range distance information for all 24 satellites in the program's
     current database on a real-time basis. Azimuth and elevation headings
     for the sun and moon are also provided, as a well as a listing of the
     AOS dates and times for the next three satellites expected to come into
     range of the ground station.

   * Provides static information such as semi-major axis of ellipse, apogee
     and perigee altitudes, and anomalistic and nodal periods of satellite
     orbits.

   * Includes command line options that permit alternate ground station
     locations to be specified or alternate orbital databases to be read and
     processed by the program, effectively allowing an UNLIMITED number of
     satellites to be tracked and managed. Additional options allow any
     orbital database file to be automatically updated using NASA Two-Line
     element data obtained via the Internet or via Pacsat satellite without
     having to enter the program and manually select menu options to update
     the database.

   * Features a voice mode that allows live azimuth and elevation headings
     of a satellite to be articulated to an observer to assist in locating a
     satellite by optical means.

PREDICT may be downloaded using anonymous ftp from:

	ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/Linux/predict-2.0.0.tar.gz

or:

	ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/ham/predict-2.0.0.tar.gz

A web page describing PREDICT is available at:

	http://www.linuxfan.com/~predict

and the program is currently being featured and reviewed at:

	http://www.icewalkers.com/softlib/app/app_00750.html


Happy Tracking!  :-)

--
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- John A. Magliacane, KD2BD -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Internet  : kd2bd@amsat.org          |  Voice : +1.732.224.2948
Satellite : AO-16, KO-25             |  Morse : -.-  -..  ..---  -...  -..
Packet    : KD2BD @ N2TDU.NJ.USA.NA  |  WWW   : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/
Video     : 426.250 MHz/439.250 MHz  |  FAX   : +1.732.224.2060
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Linux Doesn't Cost.  It Pays. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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