@@TRAKSAT

                               ^FfTRAKSAT^n
                    Satellite Tracking Program for DOS

                          Copyright (C) 1989-1996
                            By Paul E. Traufler
                            All Rights Reserved

                         E-Mail: wintrak@traveller.com
                 Home Page: http://www.hsv.tis.net/~wintrak

          ******************************************************* 
          TRAKSAT makes no warranty of any kind either express or 
        implied including but not limited to implied warranties of 
         merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose with  
         respect to this software and accompanying documentation. 
  
          Paul E. Traufler author of TRAKSAT SHALL NOT BE LIABLE 
          FOR ANY DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS 
              PROFITS BUSINESS INTERRUPTION LOSS OF BUSINESS 
             INFORMATION OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL 
          DAMAGES) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE 
             TRAKSAT OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY OTHER PARTY. This 
             agreement is governed by the laws of the state of 
                                 Alabama. 
         ********************************************************* 


@@OPEN TLE

 This option will ask for a TLE filename and then try to open it
 and load the elements.

@@EDIT TRAKSAT.INI

 This option will allow you to edit the INI file inside the program.
 ^FaUse this option only if you understand the INI file format.^n

@@SHELL TO DOS

 This option allows you to enter into DOS and run a program or some
 other DOS task. Type EXIT to return to TRAKSAT.

@@SYSTEM INFO

 This option will display some system parameters such as free memory.

@@EXIT
 
 This option will quit the program.

@@HOT KEYS

 TRAKSAT uses these hot keys to jump to several program selections.
    (Press the Alt and the listed key at the same time)

        Alt+C = View/Edit current tracking station data
        Alt+D = Switch to Delta-Time mode
        Alt+E = Open a TLE file
        Alt+G = Ground Track
        Alt+N = Find a satellite from the list
        Alt+P = View/Change program defaults
        Alt+R = Switch to Real-Time mode
        Alt+X = Exit the program
        Alt+3 = Rendered 3D view at the satellite
        F1    = Online help

 During ANY graphics display pressing ^FaP^n will cause the current
 screen to be saved to a PCX file.

@@PUSH BUTTON
 Push buttons behave much like a push button
 on a TV or VCR.  Pressing the button causes 
 some action to take place. If the return key 
 is pressed on this button or if the button 
 is selected with the mouse, the associated 
 commanded will be done.
 
@@DATA ENTRY CANCEL BUTTON
 The current object is a push button.  If 
 the return key is pressed on this button 
 or if the button is selected with the 
 mouse, the current data entered in this 
 form will be ^hlost^n.

@@DATA ENTRY DONE BUTTON
 The current object is a push button.  If 
 the return key is pressed on this button 
 or if the button is selected with the 
 mouse, the current data entered in this 
 form will be ^hsaved^n.

@@FIELDS
 Entry fields are a flexible method for you
 to enter data into the program. Most fields
 are error checked and simple to use. Please
 enter the required data.
 
@@RADIO BUTTONS AND CHECK BOXES
 Radio buttons and check boxes allow the 
 user to select predefined options.  
 Radio buttons restrict users to selecting 
 only one selection from a group.  While 
 check boxes allow multiple selections to 
 be made.

@@LIST BOXES
 List boxes provide the user with a 
 scrolling list of items to choose from.  

@@FORMAT OF NORAD 2-LINE DATA
   
 NORAD maintains general perturbation element sets on
 all resident space objects. These element sets are
 periodically refined so as to maintain a reasonable
 prediction capability on all space objects. In turn
 these element sets are provided to users. 
  
 The element data will be maintained in ASCII format
 in a file. Data for each satellite will consist of
 three lines in the following format: 
  
 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 
 1 NNNNNU NNNNNAAA NNNNN.NNNNNNNN +.NNNNNNNN +NNNNN-N +NNNNN-N N NNNNN 
 2 NNNNN NNN.NNNN NNN.NNNN NNNNNNN NNN.NNNN NNN.NNNN NN.NNNNNNNNNNNNNN 
  
 Line 1 is a 20-character name. Lines 2 and 3 are the
 standard Two-Line Orbital Element Set Format identical
 to that used by NASA and NORAD. The format description 
 is:
  
 Line 2 
 Column   Description 
 01-01   Line Number of Element Data 
 03-07   Satellite Number 
 10-11   Internat. Designator (Last 2 digits of launch year) 
 12-14   Internat. Designator (Launch number of the year) 
 15-17   Internat. Designator (Piece of launch) 
 19-20   Epoch Year (Last two digits of year) 
 21-32   Epoch (Julian Day and fractional portion of the day) 
 34-43   First Time Derivative of the Mean Motion (rev/day^2) 
         or Ballistic Coefficient (Depending of ephemeris type) 
 45-52   Second Time Derivative of Mean Motion (Blank if N/A) 
 54-61   BSTAR drag term if GP4 perturbation theory was used. 
         Otherwise radiation pressure coefficient. 
 63-63   Ephemeris type 
 65-68   Element number 
 69-69   Check Sum (Modulo 10) 
         (Letters blanks periods=0; minus sign=1; plus sign=2) 
  
 Line 3 
 Column  Description 
 01-01   Line Number of Element Data 
 03-07   Satellite Number 
 09-16   Inclination [Degrees] 
 18-25   Right Ascension of the Ascending Node [Degrees] 
 27-33   Eccentricity (decimal point assumed) 
 35-42   Argument of Perigee [Degrees] 
 44-51   Mean Anomaly [Degrees] 
 53-63   Mean Motion [Revs per day] 
 64-68   Revolution number at epoch [Revs] 
 69-69   Check Sum (Modulo 10) 
         All other columns are blank or fixed. 
    
 Example: 
 AO-13 
 1 19216U 88051B  94221.17750886 -.00000167 00000-0 10000-4 0 9430 
 2 19216 57.7592 237.5053 7223597 347.6665  1.4454 2.09725165 15622 
  
@@OBTAINING TLES
  
 The following BBS's have the current satellite data files; 
  
             RPV BBS 
             Rancho Palos Verdes Ca.  
             SYSOP: Dave Ransom Jr. 
             310-541-7299 (Primary) or 310-544-8977  
             24 hours 28800/14400/9600/2400 baud  
             8 bit NO parity 1 stop. 

             Datalink RBBS System 
             Dallas Texas 
             SYSOP: Dr. Jeff Wallach 
             214-394-7438 
             24 hours 28800/14400/9600/2400/1200 baud  
             8 bit NO parity 1 stop. 
    
             Clear Skies 
             Madison WI 
             SYSOP: David Mullenix 
             608-249-7130 
             24 hours 14400/9600/2400/1200 baud  
             8 bit NO parity 1 stop. 
  

 INTERNET SITES:

   http://www.hsv.tis.net/~wintrak


   (anonymous FTP)
   address 129.92.1.66 then go to the pub/space directory

    
@@WHY REGISTER
  
 Why should I register ? 
  
 Well first off it is the right thing to do. If you use TRAKSAT 
 for more than 30 days it is time to register. What do I get by  
 registering TRAKSAT ? 
  
 1. Support for Shareware so you can keep getting low-cost 
 software in the future. 
  
 2. You will be E-mailed a notice when new versions become available. 
    *** E-Mail Notice ONLY ***
  
 3. Support will be provided to registered users only. 
  
 4. The option of getting your name placed on the About screen so 
 everyone will know you registered your program. 
  
 5. The warm feeling that you are supporting me in this pursuit. 
  
 6. The latest version of the program and new satellite 
 elements also. 
  
 7. Support for the Auto Tracker to provide automatic antenna control  
 and Doppler shift radio tuning also. The Auto Tracker is manufactured 
 by Endeavour Electronics (508) 851-5661. 
  
