home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
World of Ham Radio 1997
/
WOHR97_AmSoft_(1997-02-01).iso
/
misc
/
suntime
/
prog
/
suntime.doc
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1997-02-01
|
14KB
|
289 lines
Sun-Time Version 1.2 by RejTech
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Copyright(c) 1992, 1993 RejTech
P.O. Box 721247
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73172-1247
OVERVIEW:
---------
SUNTIME is a program which will display the sunrise and sunset
times as well as times for 3 levels of twilight for the city
selected. It uses a modern user interface which is very simple
to use and can be controlled either from the keyboard or with a
mouse. The city displayed is selected from a database which
currently contains over 1300 entries and may be customized using
any ASCII text editor.
INSTALLATION:
-------------
Simply copy all files to any desired directory.
Files contained on the installation disk:
SUNTIME.EXE - Main Program File
SUNTIME.CFG - Stores Current Program Configuration
SUNTIME.DOC - Documentation for SUNTIME.EXE (this file)
REJTECH.COM - Software Registration Module
REGISTER.BAT - Batch procedure to print registration form
and receive a discount for registering both
SUNTIME and ANYTIME together.
CITIES.DAT - City Data File
TIMEZONE.DAT - Time Zone Definition File
Both data files (CITIES.DAT and TIMEZONE.DAT) are required for
operation and must be in the same directory as SUNTIME.EXE.
OPERATION:
----------
Using this program is very simple. To start the program from DOS
simply type "SUNTIME" and hit <Enter> at the DOS prompt. When the
program has be activated, enter the date desired and the sunrise/
sunset computations will automatically be displayed for the city
shown. To change program options, just select one of the four
buttons shown by pressing the indicated function key or clicking
on the button with your mouse:
[About] - Displays the program version and registration
information. Buttons at the bottom of this
window allow E-Z program registration plus the
setting of various program options.
[Cities] - Allows selection of a new city. A pick-list
will be presented. Select the city to compute
using the mouse and scroll-bar at the right of
list or by using the cursor keys. When the
desired city is highlighted, press the enter
key or click on that entry with the left mouse
button to select it.
Sun-Time Version 1.2 by RejTech
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
OPERATION (Continued):
----------------------
[Zones] - Selects the time zone for the selected city. When
the city selection is made, the default time zone for
the city is automatically chosen. This option is
present in case you desire to use a time zone other
than the default. Note: If the "Auto DST" flag for
the city is set to 'Y', daylight savings time adjust-
ments will be performed automatically. The STANDARD
time zone for the selected city should always be used
in this case (not the daylight savings time zone).
[Exit] - Ends the program. Your current configuration will be
saved before exiting the program, therefore the next
time you execute "SUNTIME", the same city will be
displayed.
SUNRISE, SUNSET, AND TWILIGHT:
------------------------------
The time when the top ridge of the sun becomes visible is defined to
be sunrise (or sunset when it is no longer visible). The center of
the sun will be zero degrees, 50 minutes below the horizon when this
occurs (for most locations).
Twilight is the time when the sun is below the horizon, but it's light
is still reflected in the atmosphere.
The computations made assume a sea-level location with a flat horizon.
Mountains to the east or west will of course alter the actual time
the sun will make it's appearance.
If the city you have selected is at an extreme northern or southern
location, the sun may not rise or set, or certain twilight boundaries
may not be crossed. If this is the case, no time will be displayed
for that event.
TWILIGHT:
---------
There are three 'twilight' (dawn and dusk) times shown:
1. Astronomical Twilight is the time when there is a slight glow
in the eastern (sunrise) or western (sunset) sky. This
is defined as the point when the sun is 18 degrees below
the horizon.
2. Nautical Twilight is the time when most stars disappear from
the sky. It is defined as the point when the sun is 12
degrees below the horizon.
3. Civil Twilight is the time when it is generally bright enough
drive without headlights. It is defined as the point when
the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.
The hours of twilight shown is the time between astronomical dawn and
sunrise plus the time between astronomical dusk and sunset.
Sun-Time Version 1.2 by RejTech
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
METHOD OF COMPUTATION:
----------------------
The algorithm used to compute the sun's appearance and departure
from your city has been used in similar programs for several years.
A crude BASIC language version was published by William C. Bell in
in the April 1984 issue of "Astronomy" Magazine. This algorithm
(method of computation) used should be accurate to within a minute
or two at most locations. Extreme northern or southern latitudes
will be somewhat less accurate.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME:
----------------------
If the 'Auto DST' flag in the CITIES.DAT file is set to 'Y' for the
chosen city, that city is assumed to use the standard Daylight Savings
Time pattern adopted by the United States. Under this system, day-
light savings time begins on the first Sunday in April and ends on the
last Sunday in October. If a city does not follow this pattern, this
flag should be set to 'N'. You will then need to manually select a
time zone corresponding to daylight savings time when it is in effect.
