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1992-03-26
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SATELLITE TRACKING PROGRAMS
FOR THE IBM-PC
4/1/85
***** PROPRIETARY NOTICE *****
These programs are a proprietary product developed and distributed by Roy D.
Welch, 908 Dutch Mill Dr., Manchester, Mo. 63011.
Copyright 1983 by Roy D. Welch. All rights reserved except those expressly
granted to the user within this document. Permission is granted for non-
commercial use providing credit is given to the author and AMSAT.
***** REQUIREMENTS *****
IBM-PC or IBM-PCXT
128k of RAM
IBM Color Graphics Adapter
IBM Color Monitor
Floppy Disk Drive (one)
DOS 2.0 or later version with BASICA
***** GENERAL *****
This documentation covers the instructions needed for using the various
associated programs on this diskette as described below. These programs
permit the user to establish data records for up to twenty earth satellites
and to track those satellites for the purpose of aiming radio antennas at
them. The user can select a particular program from a menu and that program
will be loaded and executed automatically. As written, the programs require
the use of an IBM Color Graphics Adapter. However, only one program absolutely
requires it. The other programs can be run using a monochrome monitor by
eliminating the COLOR commands and modifying the SCREEN commands where they
appear in those programs.
The programs are written to be run on an IBM-PC. Most of the programs will
run on a system with 64k of RAM memory. The realtime tracking program however
requires 128k because map graphics data is stored in high memory where it
is available to be moved to the display buffer. The programs are written in
Microsoft BASIC and run under DOS 2.0 or later. While the programs may run on
the so called "IBM compatibles", there is no assurance of compatibility.
Before the programs can be run the user must supply some information unique to
his own geographical location and ground station. This will be described
later. He must also have a source of satellite orbital elements in order to
periodically update the "numbers". This too will be discussed later.
It is strongly suggested that at this point the user make a backup copy of the
program diskette PRIOR to making any program modifications. Later, after
program modifications have been made, a working copy diskette can be copied
with your unique station modifications on it. See ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
(1)
***** SATMENU.BAS *****
This program should be the first one run. It provides a menu from which the
user can select one of five other programs for use. Each of these programs
provide a way to return to the menu when desired. Of these five programs, one
provides batch output for a single satellite, listing tracking information in
non-realtime for a selected time period. A second program provides the
capability for realtime tracking. The third is a file management program that
provides the capability for updating the orbital elements for each satellite.
A fourth program gives instructions for obtaining this documentation. A final
program provides a means for the user to install parameters concerning the
particular ground station being used such as latitude, longitude, altitude
above sea level and station name or call sign. This program also allows the
user to select one of four map presentations and its color. The world map can
be constructed such that the center of the map on the screen can be at 0, 90,
180, or 270 degrees longitude to suit the user.
***** SATFILE.BAS *****
This program is a file management routine that builds and maintains an
orbital elements file used by the tracking programs. It will handle elements
for up to twenty satellites. Only the first eight will be used in the real-
time tracking program however. The file should be arranged with this in mind.
SATFILE.BAS can be accessed from the menu discussed above. Prompting is used
extensively to guide the user through adding, changing and deleting satellite
elements. The user must also supply a name or designation for each satellite.
This name must not exceed ten characters and must consist of alphabetical and
numerical characters only. Provision is made to input a beacon frequency
for a satellite if Doppler Shift calculations are desired. This is not
required however and is not used in the real time tracking program. These
required orbital elements are the classical Keplerian Orbital Elements and are
available from NASA or through a subscription to the Amateur Satellite Report
(ASR). If you get them from NASA you will get a large volume of paper, often
two or three times a week.
1. Write to NASA Predictions Bulletin Oprns. Ctr.
Branch code 512, NASA GSFC
Greenbelt, MD 20771
2. State, "I am a Radio Amateur operator and need prediction
bulletins for these satellites", or something similar.
3. Furnish a list of desired satellites by catalog number:
OSCAR 10 = 14129
OSCAR 11 = 14781
RS5 = 12999
RS6 = 13002
RS7 = 13001
RS8 = 12998
(2)
4. Also request the format explanation for these bulletins.
5. Be prepared to get a lot of mail!!
The Amateur Satellite Report is published and mailed First Class bi-weekly for
the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. Subscriptions may be obtained by
writing to "Satellite Report", 221 Long Swamp Road, Wolcott, CT 06716. The
advantage of obtaining updates from ASR is that the user also gets a fine news
letter in addition to timely element updates. Also, there is a lot less paper
to be handled that way.
The program SATFILE.BAS stores the satellite elements in a data file named
ELEMENTS.DAT on the same diskette containing the programs. When elements are
updated the diskette must not have a file protect tab affixed. The sequence
of appearance in the file can be changed through the option of inserting a new
satellite in any of the occupied file positions. This insert feature allows
the user to arrange the first eight positions with the satellites he wants
tracked by the real time program.
The SATFILE.BAS program eliminates the need for using DATA statements in both
of the tracking programs. This saves duplicative effort when updating the
elements. One update serves both programs.
If for some reason it is desirable to see fewer than the maximum number of
satellites available to the realtime tracking program, the user can insert a
dummy satellite named END at the position following the last satellite wanted.
The program will only load satellite elements until it finds the one named
END.
At the conclusion of an update, the user can select an exit option which
returns control to the main menu program. The user must always exit from this
program using the EXIT (E) option. If the program is exited by any other
method, files may be subsequently damaged since they will not have been closed
properly.