 Your registration helps support me and my family also. I have 
 spent a great deal of time and effort in this program and would  
 hope that you will be honest and register. I have kept the cost  
 of this program within the reach of almost anyone just try to  
 find another satellite tracking program with all the features of  
 TRAKSAT for less money. Please see the file ORDER.FRM for ordering 
 and pricing information.

@@QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS 
        
 I have retained any and all commercial rights to TRAKSAT and as 
 such can only control its use by controlling the source code. 
 Therefore the source code can only be licensed for use by the 
 author, Paul E. Traufler. 
        
 The time, money, and energy spent on the development of TRAKSAT 
 has been both informative and interesting, however as with all 
 shareware developers my resources are limited. Support for 
 TRAKSAT, by registering, will be required to continue the 
 improvements and new features. REMEMBER THAT IF YOU USE TRAKSAT 
 ON A REGULAR BASIS YOU ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER THE PROGRAM. 
                          
 TRAKSAT is still growing and improvements WILL BE MADE IF users 
 provide feedback, report errors and REGISTER. The only way this 
 can happen is if you, the user, takes the time to leave me 
 messages or mail on problems or suggestions. I will try to answer 
 your messages in a timely manner. 

 One of the major goals of this project was to make the finest, 
 easiest to use, satellite tracking program available. A PROGRAM 
 THE AVERAGE PERSON CAN USE AND SUCCESSFULLY TRACK SATELLITES! 
             
 I would suggest the user to OBTAIN A COPROCESSOR if they do not 
 have one already. A coprocessor speeds up math intensive 
 programs, such as TRAKSAT, to a level that was only dreamed about 
 a few years ago. Besides the cost of coprocessors has fallen to a 
 level that most people can afford one with little struggle. As of 
 December 1995, 387's cost $20-$30.
              
@@SPECIAL THANKS 

 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people 
 who helped me either directly or indirectly on this program. 
 First of all my wife, Anita, who understands why I have a hobbie 
 like computers and enjoy working with them. She has not 
 complained about the many hours, in excess of 3000 hours, I have 
 spent working on TRAKSAT. My children have learned to "share" my 
 free time also. 
        
 Dave Ransom Jr., of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. has kept me going 
 when my interest in the program was slipping away. I did use the 
 city data from his excellent program STSPLUS. I also used several 
 of the references Dave listed in his program. I would highly 
 recommend his program. My thanks to Dave and his wife Vicki. 
       
 John Williams and Dr. Jeff Wallach, from the Dallas DataLink BBS, 
 have been very helpful in this project also. They have offered 
 data and a helping hand with TRAKSAT.  The DataLink BBS has a 
 vast amount of satellite information along with other interests. 
 I would recommend it to others interested in satellite tracking. 
 The DataLink BBS is THE place to learn about obtaining satellite 
 images. My thanks to John and Jeff and their families. 

 I would also like to thank Dr. T.S. Kelso, SYSOP of the Celestial 
 BBS where current satellite data can be downloaded. Several 
 satellite tracking programs are also available on his BBS along 
 with a vast amount of satellite information. Its people like T.S. 
 that make satellite tracking possible by providing the means to 
 obtain current satellite data sets. Good work! 

 Alan Bose has done a wonderful job sparking interest in the 
 Chicago area with his radio "talk shows". He has made satellite 
 watching a simple task even for the beginner. Tune in to WGN AM 
 720 radio sometime and hear for yourself. 

 To the many other people who have helped with a steady stream of 
 ideas and improvements, THANKS, and keep them coming! 

@@Getting Started

        Did you get a complete copy of the program? The following files 
        SHOULD have been included in the archive file. 

              TRAKSAT.EXE  The program. 
              TRAKSAT.INI  The default data for TRAKSAT. 
              TRAKSAT.CTY  The city file for tracking stations. 
              TRAKSAT.DOC  TRAKSAT program documentation. 
              TRAKSAT.HLP  TRAKSAT help file.
              TRAKSAT.NDX  TRAKSAT help file index.
                EARTH.DAT  World map data file. 
                EARTH.BIN  World map data file. 
                  TLE.TXT  This is the latest NORAD satellite data set, 
                 READ.ME   Latest notes about the program. 
                 TRAK.NEW  New features for this version. 
               MODERN.FON  This is a font file used for the graphics. 
                 FONT.VGA  This is a font file used for the menus. 
                ORDER.FRM  This file contains TRAKSAT order forms. 
               STAR6A.BIN  This is a star data base that is NOT required 
                           to run TRAKSAT, it is optional. This data file 
                           can be used in the external star data 
                           option. It has all stars to magnitude 6.0 
                           in it. 

        What do I need to run the program? In order to run the program 
        the user will need the following hardware/software; 
        
                 IBM or 100% compatible AT,PS/2,286,386,486, 2MB 
                 Ram (250K free ram is required), Floppy or Hard 
                 Disk (approximately 1Meg free), Text mode display 
                 (25x80), CGA, EGA, VGA, or SVGA graphics, HIMEM or
                 some other memory manager installed.

                 Math coprocessor is NOT required BUT RECOMMENDED, 
                 (IF A COPROCESSOR IS PRESENT IT WILL BE USED *), 
                 PC DOS or MS DOS VERSION 5.0 or above. This version of 
                 TRAKSAT WILL NOT RUN ON XT (8088) COMPUTERS, if you 
                 are still using a XT computer for satellite tracking 
                 you will need to use Version 3.03 or UPDATE the 
                 computer. 

        * It should be noted that a coprocessor will be 3 to 4 times 
        faster than the emulator version. If the user plans on using the 
        real-time tracking mode, a coprocessor will "smooth out" the time 
        steps to such a small delta as to appear instantaneously. At any 
        rate the real-time mode runs as fast as the host computer can 
        calculate the data and update the screen. 

                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        This version of TRAKSAT will NOT run on XT (8088) computers, a 
        286 AT class computer is the minimum hardware supported. 


@@Running The Program 
        
        To start TRAKSAT you type "TRAKSAT", without the quotation marks, 
        at the DOS prompt. Several command-line options are available to 
        modify the start-up of the program. See Chapter 2 for details. 
        
        After the opening screen is displayed the Main Menu will be 
        displayed next. From the Main Menu the user can control the 
        program. The Main Menu is the core of the program, i.e. from this 
        menu the user can setup satellite data, tracking station data, 
        and output selections. 


        What's the Next Step? 

        With the program up and running you will notice a tabular type 
        output screen. The satellite will be AO-13 with Harvest, AL as 
        the tracking station. (These are the factory set defaults.) Press 
        the Esc (escape) key to stop the output. Select Station/Find from 
        the Main Menu a menu box will appear while the city data is being 
        loaded. If you want to cancel the reading of data press Esc. 
        Scroll through the list of stations and find your city. (Relax if 
        you do not find it as you can add to the TRAKSAT.CTY file or edit 
        the changes later.) Be sure to set the UTC Offset for this 
        station. Select Replace Station #1 and then Save. This will make 
        your city the new station number 1. You can add other stations 
        later if you wish. If you want another satellite or tracking mode 
        at program startup select Options/Default from the Main Menu 
        next. You can enter several defaults used by the program or make 
        changes on the fly in some cases. Set the defaults as you 
        requirements may need and select Save. Now TRAKSAT is configured 
        for your needs! Please read Chapter 2, User Options for more 
        details. 


@@User Options

        Command-Line options 

        TRAKSAT has several command-line options available that may prove 
        useful. To use any of these commands type "traksat /?", without 
        the quotes. (Replace the ? with one or more of the following 
        commands.) Valid options are; 
        
               /a  = Run Analytical Solution Mode at start up, 
               /m  = Use Monochrome mode, 
               /x  = Do NOT try to load element data at start-up. 
               /nofont = Do NOT use the VGA font on the menus.
                         (Use this if NOT on a VGA display)
               /at = Use the Auto Tracker for antenna control. 
                     (This is optional support) 

        These commands are not upper/lower case specific. 


