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README
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1991-12-07
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This is an updated version of the USAT90 satellite tracking program. It
requires QBASIC to run and should also be compilable by QuickBASIC. Other
significant changes to the program are noted below.
A formula is now used to calculate the Greenwich Mean Sidereal Time instead
of a static lookup table. The previous version's data ran out at the end of
1991.
Color switching was eliminated because LCDs and monochrome displays couldn't
display some of the text brightly enough. It was more expedient to eliminate
multiple colors entirely than to find a suitable combination that looked good
on all video hardware. Will work out this detail later.
The system date and time is no longer modified by the program.
The satellite data file (USAT.TLE) format has been changed to a format
similar to the standard NASA/NORAD two-line element sets. See the
accompanying TLE.DOC file for the format specification. The satellite data
editor is temporarily gone and will re-appear in a future version.
Meanwhile, USAT.TLE can be updated by copying the most current TLE file into
USAT.TLE and editing it to eliminate unwanted satellite elements. The number
of satellites that USAT can track has been increased to 17. Sources of the
most recent satellite data are listed in TLE.DOC. The data is also available
from the NOAA BBS via SprintNet.
Beacon frequency data is not maintained by this version nor is the doppler
shift calculated. This feature will probably re-appear in a later version.
The ground station data file (USATGRND.DAT) format has been changed to plain
ASCII text. The world bitmap file has been renamed to USATCGA.MAP.
This version of USAT is just an interim update. Given enough time, I hope
to convert it to C and have it run under the various GUIs (X-Windows, the
Macintosh OS, and MicroSoft Windows). As a result, some effort has been made
to clean up the original GW-BASIC source to make the porting process easier.
Questions about this version of USAT may be directed to one of the following:
Internet: tony@mpg.phys.hawaii.edu
BITnet: querubin@uhunix
PBBS: ah6bw@ah6bw.hi.usa.oc
AMPRnet: tony@uhm.ampr.org
Snail mail: Antonio Querubin, Jr.
University of Hawai`i
Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
Honolulu, HI 96822-2286
(808) 956-7660
AUTOVON: 456-1232