home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
World of Ham Radio 1997
/
WOHR97_AmSoft_(1997-02-01).iso
/
windows
/
win_49
/
amsoft.iii
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1997-02-01
|
7KB
|
166 lines
README28.TXT WinOrbit 2.8 30 Nov 95
Read the file "README.TXT" first. The information in this file
is duplicated in the Winorbit.hlp file.
Major Improvements in 2.8
-------------------------
Several major features have been added:
* A secondary satellite position and footprint can now be displayed
on each of the maps.
* Mutual visibility prediction tables can now be printed.
* A progress indicator is now displayed during long printouts, with an
option to cancel if you get tired of waiting.
* F1 now displays a more relevant starting point for help information
for each window.
* Station automation via AutoRun feature to run DOS or Windows
programs at specified times relative to AOS for a specific
satellite.
* Doppler shift and path loss can now be displayed for uplink,
downlink, or transponder delta frequency.
There is only one notable bug fix:
* The epoch was incorrectly updated when the UTC offset was not
zero. This has now been fixed (Satellite window).
Permanent color changes for the maps have been restored. This
feature got lost about v 2.6.
Major Improvements in 2.7
-------------------------
* Full state vector information (including velocity components) can
now be displayed. Import of state vector files is also possible.
* Alternate satellite information databases such as "The Satellite
Encyclopedia" may now be accessed directly.
* Squint angle calculation now included.
* Calculation of spacecraft antenna and observer antenna pattern
loss added to RF Info group in the Info Window.
* Added a new window arrangement option: "Stack", in the Window Menu.
* The lines of latitude and longitude can now be turned off for
creating cleaner maps for export.
* Improved timekeeping for real time mode on slow computers. The
program will now skip one or more intervals if it gets behind.
* Orbit number (Rev) and Mean Anomaly (MA) now updated properly with
SGP/SGP4 models.
* Updates of other Keplerian Elements with SGP/SGP4 models improved.
* Fixed crash when Sun or Moon selected while using non-USA date
formats.
* Fixed bug that prevented proper element update after propagation to
specified epoch.
Other New Items:
* A companion program for antenna control (using the Prairie Digital board)
and radio doppler compensation (using serial or parallel ports or the
Prairie Digital board) is available from the author. "Some Assembly
Required" !
Major Improvements in 2.6
-------------------------
* Glossary has finally been included.
* Immediate display of all stations in the QTH database
visible from a particular satellite for mutual visibility
determination.
* Immediate display of all visible satellites, regardless of
whether they are being tracked on map.
* Sun and Moon may be tracked for antenna or receiver calibration.
The algorithm is built-in, no keps are required.
* Latitude and longitude display and specification more flexible.
Lat/long displays can be in decimal degrees or degrees,
minutes, seconds; and with choice of +/-, or
E/W notation.
Choice of direction for positive longitude (E or W)
Shift-click on a map adds a point to the QTH data base
Ctrl-click on a map changes the observer location
Lat/long and grid square of the point under the mouse
cursor can be displayed
* AOS for next pass now displayed on maps.
* Calculation of EQX, AOS, and Apogee/Perigee for tables improved
(more accurate, some speed up).
* Ephemeris output to an existing file is added at the end
("append") instead of overwriting the previous information.
* Two-line element sets can be saved from the edited orbital
elements.
* User-provided maps may now be used for the background, for
added display flexibility.
* Fixed bugs in Help:System Info and Colors} dialogs
Bug Fixes and changes in 2.5
----------------------------
- "Next Pass" now determined based on present UTC, not
local (CPU) clock time.
- Fixed the "resume without error" bug in Print Ephemeris
when not printing to a file.
- If map (land/ocean) colors are changed, it is no longer
necessary to "clear display" in each map after
restarting the program.
- Observer QTH now displays properly in the Main window.
- Help file displayed automatically if .INI file is not
current.
Major Improvements in 2.4
-------------------------
- "View from Space" available (slow - not in real time).
- Sun and terminator line now move automatically in real
time (if displayed)
- Fixed European (esp. German) number format bug (",").
- Print to File option for ephemerides.
Major Improvements in 2.3
-------------------------
- Every satellite in file now available for printing (not
just the currently-tracked set).
- Function keys can be used for some common operations.
- Choice of 4 orbit-calculation algorithms.
- Display of additional observer locations for mutual
visibility
- Grid locators for observer location entry (or calc from
lat and long automatically)
- Display of solar position and terminator for eclipse
determination.
- Pop-up window to show elements, next pass, and other info.
- Additional ephemeris options including EQX, timeline.
- Print preferences now saved.
- Selectable colors for ocean and land on the map.
- Additional Items for DDE clients.
- Keplerian element computation features (propagate elements,
change RAAN for delayed launch, etc.).
Other Changes in 2.3
--------------------
- Numerous bug fixes. I hope the program will now work with
ANY date and time format.
- Improved checking of data entry to avoid illegal values which
might crash the program.
- Some rearrangement and renaming of menu items.
- More (and better ?) error messages.
- Map changed from 1- to 8-bit bitmap (hope this fixes the 32k-
color display problem)
Improvements in 2.2
-------------------
- Added DDE interface for antenna-pointing systems. See "Help".
- Extensively revised help file.
- Improved table printouts
- Minor changes to menus
Improvements in 2.1
-------------------
- User-specified colors for some map features
- Sidereal time offset now calculated from 4-parameter model
instead of fixed value (errors reduced from 3 min to < 1
sec).
- Numerous changes to improve the user interface (menus, etc.)
- Setup menu now permits specifying an offset between computer
clock and UTC (formerly required computer to be set to UTC)
- Improved handling of satellite files/lists and observer files/
lists
- observer file LATLONG.QTH now included (list by ITU radio
prefix).
- Fixed bugs in resizing of map windows.
- Permit keeping just one map window visible
- European date format now works (formerly crashed on startup)