@@TRAKSAT.INI File 

        TRAKSAT has many options available to suit your particular needs. 
        The program stores your options in a file called TRAKSAT.INI. 
        This file is an ASCII text file that can be edited by any word 
        processor that can save as ASCII text. (DOS utility program EDIT 
        works fine.) The program will look for this file in the same 
        place as the program EXE is located. ONE WILL NOT BE CREATED IF 
        IT IS MISSING, however the program will use some defaults to get 
        you started at least. Several options allow you to save your new 
        defaults to the INI file, however the program will first make a 
        backup of the current INI settings to a file called TRAKSAT.BAK. 
        From the File/Edit INI file menu option you can edit the INI file
        from inside the program.

        An example of the INI file is included below; 
 ;
 ; TRAKSAT Version 4.00 INI, Copyright (C) 1996 By Paul E. Traufler 
 ;
 ; *** A semi-colon in the FIRST column means a comment field ***
 ; ALL DATA MUST FOLLOW THE = SIGN, ** NO SPACES ** 79 columns MAX
 ; The section titles i.e., [Program Info] MUST start in column ONE
 ;
 ; Program Info, Automatic, and Groups can NOT be set inside the
 ; program, you must edit the TRAKSAT.INI file and make the desired 
 ; changes.
 ;
 [Program Info]
 Element Filename=tle.txt
 ; DO NOT END THE OUTPUT PATH WITH A "\" CHARACTER
 ; Adding an output path is strongly recommended
 Output Path=
 ;
 ; *** CONSULT DOCUMENTATION FOR DETAILS *BEFORE* SETTING VIDEO MODES ***
 ; -4=EGA 640x350x16, -3=Herc, -2=CGA Mono, -1=VGA Mono, 0=Auto, 1=VGA
 ;
 ; If running in Win95 and you have more than 256 color video it is
 ; best to set the output to 16 color modes as they are faster, or at
 ; least set to VGA (-1) as this is the fastest display mode.
 ;
 ; *** THE MODES LISTED BELOW REQUIRE A SVGA CARD AND MONITOR ***
 ; *** DAMAGE MAY RESULT IF YOUR HARDWARE DOES NOT SUPPORT THESE MODES ***
 ; 2=800x600x16, 3=800x600x256, 4=1024x768x16, 5=1024x768x256
 ; 6=1280x1024x16, 7=1280x1024x256, 8=640x400x256
 Video Mode=1
 ; Land fill color for Ground Tracks, 0 none,2=green,6=red,8=gray
 Color Land=2
 ; 0 = no refresh of Ground Track
 Rev Update Interval=6
 ; *** CONSULT DOCUMENTATION FOR DETAILS *BEFORE* SETTING VIDEO MODES ***
 ;Render Output Video Mode, ** This REQUIRES a 256 color mode **
 ;1=640x400x256, 2=640x480x256, 3=800x600x256, 4=1024x768x256, 5=1280x1024x256
 Render Video Mode=2
 
 [Defaults]
 Satellite Name=Mir                 
 Run Mode=0
 Freq Up=145.750000
 Freq Down=440.150000
 
 [Automatic]
 ; ALL IN LOCAL TIMES I WILL USE STATION #1 UTC OFFSET
 Start Time=18.0
 Length Hours=24.0
 ; 0 = ALL, 1 = Group One, etc. 
 Group=0
 
 [Options]
 Sensor=1
 Sun Terminator=1
 Grids=1
 Visible Only=0
 Star Direction=3
 Star Names=1
 Internal Stars=1
 External Stars=1
 Star Time Tags=1
 Star Update Interval=18.0000  
 Star Mag Limit=5.0000  
 Ra Dec Output=0
 UTC Output=0
 
 [Auto Tracker]
 ; ONLY WITH THE REGISTERED VERSION, optional
 Comm Port=2
 Home Azimuth=0
 Home Elevation=0
 Limit Azimuth=5
 Limit Elevation=3
 Max Elevation=90
 Mic Step=100
 
 [Station 1]
 Station 1 Name=Harvest,AL 
 Station 1 Lat=34.7900 
 Station 1 Lon=-86.6790  
 Station 1 Alt=220.00   
 Station 1 UTC Offset=-5.0
 Station 1 Min Elevation=0.0 
 Station 1 Max Range=2000.0  
 Station 1 Visibility=1
 Station 1 Twilight=-10.0
 
 [Station 2]

 [Station 3]
 
 [Group 1]
 ;25 Satellites Max. Per Group
 Group1 Satellite01=Mir
 Group1 Satellite02=HST
 Group1 Satellite03=HST Array
 Group1 Satellite04=ARSENE
 
 [Group 2]
 ;25 Satellites Max. Per Group
 Group2 Satellite01=NOAA 9
 Group2 Satellite02=NOAA 10
 Group2 Satellite03=NOAA 12
 Group2 Satellite04=Meteor 3-4
 Group2 Satellite05=Meteor 3-5
 Group2 Satellite06=Meteor 3-6
 
 [Group 3]
 ;25 Satellites Max. Per Group
 Group3 Satellite01=AO-13
 Group3 Satellite02=Mir
 Group3 Satellite03=OSCAR 10
 
 [Attitude]
 ;Six Satellites Max.
 Attitude Satellite1=AO-13
 ;NORAD ID Number
 Attitude ID1=19216
 ;Bahn lat/lon in Degrees
 Attitude BLAT1=0.0
 Attitude BLON1=180.0
 
 [Multi Satellites]
 ;Max. of SIX satellites
 Multi 1=ARSENE
 Multi 2=Mir
 Multi 3=NOAA 12
 Multi 4=AO-13
 Multi 5=
 Multi 6=
 ;Colors 0=black, 1=blue, 2=green, 3=cyan, 4=red, 5=magenta, 6=brown
 ;7=white, 8=dk gray, 9=lt blue, 10=lt green, 11=lt cyan, 12=lt red
 ;13=lt magenta, 14=yellow, 15=bright white
 Multi Color 1=14
 Multi Color 2=5
 Multi Color 3=4
 Multi Color 4=15
 Multi Color 5=13
 Multi Color 6=11
 
        The user can choose a color from the palette of; 

           1 = BLUE                        0 = BLACK 
           2 = GREEN                       9 = LIGHT BLUE 
           3 = CYAN                       10 = LIGHT GREEN 
           4 = RED                        11 = LIGHT CYAN 
           5 = MAGENTA                    12 = LIGHT RED 
           6 = BROWN                      13 = LIGHT MAGENTA 
           7 = WHITE                      14 = LIGHT YELLOW 
           8 = GRAY                       15 = BRIGHT WHITE        

        It is important that you follow the this format or unexpected 
        results may occur. Please note that any data after the = sign 
        must be without any spaces. Most of the options have comments by 
        them so you will not get into trouble and error checking is done 
        on the data also. 

        Some areas of the INI file can only be changed by editing the 
        file and making the changes. The areas include Program Info, 
        Automatic, and Groups can NOT be set inside the program, you must 
        edit the TRAKSAT.INI file and make the desired changes. USE ONLY 
        AN ASCII SAVING EDITOR, one such as the DOS EDIT program. Under 
        the File Options is a option to Edit the TRAKSAT.INI file from
        inside the program also.

@@SVGA - VESA Modes
                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        Some of the higher resolution modes require special hardware to 
        run. You may damage your hardware if you exceed its capabilities. 
        do not attempt to set any graphic modes above 640x480 (VGA) or 
        Video Modes over 1 without ensuring that you monitor can safely 
        handle that resolution. Otherwise, you may risk damaging your 
        display monitor. Consult your owner's manual for details. 
        