***** ORBIT2.BAS *****
This program is a highly modified version of the W3IWI North Star Basic
program covered in ORBIT Magazine, March/April 1981, page 18. It provides a
batch output of tracking coordinates for selected periods of times and
intervals. This output is available on the screen or printer and is useful for
compiling a sequence of tracking coordinates on hard copy for later use.
As mentioned above, this program has been highly modified from the original
W3IWI version. Certain coordinates in the original version were initialized at
the beginning of the run. This version updates them each time through the
orbit calculation loop. This eliminates a small but cumulative error from the
output on long runs covering several orbits. The original version used DATA
statements to supply the orbital parameters. This version uses the
ELEMENTS.DAT file as discussed earlier. The original version permitted a
satellite to be tracked through January of the year following the reference
(3)
year contained in the elements. This version permits tracking throughout the
entire year using elements from the previous year. The original program
provided paging to a new page with each new orbit. This version pages with
each new day instead. This seems to provide a more user oriented output and
consumes less paper.
Once the output has started, depressing the ESC key will interrupt the program
and return control to the menu program. When the program has finished, an
END OF JOB message is displayed. Depressing the ENTER key at this point will
return control to the menu program.
***** ORBITS2.BAS *****
This program displays tracking coordinates for up to eight satellites on the
screen at one time and updates them continuously in real time. The program
prompts for input of the date and time in Coordinated Universal Time at the
beginning of the run. If the date and time displayed is already correct,
depressing the enter key will allow the program to proceed.
The program makes the F9 function key available to key trap the selection of
either of two displays on the screen. Initially the screen displays tracking
coordinates in a tabulated format. Pressing the F9 key switches the display to
a Mercator Projection map of the world upon which each satellite position is
displayed and moved in realtime. The coordinates for each satellite are
displayed below the map as that satellite is updated. Depressing the F10
function key allows the user to select a particular satellite by designation
(name) and to display only that satellite's coordinates below the map. The
shape of the selected satellite will be altered for easy recognition. All
satellites will continue to be updated on the map but the selected one will be
the only one whose coordinates are displayed below the map. Depressing the F10
key a second time will allow the user to replace the selected satellite with
another or to exit from the SELECTED mode if the F10 key is followed
by depressing the RETURN key. Depressing the F9 key again will switch the
display back to the tabulated display. At any time, the ESC key will permit
the user to return to the main menu. NOTE: The use of more than one function
key at a time to "key trap" is not supported by some "IBM compatibles". The
use of the F10 key therefore may be ignored by those machines.
Because of the graphics used in this program the IBM Color Graphics Adapter
is required in the PC. At the time the program is started, a BLOAD command
loads the map image data into upper memory from a file named MAP.DAT on the
diskette. When the F9 key is depressed this map image is moved very rapidly
to the graphics display buffer by a small efficient machine language routine.
(4)
***** SETPARMS.BAS ******
This program permits the user to setup his ground station parameters. While
the programs can be run as they are, they will produce output for the QTH of
W0SL. The user can run them as they are for demonstration purposes if he so
wishes. However, before the programs will produce output for the user's QTH
this program must be selected from the menu and certain input provided. The
program will prompt for input of latitude (0 to 90 degrees north or 0 to -90
degrees south), longitude (0 to 360 degrees west) and height above sea level
(- if below) of the ground station. Additionally the user is prompted for the
input of the station name or call sign (10 alphanumeric characters maximum).
Please note that the latitude and longitude are to be in decimal degrees, not
degrees, minutes and seconds. Following this the user is prompted to input
a preference of how the map should be presented, centered on 0, 90, 180 or 270
degrees. Finally, a choice of map outline colors is requested. The program
then begins to read file LATLONG.DAT and construct the map. This will take a
few minutes so the user can get a cup of coffee or just watch at this point.
When the map has been constructed, an end of job message prompts the user for
action which will return him to the menu. The ground station parameters will
have been saved in a file named QTH.DAT and the map image will have been saved
in a file named MAP.DAT. The ground station parameters will remain in effect
for all subsequent runs of the tracking programs until the user decides that
he wants to change them. He can do so at any time by selecting that option
from the menu.
****** FILES ******
SETPARMS.BAS SATFILE.BAS SATMENU.BAS
ORBIT2.BAS ORBITS2.BAS SATELLIT.DOC
PRINTDOC.BAS LATLONG.DAT # MAP.DAT
# QTH.DAT ## ELEMENTS.DAT
# These two files are created by SETPARMS.BAS.
## This file is created by SATFILE.BAS.
***** ADDITIONAL COMMENTS *****
If the user wants the menu program to automatically load when the system is
booted the following procedure can be used:
1. Format a new diskette using the FORMAT/S option in DOS 2.0 or
later version.
2. Copy BASICA.COM from your DOS diskette onto the new diskette.
3. If the PC is equipped with a realtime clock (not the PC system
clock) then copy onto the diskette the software program that sets
the PC system clock. This is a nice feature but not an absolute
requirement.
(5)
4. Copy all of the programs and files from the satellite diskette
to the new diskette using the COPY *.* option in DOS.
5. Place the new diskette in the default drive. From DOS enter:
COPY CON: AUTOEXEC.BAT (followed by ENTER key)
(Clock program name if used, followed by ENTER key)
BASICA SATMENU (followed by ENTER key)
(Press the F6 key followed by the ENTER key)
The SATMENU.BAS routine will now run automatically whenever the system is
booted on the new diskette. Have fun! Don't forget to support AMSAT!!
(6)