Re: [amsat-bb] PREDICT Version 2.1.0 For Linux Released

[jamie <jmorken@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi John,
Is there anyway to hook this up to a MEADE telescope with motor drives to
visually see the satellites?  Perhaps there is other software too!?  Thanks for
your time,

Jamie Morken


John Magliacane wrote:

> The latest version of PREDICT for the Linux operating system has been
> released.  The major features of version 2.1.0 include:
>
> * Fully year 2000 compliant.
>
> * 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).
>
> * Open source licensing allows anyone to contribute new features to
>   the program while forever keeping the software, and any derivative
>   works, non-proprietary and freely available.
>
> * A *FAST* orbital prediction mode that predicts in advance passes of
>   satellites, 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, printing, or parsing by other programs.
>
> * An optical visual orbital prediction mode that displays satellite
>   passes that may be optically visible to the groundstation.
>
> * A solar illumination prediction mode that calculates how much time
>   a satellite will spend in sunlight per day.
>
> * A real-time tracking mode that provides dynamic information such as
>   sub-satellite point, groundstation 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.
>
> * A multi-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 groundstation.
>
> * Provides static information such as semimajor axis of ellipse,
>   apogee and perigee altitudes, and anomalistic and nodal periods
>   of satellite orbits.
>
> * Command line options permit alternate groundstation 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.
>
> * A voice mode 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 can now act as a socket-based server and be used to supply
>   real-time tracking data, such as azimuth and elevation headings,
>   footprint diameters, sub-satellite point latitude and longitude
>   headings, normalized Doppler shift data, and next predicted AOS times
>   to external programs such as rotator control software, graphical map
>   tracking software, or radio frequency control programs residing either
>   on the host machine, or on any networked client using the UDP
>   communications protocol.
>
> Changes from the previous version include:
>
> * A solar illumination feature was added to predict the percentage
>   of time a satellite spends in sunlight per day.
>
> * Orbital predictions for satellites that appear to have decayed
>   since the last Keplerian orbital update are no longer attempted
>   by the program.
>
> * Date and time used to start orbital predictions may now be
>   abbreviated to Day/Month/Year only (00:00:00 is assumed).
>
> * System clock/calendar is now read to millisecond precision,
>   permitting more "lively" real-time tracking mode displays.
>
> * "vocalizer" code was changed to use a slightly different (better)
>    approach towards initializing and sending data to the system
>    soundcard.
>
> * Socket-based server code was contributed by Ivan Galysh, KD4HBO.
>   It allows PREDICT to export real-time tracking data for all 24
>   satellites to external client programs, such as automatic antenna
>   rotator controllers, graphical map display programs, or TX/RX
>   tuning controllers.  The server features are activated by invoking
>   PREDICT with a -s switch.  Communication between server and clients
>   is by way of the UDP protocol.  Real-time data is exported by PREDICT
>   in both the single satellite and multi-satellite tracking modes.
>
> * The command-line parsing code was modified to prevent segmentation
>   faults from occurring if command-line options are incorrectly issued.
>
> * Some minor coding changes were made.
>
> PREDICT is free software, and may be downloaded from:
>
>         ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/Linux/predict-2.1.0.tar.gz
>
> Further information on PREDICT software is available via the web at:
>
>         http://www.linuxfan.com/~predict
>
> (This page will be updated over the weekend.)
>
> An article describing the development and use of PREDICT will be available
> in the July (Science and Engineering) issue of "Linux Journal" magazine.
>
> Happy Tracking!
>
> 73, de John, KD2BD
>
> --
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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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