        An example of the standard graphics modes would be; 
        
                             VGA mode 640x480 pixels, 
                             EGA mode 640x350 pixels, 
                             CGA mode 640x200 pixels, 
         
        If the hardware does NOT support graphics an error message will 
        be displayed and the program will return to the Main Menu. All of 
        the text modes will still be available however. 


        VESA Modes Supported (pixels x,y and total colors)

        640x400x256   VESA Mode 100
        640x480x256   VESA Mode 101
        800x600x16    VESA Mode 102
        800x600x256   VESA Mode 103
       1024x768x16    VESA Mode 104
       1024x768x256   VESA Mode 105
       1280x1024x16   VESA Mode 106
       1280x1024x256  VESA Mode 107

       All require VESA version 1.2

       The Rendered 3D views REQUIRE a 256 color mode for output.

@@Main Menu Station Options

        The first Station option, Find will display the tracking stations 
        listed in the file TRAKSAT.CTY. The city data file has ~1970 of 
        the larger U.S. cities latitude, longitudes, and altitudes in it. 
        (Some world-wide cities also.) You will be asked to replace what 
        tracking station number, 1, 2, or 3 with the new data first. The 
        first time you run the program and you want to set your station 
        you should select the number 1 option, from then on either number 
        2 or 3 would be recommended. The program can have up to 3 
        tracking stations. The current station will have a check mark 
        before its name. Once you have the desired tracking stations 
        loaded and saved you can select one of them by just selecting the 
        station name from the Main Menu. 

                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        The latitudes used in TRAKSAT are ALL considered to be GEODETIC 
        latitudes NOT GEOCENTRIC. It will be left up to the user to 
        determine the conversion from geocentric to geodetic latitude. 
        (For the most part this conversion should not be required as MOST 
        maps and atlas coordinates are listed as geodetic.) The altitude 
        measurement is the altitude above mean sea-level and is in 
        meters. 

        If you can not find a match to the city data then you will need 
        to use a text editor to add the city data in the file TRAKSAT.CTY 
        or use the closest city in the file. 
        
        Below is an example from the TRAKSAT.CTY file. The format of the 
        tracking station file is; 
        
         City Name   Long.   Lat.    Alt. 
                     (deg)   (deg)   (m) 
         Harvest,AL,-86.6792,34.7972,220. 
                
        The city name can be up to 20 characters long while the 
        longitude, latitude, and altitude can be up to 10 characters 
        long. Commas MUST separate the data fields and the program 
        expects 4 commas per line of data. 
        
        The TRAKSAT.CTY file can hold a MAXIMUM of 2100 tracking stations 
        in it. The user can enter city data into the TRAKSAT.CTY file in 
        any order but it would be wise to include the data in an 
        alphabetical order. 
        
        Once you have setup your tracking stations you can change its 
        settings by first selecting it as the current station. Next 
        select the Station/Current option and may any changes you require 
        "on-the-fly". If you select Ok the changes are not made to the 
        INI settings but rather used only while the program is in 
        operation. If your location is NOT in the included file you may 
        select any close by city and use this option to make the required 
        changes. Save this new data and you will be all set now. 

@@Time Modes

        TRAKSAT can operate in two different time modes, Real-time and 
        Delta-time. (The delta-time mode is starting at some particular 
        date and time using a user defined time increment until a ending 
        time is reached.) 
        
        To change time modes in TRAKSAT the user can select Time from the 
        Main Menu. The two time mode options will be displayed with a 
        check mark before the current mode name. 
        
        The Real-time mode will update the screen at 1 second intervals 
        if the hardware will allow. For an AT class machine with no 
        coprocessor, the update time may be 5 to 10 seconds. An AT class 
        computer with a coprocessor can do the 1 second per update with 
        no trouble. 
        
        If you would like to track a satellite from say today's date to 
        some future date, the Delta-time mode is the choice to use. The 
        basic idea is track from some starting date to some stopping 
        date. If the user selects the Delta-time mode some additional 
        information will be required. The starting date and time along 
        with the length of the simulation. The time step will also need 
        to be entered. The program will display "defaults" that can be 
        accepted or edited to suit your needs. 
        
        It is noted that the maximum length, that is from the starting 
        date to some future time, of the simulation is 99 days 99 hours 
        99 minutes 99 seconds. The step size can be 1 second to a maximum 
        of 2 days. (1 Minute is the default.) 

                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 
        
        The time is read from the system clock, and as such is only as 
        accurate as the setting of this clock. The date and time should 
        be set before running TRAKSAT. 


@@Plotting Options

        The plotting options include settings for all of the graphic 
        screens used in the program. Grids will turn on/off any grids or 
        either lat/long or azimuth/elevation. The Sensor will plot the 
        satellite footprint. You can adjust the size of the footprint by 
        setting the minimum sensor angle setting under the Station 
        options. You can use the internal stars or the external user 
        stars as required also. The last plotting option Ra&Dec Output 
        will only display the right ascension/declination of the 
        satellite in the Tabular modes ONLY. (The Star background option 
        will ALWAYS have it.) 

        Star Update Interval will set the desired interval between star 
        background updates. The recommended setting is 15 minutes. The 
        INI file has the default value. You can set the magnitude limit 
        for the Star Background plotting output from here also. 


@@Output Descriptions

        The Lat and Long are the satellite latitude and longitude. The 
        Azim and Elev are azimuth and elevation as seen from the tracking 
        station, while the Range is the distance from the satellite to 
        the tracking station. Alt is the satellite altitude above the 
        earth. 
        
        The azimuth is always between 0 and 360 degrees with north being 
        0, east 90 south 180 and so on. The elevation will be always be 
        between -90 and +90 degrees. If the elevation is less than zero 
        the satellite is below the horizon as seen from the tracking 
        station. 
        
        The doppler shift comes about from the simple fact that both the 
        satellite and the ground station are in motion. The relative 
        motion between the station and the satellite causes either a 
        compression or expansion of a radio signal, this is called the 
        doppler shift. TRAKSAT will calculate a doppler shift for two 
        frequencies, uplink/downlink. The base frequency is listed in the 
        INI file under the section labeled [Defaults]. The output units 
        are in Hertz while the inputs are in MHz. 
        
        The phase angle, Phz is used for the amateur radio satellites. 
        The phase angle is based on the mean-anomaly, (the position in 
        the orbital plane from the perigee). The mean-anomaly is normally 
        measured from 0 to 360 degrees, however the phase angle is from 0 
        to 256ths of a circle. The conversion of degrees mean-anomaly to 
        phase angle is; 
                      Phase = (mean anomaly (deg))/(360/256). 
                (256ths of circle) 

        It has become common practice with radio amateur satellites to 
        use Mean Anomaly to schedule satellite operations.  Satellites 
        commonly change modes or turn on or off at specific places in 
        their orbits, specified by Mean Anomaly.  Unfortunately, when 
        used this way, it is common to specify the mean anomaly in units 
        of 256ths of a circle instead of degrees. The phase angle is 
        therefore displayed in units of 256ths of a circle.                    

        The Sqt is the squint angle, this is a measure of the angle from 
        the satellite antenna to your tracking station. The smaller the 
        angle means the antenna is pointing directly at you. A -1 output 
        means that no attitude information for that satellite is 
        available. 

        The last item displayed is based on if the satellite is visible 
        from the tracking station. See Chapter 13 for a complete 
        description of the methods used by TRAKSAT to test for 
        visibility. 

@@Freeze The Display
        
                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 
        
        To stop the display the user can press the space bar and the 
        screen will "freeze". The user will need to press any key again 
        to continue the simulation. If the user presses Esc, escape key, 
        the simulation will stop and the user will be returned to the 
        Main Menu.         


