SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0110 * SpaceNews 10-Jan-00 * BID: $SPC0110 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY JANUARY 10, 2000 * FUJI-OSCAR-29 NEWS * ====================== The following is the latest FO-29 operating schedule as announced by the JARL: Wed 12-Jan-2000 -to- Sun 16-Jan-2000 : Mode JD 1200 baud Mon 17-Jan-2000 -to- Mon 31-Jan-2000 : Mode JA [Info via Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK] * WINORBIT AND Y2K * ==================== Users of the Winorbit satellite tracking program are advised that several problems relating to the year 2000 exist in the program and are currently being worked on. A new release is expected later this month, and made available through AMSAT-NA's Web site (www.amsat.org). In the meantime: * For the Print Ephemeris problem: either enter the starting date as 2000 manually instead of 00, or change the Windows control panel to make the default short date format have 4 digits. * For the kep problems, stick to the last set from 1999 - they should be good for at least a month anyway. The problem occurs when the database is updated and the wrong information is written. Users can load new keps and use them as long as you don't update or Autoupdate the database (of course they will be forgotten when the program exits). Users can also try to manually correct the database using an editor and pasting in the new elements if desired. Please pass the word so I don't have to spend all my free time replying to emails instead of fixing the problem! Sorry for the hassles. Best wishes. [Info via Carl Gregory and Ken, N1WED] * PREDICT FOR DOS RELEASED * ============================ PREDICT Version 2 for DOS is a satellite tracking and orbital prediction program written by John A. Magliacane, KD2BD. It was ported to DOS from the latest Linux version available in late December 1999, and is intended as a replacement for the original DOS version. The new version clears up some minor Y2K issues and adds many new features not present in the original version. The major features of PREDICT Version 2 for DOS include: * Fully year 2000 compliant code. * Compiled into highly-optimized 32-bit executable code that operates under a protected mode environment during execution to harness the full processing power of your (80386 or better) CPU. * 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. PREDICT Version 2 for DOS was compiled under Caldera's DR-DOS 7.02 operating system using the DJGPP version 2.01 32-bit protected mode software development environment (gcc 2.7.2.1, PDCurses 2.2). Features present in the Linux version of PREDICT that require OS-specific drivers, capabilities, or features such as true multitasking, were not ported to the DOS version. The latest news and information regarding PREDICT software is available via the World Wide Web at: http://www.linuxfan.com/~predict PREDICT Version 2 for DOS may be downloaded via the Internet at: ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/PC/tracking/predict2.zip * FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED * =========================== Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below: WWW: http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/ MAIL: John A. Magliacane, KD2BD Department of Engineering and Technology Brookdale Community College 765 Newman Springs Road Lincroft, New Jersey 07738 U.S.A. PACKET: KD2BD @ N2TDU.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET: kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net SATELLITE: AMSAT-OSCAR-16, KITSAT-OSCAR-25 <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> <<=- Serving the planet (and beyond) since 1987 -=>> /EX