In future versions, this flag may be expanded to a code which will
signify different (non US) DST patterns (...users with information on
other DST patterns used throughout the world are encouraged to let
me know about them so that they can be incorperated into future
versions).
DATA FILES:
-----------
The data files CITIES.DAT and TIMEZONE.DAT are simple ASCII text
files which can be edited with any ASCII text editor. You may add
or delete cities at will, but fields must begin in the same column
on each line (one city per line), therefore your text editor should
not insert any 'TAB' characters. Comment lines may be inserted in
the files by placing an asterisk in column 1.
The CITIES.DAT file currently contains over 1300 cities which have
been compiled from several sources. The program should be able to
handle up to 2600 entries (128K of data). The current database is
for the most part correct, but no guarantee can be made as to it's
accuracy. Although minor corrections have been made to the data
since version 1.0, it is essentially the same database. No attempt
has been made to make updates for the recent changes in the USSR.
Users, please let me know of any changes needed to existing cities
in the database. Also, if you believe there is a major city which
should included in the file, I will consider adding it to the next
version. Thanks for your help in this area.
The TIMEZONE.DAT file defines time zones used in CITIES.DAT. All 24
time zones are currently defined here along with several location-
specific time zones. For areas where a non-standard time zone is used
(Saudi-Arabia, etc), a code of 'XXX' should be placed in the 'CITIES
.DAT' file. This will cause the standard time to be computed based on
the longitude of the city.
Note - The 3-digit time zone code MUST match in both files. If you
decide to change this in the TIMEZONE.DAT file, you must also
change each occurrence of it in the CITIES.DAT file.
- The program ANYTIME.EXE also uses these same data files. If
you are using both programs, keep them in the same directory
so that they may each share a single copy of the data files.
Sun-Time Version 1.2 by RejTech
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SETTING PROGRAM OPTIONS
-----------------------
Version 1.2 allows user selection of various program options such as
time and date display format, screen colors and video display mode.
To register, select the <About> button in the program's main window,
then select the <Setup> button. This will open a dialog box which
allows change of the current program options:
1. Video Mode - Enter 'F' for the fastest video display. If this
causes problems, select 'D' or 'B'. Both of these
options will eliminate snow on CGA monitors. The
'B' option (Bios) is the most compatible but is
also the slowest.
2. Reset Video - Select 'Y' to force the video mode to be reset.
This may be necessary if previous software did
not leave the screen in normal text mode. Note
that selecting 'Y' may force the screen to be
cleared with certain video-display adaptors.
3. Cursor Size - Select 'S' for the standard cursor or 'B' for a
larger block cursor (useful for LCD displays).
4. Clear Screen - Enter 'Y' to force the screen to be cleared to
a textured background when the program is started.
5. Time Mode - Enter '2' for a 12-hour display format or '4'
for a 24-hour display format.
6. Time Seperator - Enter the character that should be used to
delimit the hours/minutes/seconds in the time
display (normally a colon).
7. Date Mode - Enter 'M' to display dates in Month/day/year
order, 'D' to display dates in Day/month/year
order, or 'Y' to display in Year/Month/Day order.
8. Date Seperator - Enter the character that should be used to
delimit the month/day/year in the date display
(normally a forward slash or dash).
9. Left Window Column - Enter a number from 1 to 27 to specify
the screen column where the program window should
be placed (normally 14 to center on screen).
10. Color Scheme - Enter 'C' for a CYAN (blue-green) display
background on the display. Enter 'W' for a WHITE
background, or 'B' for a BLUE background.
When the options are set as desired, select the <Proceed> button (or
press the <F2> key) to register the changes. Pressing the <Cancel>
button (or <Esc> key) will abandon any changes made.
Sun-Time Version 1.2 by RejTech
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SOFTWARE LICENSE REGISTRATION:
------------------------------
This program is copyrighted shareware and should be registered if
you find it useful and intend to use it (or if you just feel like
being generous). A single user registration fee is only $5.00.
To register, select the <About> button in the program's main window,
then select the <Register> button. You will then be prompted for
required information and a mailable registration form will be
printed on your system printer. If this process fails or if you do
not have a printer connected to LPT1, send your name, address and
and $5.00 (Check or MO, U.S.) to:
RejTech, SunTime v1.2 Registration
P.O. Box 721247
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73172-1247.
Please state version number so that I can be sure you have the latest
release.
You may freely distribute the original version of this program to
anyone you think might benefit from it, provided all the files stated
above remain intact and unaltered, including the REJTECH.COM file.
Thanks for your support.
WARRANTY:
---------
This program is provided on an AS-IS basis WITHOUT warranty of
any kind. As with all computer software, it may contain logic
errors which might give erroneous results. RejTech will not be
held liable for any damages, whether direct or consequential,
arising from the use of this software.
Please direct any comments or report any bugs to the address given
above. You may also leave me a message on CompuServe.
Rob Jordan, RejTech
CompuServe ID: 70515,722