@@Analytical Solution 

        TRAKSAT version 2.00 and above has included a very powerful 
        option, Analytical Rise & Set. Many people have asked "why use 
        this analytical approach ?". Three reasons come to mind speed, 
        speed, and speed! The analytical approach used is a closed form 
        solution to the problem of determining when a satellite can be 
        seen (either LOS or Optical) by a ground tracking station. In 
        effect, this problem usually involves the calculation of the 
        rise-and-set time (UTC) of a given satellite from a specific 
        ground tracking station. 

        In the past, it has been the custom to solve the problem by 
        letting the satellite run through its ephemeris, and checking at 
        each instant to see whether the elevation angle of the satellite 
        was greater than some minimum value. However, by attacking the 
        problem from a different point of view, that is, with the 
        eccentric anomaly taken to be the independent variable, it is 
        possible to obtain a closed-form solution to the satellite 
        visibility problem. Specifically, the closed-form solution is a 
        single transcendental equation in the eccentric anomalies 
        corresponding to a rise-and-set time for a given orbital pass of 
        a satellite. It is more difficult to solve the controlling 
        equation than the standard Keplerian equation. However, the 
        method offers the advantage that the controlling equation is 
        solved only ONCE PER ORBIT PERIOD as contrasted with the hundreds 
        of times the Keplerian equation must be solved with the standard 
        step-by-step technique. 

        "How much faster is the analytical solution ?" Several 
        "benchmarks" were run using the same satellite data sets and 
        starting times to determine the speed of each method. If the user 
        selects the Delta Time Mode and then the Analytical Solution the 
        speed difference will be obvious. 
                
        On the machine used for testing (coprocessor installed) the 
        analytical solution runs about 4 seconds per satellite per 24 
        hours of simulation time vs. the 120 seconds per 24 hours in the 
        delta time mode. (This was on a 386/16 with a 287/8 coprocessor 
        and still produced a 3000% DECREASE in the time required.) (A 
        486/33 computer can crank out 20 satellites per second!) This 
        mode can really be boosted by a coprocessor, 3-6 times faster! 

        Use the analytical solution for "rough" estimates and the delta 
        time mode for the detailed analysis. The term "rough" implies 
        that the analytical solution is not as accurate as the Delta Time 
        mode, and in fact that is true. The error (Delta Time mode vs. 
        Analytical Solution) is usually LESS then 1 minute for predicted 
        rise or set times. The error is the price to pay for the speed 
        advantage. 
                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 
        The analytical solution DOES INCLUDE THE DRAG EFFECTS in the 
        calculations, (as of TRAKSAT version 2.30). By including the drag 
        effects in the solution a long term prediction can be done 
        without a great loss of accuracy. 
        
        It has proved helpful for several TRAKSAT users to predict 
        several weeks into the future any visible passes and make a note 
        of the dates. As the date approaches and newer elements become 
        available the user can "improve" the viewing times to finally 
        obtain an accurate prediction of the satellites. Using this 
        approach the user can mark "special" days when a particular 
        satellite should be seen. The analytical solution will save the 
        user from "looking" for satellites that will not be seen, or 
        unfavorable passes. 

                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        If the user selects the analytical solution AND any OPTICAL 
        visibility tests then only satellites with a mean motion of 
        greater than 2.5 revs per day will be calculated. That is any 
        satellite that is "near geosync." will not be calculated. This 
        should NOT be of to great importance to most users as seeing ANY 
        near geosync. satellites is VERY DIFFICULT. The line of sight 
        (LOS) method will still work for the near geosync. satellites. If 
        the user needs to "see" a near geosync. satellite then the single 
        satellite delta time mode OR Batch Mode will be required. 

                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        The analytical solution works by revs NOT so much time, by that I 
        mean that the program calculates at rev to rev time steps and 
        does NOT use the time step. This will also mean that if the user 
        were to set a one hour simulation length the program will find 
        some satellites outside this time interval because there are not 
        any satellites that can have a period of 60 minutes. (Don't be 
        alarmed by the longer than requested times in the output it is 
        normal operation.) 

                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        The user can NOT stop/start the screen as in the other modes, 
        i.e., pressing Esc will STOP the display and terminate the 
        analytical solution. This method was chosen to avoid 
        inadvertently waiting for the screen to update while in a pause 
        mode. The screen update can be slow on an Optical visibility test 
        and a NON-coprocessor equipped machine. (There may not be any 
        satellites optically visible at all!) 

                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        The default is to write output to the file TRAKSAT.000. If this 
        file name exists the program will try TRAKSAT.001, TRAKSAT.002... 
        and so on until a new file name is found. If the limit of 999 is 
        reached then the program will use 000 as the extension AND OVER 
        WRITE THE FILE. (All options will use this file naming method.) 
                

@@All/Group Satellites 

        You have the choice with the analytical solution and Batch
        options to select all of the satellites in the data file or 
        some user defined groups of satellites. The default will be
        to read ALL of the satellites for these options. You can
        define your "favorite" satellites, up to 25 satellites per
        group can be included. You will need to use a word processor
        to edit the TRAKSAT.INI file and add the satellites names to
        it. The word processor used will need to save the file in
        PLAIN ASCII format, i.e., NO SPECIAL CONTROL CHARACTERS EXCEPT
        THE END OF FILE MARKER. The DOS EDIT word processor will do the
        job nicely for the user. 


@@Batch Mode Output 

        TRAKSAT version 2.55 and above has included a new option, called 
        Batch Mode. This option is similar to the Tabular Output mode but 
        can be used on all or a group of satellites. The method used in 
        this option is; enter into the delta time mode and select the 
        starting date/time and length of the simulation. The next step is 
        to select Batch Mode from the Output options. The program will 
        prompt the user for some additional information and then run each 
        satellite through the delta tabular mode one at a time. 
        
        The output from this option can go to the screen, file, or both. 
        Below is an example of the file output created with this option. 
        The starting date/time was 12-26-94 00:00:00 UTC to 00:04:00 UTC 
        by one minute steps. 
        
        The output parameters are same as the tabular output but without 
        the rev. number. If no passes are visible just the satellite name 
        will be printed. 


@@Ground Track Output 

        If the ground track option is entered the program proceeds to 
        draw a Mercator projection map of the world. The upper left 
        corner is at latitude 90 degrees and longitude -180 degrees, 
        while the lower right corner is latitude -90 degrees and 
        longitude 180 degrees. The grid spacing is 10 degrees for 
        latitude and longitude. A box will be plotted for the current 
        tracking station. 
        
        The plotting process may take a minute or two on a slow AT type 
        computer, something under 1/3 second on the particular computer I 
        use. (486-33 MHz.) 

        You have the option of redrawing the ground track after "X" 
        number of revs have been completed. The default is 0 = NONE, 
        however the user can chose between 0 and 99 revs for the screen 
        refresh rate. If the user picks 2 rev refresh rate then after two 
        revs are completed the screen will be redrawn. This option will 
        prove useful for those users who like to leave the ground track 
        running for long periods of time and do not like all the screen 
        clutter. The setting is in the INI file under the section 
        [Program Defaults] and is called Rev Update Interval. Several 
        plotting options are used with this output selection see Chapter 
        2 for a listing of the options. 

        The sun terminator is not dependent on the satellite but rather 
        the tracking station. The terminator is plotted based on a zero 
        sun elevation angle. (That is to say the terminator is the line 
        where the top edge of the sun is "just" below the local horizon.) 
        The terminator is accurate to about 5-10 minutes of actual. The 
        effects of the local horizon and atmospheric refraction can 
        "shift" the terminator a few minutes anyway so great accuracy may 
        not be achieved. The sun is plotted as an box in the center of 
        the terminator. This will tell the user on what side of the 
        terminator the tracking station is on. (Daylight or darkness.) 
        
        The sun terminator will be refreshed every 4 minutes in either 
        the real or delta time modes. The refresh may take several 
        seconds on the slower machines. 

