RiseSet Program for the PalmPilot
Version 1.3*

Description

The RiseSet Program is a program for the PalmPilot to compute the rise, transit and set times for the Sun and the Moon. Any date and user location may be specified. The programs stores three locations for travelers.
RiseSet has good accuracy for visual sighting. The actual Sun times should be within a few seconds of the time shown. The Moon times are given to the second, but the actual time could be ± a minute. Studies indicate that in general the Moon times given are about 22 seconds late.

The program also gives:

Installation

This archive file includes:
risest13.prc
The executable file
mathlib.prc
The required mathematics library
riseset.html
This file
RSmenu1.gif, RSmenu2.gif, RSmenu3.gif, RSmoon.gif, RSsun.gif
Images for riseset.html
Use the Pilot installer to install risest13.prc. If you have version 1.0 or 1.1 of RiseSet installed, delete it before you install this version. Version 1.2 does not need to be deleted. RiseSet requires mathlib.prc. If you already have mathlib.prc already installed just install risest13.prc. Otherwise install both risest13.prc and mathlib.prc.

Note: If your PalmPilot is using OS3.5 be aware that there is a bug in OS3.5 such that it will not remember the category of any re-installed application. Thus for both new or re-installation will have to move RiseSet out of 'unfiled'.

Many thanks to Rick Huebner, the author of MathLib, for his excellent routines and making them freely available.

Using the Program

Hopefully the program output is self explanatory. Three terms used are: To save display space the names of the Moon phases are abbreviated to: 'New' for New Moon, 'FirstQtr' for First Quarter, 'Full' for Full Moon, 'LastQtr' for Last Quarter. The date of the event is shown as the day and first three letters of the month name.
Eclipse data is given for the best possible location on earth. See About Eclipses below.

When getting times at latitudes near the poles, it is possible that the Sun/Moon does not rise or set. In that case the time output will be displayed as: 0:00:00. It is also possible that the rise time occurs on the previous day, or the set time occurs on the next day. V1.3 improves this display over previous versions.

Program usage should be obvious once you have examined the various menus.

All menus are accessed by pressing the menu icon at the bottom left of the Graffiti writing area. In addition the select menu can be accessed by pressing the current location name in the title bar, and the time menu by pressing the time in the title bar. The menus are:

Location
This menu allows you to specify the active location. The input for latitude and longitude may be in any of the following formats:
  1. Degrees -- e.g. 44.6427
  2. Degrees:Minutes -- e.g. 44:38.562
  3. Degrees:Minutes:Seconds -- e.g. 44:38:33.72
    The only allowable input characters are: digit, '.' and ':'. That is, digit, period, and colon.

The input for the GMT Offset normally will be whole numbers. E.g. 5, 10, etc. indicating the correct time zone for the location. The East coast of the US is 5 West, central Europe is 1 East. If daylight savings time is in effect at the location, check the DayLight Savings box. In all cases be sure to specify north or south of the equator, and east or west of Greenwich by checking (or not checking) the S (for south), or W (for west) checkboxes.
Select
This menu is used to select the active location. You should change the names of the locations as desired. Then select the one you wish to be active.
Time
This menu allows you to set the time for which the Sun/Moon is calculated. The standard PalmPilot Time dialog box is used for this setting. Only the Start Time is used by RiseSet. To return to current time calculation, set the No Time box.
Info
This menu displays a subset of the information on this page.
About
This menu tells about RiseSet.

Pilot Clock
One of these two menus (DLST No, or DLST Yes) must be selected so that RiseSet will know if your PalmPilot Clock is or is not set for DayLight Savings Time. Note the reminder message about this clock configuration in the location menu above.
This setting only effects the altitude/azimuth angles.

Finding the Azimuth angle at Sun/Moon Rise/Set

To find the azimuth angle at which the Sun (or Moon) will rise (or set). Find the desired time. Then tap the time in the title bar (or tap the Time in the Commands menu). Set the nearest time to the rise (or set) time. When "Done" is tapped the re-computed data will show the azimuth angle at rise (or set).
To return to real time enter the time menu again and tap "No Time" and "Done".

About Eclipses

When you check the Moon rise/set times a few days before an eclipse is to occur its data is given. This information is for the best possible location on earth. Unfortunately there is not enough room in a PalmPilot to give more information for your location.
To see if you will have a chance to see it, use the Time menu and set it to the time of the eclipse. For a lunar eclipse check the Moon again. For a solar eclipse check the Sun. If the eclipsed body is above the horizon (i.e. the altitude is positive) then it is possible that you can see it.
You can usually find all of the details of an eclipse at: http://www.skypub.com/. A more specific URL might be: http://www.skypub.com/sights/eclipses/.
Back to Using the Program

*Changes in Version 1.3

Riseset Version 1.3 differs from Version 1.0 in:
  1. The length of the day was added to Sun information display. (V1.1)
  2. A DayLight Savings checkbox was added. Using the GMT Offset to compensate for daylight savings introduces a small error in the rise/set times. Since the accuracy of RiseSet is high a DayLight Savings checkbox is better and more convenient. (V1.1)
  3. A menu was added to tell RiseSet that the PalmPilot clock is (or is not) set to Daylight Savings time, to give correct real-time altitude/azimuth. (V1.2)
  4. Better display formatting provides an easier to read screen. (V1.2)
  5. The date box shows the date in the format selected by the user in the system/prefs/formats. (V1.2a)
  6. The date of the next lunar phase is in a more universal date format. (V1.2a)
  7. The time and select menus can be accessed via the title bar time and location name respectively. (V1.2a)
  8. A reminder message was added to the Location menu about the clock DayLight Savings configuration. (V1.3)
  9. Latitudes near the poles show more time values, rather than 0:00. (V1.3)
  10. The lunar phase and eclipse times are correct for both standard and daylight time. (V1.3)
  11. The location database and RiseSet itself is backed up when synchronized. (V1.3)

Contact Information

RiseSet was created by David W. Bray, Potsdam, NY;
Copyright © David W. Bray 1998-2000, All Rights Reserved.
The author may be contacted at: bray@clarkson.edu

An interactive version of RiseSet can be found at: http://www.40-below.com/sunmoon/

The Bray PalmPilot Page can be found at: http://www.40-below.com/palm/

Registering

RiseSet is freeware no registration is required. We hope you enjoy using it.

This archive may be freely redistributed, provided it is made available only in its complete, unmodified form with no additional files and for noncommercial purposes only. Any other use must have prior written authorization from David W. Bray at bray@clarkson.edu.

Unauthorized commercial use includes, but is not limited to:

Disclaimer

This program is provided without warranty and the user accepts full responsibility for any damages, consequential or otherwise, resulting from its use.

Foot Note

GMT Offset is the number of hours a location's local clocks differ from that of Greenwich Observatory in England. Here is a sampling of GMT Offsets. For other locations most atlases have a time zone chart.

United StatesAround the World
Time ZonesOffsetTime ZonesOffset
Eastern 5 West British Isles 0 East
Central 6 West Western Europe 1 East
Mountain 7 West Eastern Europe 2 East
Pacific 8 West So. Africa 2 East
Alaska 9 West Russia 3 East
Hawaii 10 West Japan 9 East
Eastern Australia 10 East
Back to Location Menu