        As of TRAKSAT version 2.70 and above an antenna/sensor coverage 
        plot option is included with the ground track. The user can 
        include the antenna/sensor coverage if desired along with a 
        minimum elevation angle to be used in determining the coverage 
        area. 


@@Star Background Output 

        The star background is a view looking from the tracking site 
        towards the stars. This plot will be useful for producing a "star 
        map" to take outside with you to compare the night sky with the 
        satellite path. 

        Several Star Background plotting options are available such as, 
        display the visible star names, what direction to look, i.e., 
        North, East, South, or West, or the star background screen 
        refresh rate. (Only the internal star data names will be 
        displayed, not the external star data.) The field of view of the 
        star background is 180 degrees in azimuth and 0 through 90 
        degrees in elevation. If you select North the visible range of 
        the azimuth will be 270 degrees (west) to 90 degrees (east). If 
        you select East the visible range of the azimuth will be 0 
        degrees (north) to 180 degrees (south) with 90 degrees being the 
        center of the screen (due east). The option South will display 
        from 90 degrees (east) to 270 degrees (west). The option for West 
        will display from 180 degrees to 360 degrees with 270 degrees 
        (west) being the center of the screen (due west). 
                
        An example could be to see a satellite rise out of the west the 
        user would select W, that will display from due south through 
        west to the north. 
        
        The star background option will display visible stars from a 
        database of 58 navigational stars, the Sun, the planets, and the 
        moon. (Not including any external star data.) 

        TRAKSAT has the data for 58 stars in memory at all times however 
        you can read a external star data file (STAR6A.BIN). This file 
        has all the stars up to magnitude 6.0, some 5100 stars in all. In 
        order to use the external stars the file STAR6A.BIN MUST be in 
        the same directory as the EXE file. You must also select the 
        option to use the external stars. If you do NOT have a co-
        processor using the external stars will slow down the screen 
        update.                  
                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 
        
        The program can save the screen display to a PCX file by pressing 
        the "P" key. The program will save to a new file the screen 
        image. The PCX file can be used in other programs or printed with 
        some paint-type programs.                         
                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 
        
        It is noted that the star background will be refreshed (USER 
        DEFINED) minutes, in either delta or real time modes. It is 
        therefore wise to select a starting time about 1 minute PRIOR to 
        the time of interest and run the program in the delta mode until 
        PAST the time of interest. An example of this would be; 


@@Output Orthographic Views 

        If the user selects the Orthographic View Main Menu a 3-D 
        orthographic projection of the earth and the satellite will be 
        drawn. The perspective will be centered on the satellite. A small 
        "X" will mark the tracking station coordinates. The grid lines 
        are drawn 10 degrees apart with the orthographic projections. The 
        screen will be updated based on the satellite altitude and how 
        much it has moved from the last update. The Sun terminator can be 
        plotted on this view also. 
        
        **************************************************************** 
        THE 3-D PROJECTION WILL BE SLOW ON AT TYPE COMPUTERS WITHOUT A 
        COPROCESSOR SO IF THE USER DOES NOT WANT TO WAIT FOR THE COMPLETE 
        EARTH TO PLOT OUT PRESS ANY KEY AND THE EARTH LAND MASS PLOT WILL 
        STOP AND THE SATELLITE VIEW WILL START. (Only the grid lines will 
        be displayed.) 
        **************************************************************** 

        The screen can be stopped and started the same way as any other 
        graphic modes, i.e., space bar to freeze and Esc to stop. 


        3D View 

        New with this version is a 3D view. The output mode will center 
        the screen over the current tracking station and hold the earth 
        still while the satellite will pass around the earth. This view 
        is the best output for the Delta-Time modes. 


@@Rendered 3D Views

   GREAT views!

The rendered 3D views are fully shadowed by the Sun and are perhaps
the best display for any satellite tracking program. There are two
different views, one centered on the satellite and the other centered
on the tracking station. On slower computers this display will take a 
few seconds to display. The program is generating a PCX file that can be 
displayed by any other program that reads PCX files.


@@Multi Modes

        TRAKSAT has several multi-modes of operation besides the single 
        satellite modes. The mode are Multi-Satellite Tabular or Ground 
        Tracks, and Multi-Station modes. The program reads the INI file 
        for the names of the satellites to look for or you can select the 
        Load Multi-Sat option to make changes to the satellites. Below is 
        an example of this screen. 


@@Multi-Satellite Tabular Output 

        As of TRAKSAT version 2.30 and above a tabular multi-tracking 
        mode has been included. The output is in text rather than a 
        graphic display mode. Below is an example of the multi-tracking 
        tabular output mode. The different satellites will be displayed 
        in different colors also, the colors are the same as the ground 
        track options. 


@@Multi-Satellite Ground Track Output 

        If the ground track option is chosen the program will proceed to 
        plot the tracks on the world map. The plots are very similar to 
        the single satellite plots, except that for every satellite a 
        different colored line is drawn. The user can select a satellite 
        to display the current data bye pressing the up/down arrows. The 
        colors will change as will the satellite name on the bottom of 
        the screen. 


@@Multi-Station Text Mode 

        You may select a Multi-Station mode also. This mode will display 
        the current tracking data for up to three different stations. 
        This mode is useful for setting-up satellite communications for 
        two different stations. The date/time are based on the first 
        station, number 1, UTC Offset. 

@@Registration/Updates
        
        TRAKSAT is Shareware and your support is required. You would be 
        amazed at the reasons people give for not registering the 
        program. Some of the more funny ones are; (THESE ARE ACTUAL 
        QUOTES FROM LETTERS OR TELEPHONE CALLS AND EVEN FACE-TO-FACE 
        MEETINGS. The names have been removed to protect their identity.) 
        
        "Your fee ($25.00) is too low and I think it is worth much more 
        so until the price goes up I'm not going to register." 

        "Your fee is too high, I can not afford to register and buy that 
        new computer also." 

        "I do not know how to register the program as I'm new to 
        computers." 

        "I only use TRAKSAT once or twice a week so I don't use it enough 
        to register." 

        "I have been using TRAKSAT for many years and think it is the 
        best program I have used for satellite tracking but I don't get 
        anything EXTRA for the registration fee." 

        "I lost the registration form." 

        "I'll send you a check soon." 

        "The check is in the mail." 

        "My brother/wife/son/friend registered so I'm using their copy." 

        "I think the program will not do what I want but I use it because 
        it is free." 

        "The program has too many features that I do not need so I will 
        send $5.00 to register." 

        "Send me the registered copy and I'll see if it suit my needs 
        then I'll register the program." 


        The user can obtain the latest version (NON-registered) of 
        TRAKSAT from several BBSs around the country. The BBSs listed in 
        Chapter 11 list several places to obtain the current version. 
        Compuserve has TRAKSAT and many other related files also. (Try 
        the HAM or the ASTRONOMY file areas.) You may even register 
        TRAKSAT on Compuserve. The Internet is the best place to get your
        copy from.

        TRAKSAT will be updated 1-2 times a year with update notices 
        going out to registered users only. Order forms are in this
        help file and in the file ORDER.FRM also. 


@@Satellite Magnitudes

        Below is a list of some satellites that are "good hunting" for 
        the optical users. (First timers should look for the smallest 
        magnitude satellites, i.e., Mir, Kvant-1, HST.) 
             
         Norad      Vis     Satellite Name 
         ID#        Mag* 
         00694      3.0     Atlas Centaur 2 
         01001      3.3     Transtage 3 
         01359      3.3     Transtage 4 
         03598      3.0     OAO 2 R/B 
         04597      3.3     Cosmos 374 R/B 
         04622      3.3     Cosmos 375 R/B 
         04786      1.9     Cosmos 382 
         04966      2.3     Cosmos 398 
         05994       .9     Pageos 
         06155      3.0     OAO 3 R/B (Copernicus R/B) 
         06212      2.7     1972-076A Radcat 
         06779      3.0     IntelSat 4 F-3 R/B 
         08074      1.6     Pageos 1 DEB (Pageos H) 
         10967      3.0     SeaSat 1 
         12054      2.4     Cosmos 1220 
         12069      3.0     FltSatCom 4 R/B 
         12363      3.0     Comstar 4 R/B 
         12445      3.0     IntelSat 5-2 R/B 
         12465     -1.6     Cosmos 1271 R/B 
         12497      3.0     IntelSat 5-1 R/B 
         13007      3.0     IntelSat 5-3 R/B 
         15423      2.5     KH 11-6 
         15772      2.9     Cosmos 1656 R/B(4) 
         16182      2.5     Cosmos 1697 R/B 
         16609      -.4     Mir Space Station 
         16615      3.2     Spot 1 R/B 
         16910      2.8     EGP/JAS-1 R/B 
         17358      2.9     Cosmos 1603 R/B(4) 
         17369      3.3     Cosmos 1818 
         17528      3.1     MOS-1 R/B 
         17590      2.5     Cosmos 1833 R/B 
         17845      -.4     Kvant-1 (part of Mir) 
         17974      2.5     Cosmos 1844 R/B 
         18187      3.3     Cosmos 1867 
         18441      2.5     KH 11-7 
         19120      2.5     Cosmos 1943 R/B 
         19274      3.3     Okean 1 
         19460      3.3     USA 32 
         19461      3.3     USA 32 R/B 
         19625      2.5     KH 11-8 
         19650       .7     Cosmos 1980 R/B 
         19671      1.8     Lacrosse 
         19911      2.7     Delta Star 
         20147      2.4     Cosmos 2033 
         20261      3.3     In-Cosmos 24 
         20322      1.8     Cosmic Background Explorer 
         20335      -.4     Kvant-2 (part of Mir) 
         20443      3.1     Spot 2 R/B 
         20491      3.1     MOS-1B R/B 
         20516      2.0     USA 53 
         20523      3.0     IntelSat 6-3 
         20525      2.4     Cosmos 2060 
         20580      -.8     Hubble Space Telescope (HST) 
         20625      2.5     Cosmos 2082 R/B 
         20635      -.4     Kristall Module (part of Mir) 
         20638      3.2     ROSAT 
         20683      3.2     Gamma 
         20765      2.4     Cosmos 2096 
         20963      2.0     USA 67 (STS-38 Payload) 
         20985      2.4     Cosmos 2107 
         21015      2.5     Cosmos 2112 R/B 
         21065      2.4     Cosmos 2122 
         21147      1.8     Lacrosse 2 
         21148      2.9     Lacrosse 2 R/B 
         21213      2.2     Almaz 1 radar spacecraft 
         21225      2.8     Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) 
         21311      -.4     Soyuz TM-12 (part of Mir) 
         21610      3.1     ERS-1 R/B 
         21638     -1.1     STS-43 (landed) 
         21653      3.0     Intelsat-6 
         21662      -.4     Progress M9 (part of Mir) 
         21700     -1.1     STS-48 (landed) 
 
         * This magnitude is an approximation, it assumes 75% 
         illumination of the satellite and 900 Km slant range. 

@@Frequencies

        Below are some frequencies used by satellites for different 
        reasons. 

        Freq. (MHz)     Satellite       Type            Mode
        29.357           RS-10          Amateur         CW
        29.360-400       RS-10            "             SSB/CW
        29.407           RS-11            "             CW
        29.410-450       RS-11            "             SSB/CW
        29.454           RS-12            "             CW
        29.458           RS-13            "             CW
        136.380         GOES 1/2/3      Weather         APT
        136.770         NOAA 11           "             APT
        137.050         Meteosat 1        "             APT
        137.500         NOAA 10/12        "             APT
        137.626         NOAA 9/11         "             APT
        143.625         Mir             Manned          FM/Voice 
        145.550         Shuttle           "             FM/Voice
        145.825         OSCAR 13        Amateur         CW
        145.825-975     RS-14             "             FM/PACSAT
        435.651         OSCAR 13          "             CW/PACKET
        435.715-999     OSCAR 13          "             CW/SSB 
        1227.6          GPS             DOD             Data
        1614            GEOS            Weather         TLM 


@@J2000

        The Ra & Dec are based on the J2000 epoch, 1,1.5,2000 UTC date, 
        and are NOT user selectable, perhaps in the next version of 
        TRAKSAT. The J2000 epoch is the "current" epoch on most star 
        charts. 


@@Visibility Options Used in TRAKSAT 
        
        There are three different methods used by TRAKSAT to determine 
        visibility. The first method is simply when the elevation is 
        greater than the tracking station minimum elevation angle. This 
        method is called line of sight (LOS) in the program. This method 
        would be suitable for monitoring satellite radio transmissions, 
        interesting RF signals no doubt. It should be noted that at most 
        tracking sites zero degrees elevation is not visible due to 
        ground based obstructions, i.e. trees buildings, and other such 
        objects. A rule of thumb is if you hold out your arm straight and 
        stick out your thumb horizontal to the ground so it appears to 
        touch the horizon the upper edge of your thumb is about two 
        degrees elevation, while your closed fist is about ten degrees 
        elevation. 
        
        The second method, optical visibility, requires the satellite to 
        be above the minimum elevation setting also, however the 
        satellite must be sun-lit while the tracking station is in 
        darkness. This method would be used for viewing satellites with 
        the aid of say binoculars. 
        
        Remember that three conditions must be meet for the satellite to 
        be optically visible. 

                1. The elevation angle to the satellite must be above 
                   the minimum as seen from the tracking station. 

                2. The sun must be BELOW the twilight setting. 
                   The recommended twilight setting is -12ø.              

                3. The satellite must "see" the sun or the satellite must 
                   be in the sun light not the earth shadow. 

        The third method uses the same conditions as the second option 
        (Optical) but adds a range test also. You can set the maximum 
        range for each station and filter out un-wanted passes based on 
        range. 

        It is of interest to note that some satellites are NOT visible 
        even if the elevation angle is above the horizon, because they 
        are in the earth's shadow. It is difficult to observe a satellite 
        "coming out" of the earth's shadow, it is easier to see the 
        entrance into the shadow. 

        If the lighting conditions are favorable a "bright" satellite can 
        be seen with the naked eye also. The best time for these 
        favorable lighting conditions usually occur an hour before sun 
        rise or an hour after sun set, as seen at the tracking site. The 
        best type of satellite is low, about 250 - 500 kilometer 
        altitude, ones for naked eye observations. (Mir, Hubble, Shuttle 
        are a good examples.) 

                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        The recommended twilight setting is -12ø, i.e., the sun is 
        greater than or equal to -12 degrees BELOW the local horizon, to 
        determine the lighting conditions. The user CAN change the type 
        of twilight used in TRAKSAT, i.e., civil, nautical, or 
        astrodynamic, when using the optical visibility options. 
        
        The type of visibility can be set from the Station/Current 
        option, the default is to use the LOS method. 
                
                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        With either method the visual magnitude is NOT calculated. Such a 
        calculation would require knowledge about the emissivity of the 
        satellite, and atmospheric conditions, neither of which is 
        readily available to the user. 


@@Program Limitations and Assumptions 

        The ephemeris equations DO include the zonal harmonics, through 
        2nd order, of the gravitational potential.  This implies a 
        gravitational field produced by an oblate spheroidal earth 
        unsymmetrical with respect to the equator, pear-shaped. In other 
        words, the ephemeris equations contain J2, J3, and J4 terms. The 
        currently accepted values of J2, J3, and J4, which are used in 
        TRAKSAT, are; 
                                                   -3 
                                 J2 = 1.082616 X 10 

                                                   -6 
                                 J3 = -2.53881 X 10 

                                                   -6 
                                 J4 = -1.65597 X 10. 


        The earth equatorial radius used by TRAKSAT is; 6378.135 Km, 
        while the flattening factor used is 1/298.257 (both are from the 
        1972 WGS models). 
        
        The program TRAKSAT models only ELLIPTICAL orbital motion about 
        the earth. That is, the orbital eccentricity MUST BE LESS THAN 
        ONE and GREATER THAN ZERO. Very small eccentricities are 
        acceptable, i.e., such as 0.0000001. 

        TRAKSAT will propagate NORAD/NASA 2-line elements until the MEAN 
        altitude above the earth reaches 160 Km. This is due to the fact 
        that at 160 Km altitude the satellite will decay from orbit very 
        soon. The prediction process is not as accurate for such a low 
        satellite. (The remaining lifetime of a low satellite could be on 
        the order of a day or less.) The mean altitude is based on the 
        semi-major axis of both the earth and the satellite. 


@@Accuracy of TRAKSAT 

        Several people have asked the question; " How accurate is TRAKSAT 
        ?". To answer such a question one must define a set of limits. 
        The real "acid test" is to have a prediction from TRAKSAT and 
        then go outside and observe that satellite, taking note of the 
        time and position of the satellite. A comparison between actual 
        observed data and predicted can then be determined. 

        Another approach is to compare the output from TRAKSAT against 
        several other satellite tracking programs. Both the public domain 
        and the commercial markets have several good tracking programs 
        that the user could compare with. 

        The later approach, that is the comparison between tracking 
        programs, has been carried out by several people including 
        myself. The output from TRAKSAT compares very well with many of 
        the "current" tracking programs (both commercial and public 
        domain). It could be concluded from a simple test of TRAKSAT that 
        it agrees with several other tracking programs. 

        The next step is one of comparing predicted output and observed 
        data. The most popular use for TRAKSAT has been in the optical 
        sighting options. The optical sighting of a satellite will be the 
        "acid test" used for this accuracy test. 

        First a note about NASA 2-line elements, low earth satellites 
        (about 15 rev per day satellites) have larger disturbances from 
        the atmosphere than higher satellites. The drag on a satellite 
        can cause purtubations greater than the J2 terms therefore the 
        drag term is of great importance. The very latest elements for 
        the low earth satellite can greatly improve the prediction 
        process, while the higher satellites do not require as current of 
        elements. (The term low will be in the range of 250 - 375 
        kilometers altitude.) 

        Reports about TRAKSAT (and its predictions) have been made on the 
        MIR satellite along with several other low earth satellites. The 
        bottom line being LESS THAN 30 SECONDS ERROR (prediction vs. 
        actual) for 10 day old satellite element sets. If the satellite 
        elements are 20 days old the error is about 60 seconds. If the 
        elements a only a day or two old, errors of less than 10 seconds 
        are possible (several reports have been made about 2-10 seconds 
        of error). 

        The position data is on the money, it is the time at that 
        position that usually drives the accuracy of the observation. 

        The higher earth satellites generally have less than 30 seconds 
        of error for 20 day old elements. 

        A NOTE MUST BE MADE ABOUT THE ERROR ANALYSIS, THE ASSUMPTION IS 
        MADE THAT NO ORBITAL MANEUVERING WAS DONE TO THE SATELLITE DURING 
        THE "TEST" PERIOD. 

        In general it can be said that the most current elements are the 
        best ones for planning the evenings viewing. (Elements over 30 
        days old can have a very large error to them). Element sets 7 -14 
        days old will be acceptable for most users. 
        
        NORAD/NASA updates the satellite elements for this very reason, 
        to keep the prediction process accurate. 

        The Hubble Telescope is a good example of a "high" satellite that 
        is fairly easy to see because it is bright. Myself and others 
        have reported actual vs. predicted times of shadow entry to 
        within 10 SECONDS with 13 day old elements! That is less than one 
        second per day error! 


@@Problems
         

        TRAKSAT has been fully tested on MANY different types of 
        computers, however due to the very nature of personal computers 
        and different user configurations it is not possible to test the 
        program with all possible configurations. It may be possible that 
        some versions of DOS or some computers will not be 100% 
        compatible and cause the program to stop. THE FIRST STEP TO SOLVE 
        THE PROBLEM IS TO READ THE DOCUMENTATION INCLUDED WITH TRAKSAT. 
        
                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 
                
        A few users have reported TRAKSAT not running on one of their 
        computers after installing Windows 3.x. A possible solution would 
        be that some installations place the DOS command "STACKS 0,0" in 
        the CONFIG.SYS file. This command should be changed to "STACKS 
        9,256", this MAY solve the problem. It is not all-together clear 
        why some computers require this command but at least it is an 
        easy fix! 


                 *** PROTECTED MODE AS OF VERSION 4.00 ***

        TRAKSAT is a large program and uses protected mode to run, this
        requires a 286 processor or better and at least 2 Meg of memory.
        You are also REQUIRED to have some memory manager also such as
        HIMEM (DOS 5.0 and up) or QEMM, MAX386, under Windows 3.1 as
        a enhanced DOS window, or Win95.

                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        TRAKSAT version 4.00 will NOT run on XT (8088) computers. The XT 
        type computer is not really suited to satellite tracking and if 
        you are serious about satellite tracking you will use better 
        hardware.

        TRAKSAT makes use of the VESA extended video modes also, in fact
        the Rendered options REQUIRE a 256 color mode in order to operate.
        If you have the hardware it is best to use the higher resolution
        video modes. Please consult your computer manual for more 
        information.
                                ****************** 
                                * IMPORTANT NOTE * 
                                ****************** 

        TRAKSAT will use the latest VESA standard (1.2) for all SVGA
        modes. Some older video cards may NOT work with the 256 color
        output.


@@Order Form
                                    TRAKSAT 
                          Satellite Tracking Program 

         TRAKSAT Order Form
         --------------------------------------------------------------
            Make checks payable to: 

            Paul E. Traufler 
            111 Emerald Drive 
            Harvest, AL 35749 
        ---------------------------------------------------------------
         Qty 

        ____ TRAKSAT NON-REGISTERED Version at $7.00 Each    $_________ 

        ____ TRAKSAT REGISTERED Version at $25.00 Each       $_________ 

        ____ WinTrak Windows Satellite Tracking Program      $_________ 
             (* NOT A SHAREWARE PROGRAM *) $49.95 Each              

        ____ WinTrak Pro Win95 Satellite Tracking Program    $_________ 
             (* NOT A SHAREWARE PROGRAM *) $69.95 Each              

        ====> Shipping and Handling (USA $4.00 Per Unit)     $_________ 
              (Outside USA $6.00 Per Unit) 
              (UPS 2nd Day Shipping Charge (USA only) $10.00)
        -----------------------------------------------------
             (THESE ITEMS ARE OPTIONAL FOR TRAKSAT) 

        ____ Auto Tracker Control Option  $30.00 Each        $_________ 

        ____ Place your name in the program  $5.00           $_________ 
              
        ____ TRAKSAT Printed Manual  $15.00 Each             $_________ 


                                                     Total    $_________ 
                
                       All Are Supplied On 1.44 MB Disks

        Payment: (check or circle one): [ ] Check  [ ] Money Order  [ ] 
        Cash  [ ] Other 

        Checks and Money Orders must be drawn on U.S. banks in U.S. funds 

                              ** PLEASE PRINT ** 

         Name    _______________________________________________________ 
        
         Address _______________________________________________________ 

                 _______________________________________________________ 
          
         Phone   _____________________  E-Mail _________________________

         Comments ______________________________________________________ 
                  
                  ______________________________________________________ 

E-Mail: wintrak@traveller.com
Home Page: http://www.hsv.tis.net/~wintrak
                                                                    4.00 
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