Pages: [1] 2   Go Down

Author Topic: Sat tracking software  (Read 570 times)

KB7KUH

  • Posts: 62
    • HomeURL
Sat tracking software
« on: May 11, 2021, 11:16:09 AM »

Hello.  Back in the early 90's I worked the sat's and can't remember what tracking software I was using.  I think it might have been SAT Track or something like that.  So what's everybody using now a days?  I can remember downloading the Kep files to update to the software.  I'm running Windows 10 Pro 64 bit version.

Thanks
KB7KUH
« Last Edit: May 11, 2021, 11:20:20 AM by KB7KUH »
Logged

KB7KUH

  • Posts: 62
    • HomeURL
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2021, 11:56:47 AM »

Forgot to say rig is a ID-5100.
Logged

WD9EWK

  • Member
  • Posts: 714
    • WD9EWK/VA7EWK
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2021, 03:18:26 PM »

Hello.  Back in the early 90's I worked the sat's and can't remember what tracking software I was using.  I think it might have been SAT Track or something like that.  So what's everybody using now a days?  I can remember downloading the Kep files to update to the software.  I'm running Windows 10 Pro 64 bit version.

SatPC32 is probably the best program for Windows PCs when it comes to satellite tracking and station control (radios and antenna rotators). AMSAT sells license keys for it, but you can download it and give it a try from:

http://www.dk1tb.de/

Your other post mentioned an ID-5100. That radio is capable of remote control using Icom's CI-V, detailed in chapter 13 of the ID-5100 Full Manual (PDF available from the Icom web site) through the SP2 socket, but you probably won't need to use computer control with it. It is an FM/D-Star radio, and the smallest tuning steps you can use with it are 5 kHz steps. You can control that by hand - using the tuning dials on the front panel, or the up/down buttons on the HM-207 hand mic. I do this all the time, and have used mine in D-Star via AO-27. You can see some videos of my ID-5100 in action on different FM satellites on my YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/va7ewk

For the most part, I'm using the hand mic to make frequency changes during the passes. I have to use the touch-screen display to change items like transmit power and mode (FM vs. DV for D-Star). For AO-27, I leave the sub VFO in DV mode, but have enabled the DV Auto Detect function so I can hear FM and D-Star traffic without having to change that VFO's mode.

Anything else?

73!
Logged
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/ - Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

W9IQ

  • Member
  • Posts: 8866
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2021, 03:22:03 PM »

SatPC32 is probably the best program for Windows PCs when it comes to satellite tracking and station control (radios and antenna rotators).

+1

- Glenn W9IQ
Logged
- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

KB7KUH

  • Posts: 62
    • HomeURL
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2021, 04:42:55 PM »

Thanks.  I will check it out.  I'm sure I will have more questions.
I use to work I think it was AO7 on 2m SSB up, and 10M SSB down.  Ah the good old days hi hi.

73's
Logged

WD9EWK

  • Member
  • Posts: 714
    • WD9EWK/VA7EWK
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2021, 05:29:54 PM »

Thanks.  I will check it out.  I'm sure I will have more questions.
I use to work I think it was AO7 on 2m SSB up, and 10M SSB down.  Ah the good old days hi hi.

AO-7 is still around. Mostly in "mode B" (70cm up/2m down), but a couple of times a year we see it slip into "mode A" as you described. It's still fun to work that satellite. You can track AO-7's activity, along with other satellites, at:

http://www.amsat.org/status/

Good luck, and 73!
Logged
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/ - Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

N1IG

  • Posts: 102
    • HomeURL
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2021, 04:21:24 AM »

here is a list of software that is available:

https://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/software.php

some is free and some are for purchase.
Logged

KB7KUH

  • Posts: 62
    • HomeURL
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2021, 09:50:36 AM »

Thanks for all the reply's.  I joined AMSAT and got the SATPC32 and figuring out how to use it.  Looks pretty good.  One question, do I have to manually update the Kep files?  I remember back in the day, downloading the files to a floppy then to the tracking software.

Thanks again all.

KB7KUH
Logged

K6LCS

  • Member
  • Posts: 2583
    • Clint's Stuff
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2021, 07:13:42 PM »

 ‘Update Keps’ function is in the ‘Satellites’ menu!

Clint K6LCS
Logged
Clint Bradford, K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator
http://www.work-sat.com
909-999-SATS

WD9EWK

  • Member
  • Posts: 714
    • WD9EWK/VA7EWK
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2021, 12:24:01 PM »

Forgot to say rig is a ID-5100.

I heard your ID-5100 last night on AO-27, in D-Star. Were you hearing anyone answering your calls? Both N6UTC in southern California and I were calling for you. BTW there's no need for CQ calls on AO-27, or the other FM satellites. There are a few stations that listen for D-Star on AO-27.

When you were transmitting in D-Star (DV), you were coming through very well. Even saw your call sign on my screen. I was operating from a spot north of Flagstaff AZ in grid DM45, on a low western pass. You can see and hear the pass in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbAL435dEZQ

I also have an ID-5100, but was using my ID-4100 last night. I have an audio recording from the ID-4100, which I put in the "Satellite_Audio-2021" folder of my Dropbox space:

http://dropbox.wd9ewk.net/

73!
« Last Edit: May 16, 2021, 12:28:10 PM by WD9EWK »
Logged
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/ - Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

KB7KUH

  • Posts: 62
    • HomeURL
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2021, 12:51:39 PM »

Forgot to say rig is a ID-5100.

I heard your ID-5100 last night on AO-27, in D-Star. Were you hearing anyone answering your calls? Both N6UTC in southern California and I were calling for you. BTW there's no need for CQ calls on AO-27, or the other FM satellites. There are a few stations that listen for D-Star on AO-27.

When you were transmitting in D-Star (DV), you were coming through very well. Even saw your call sign on my screen. I was operating from a spot north of Flagstaff AZ in grid DM45, on a low western pass. You can see and hear the pass in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbAL435dEZQ

I also have an ID-5100, but was using my ID-4100 last night. I have an audio recording from the ID-4100, which I put in the "Satellite_Audio-2021" folder of my Dropbox space:

http://dropbox.wd9ewk.net/

73!

Thank you for getting this for me to hear.  I did not hare anyone replying to me.  I'm just getting back into the Sats.  I won't do the Cq Cq Cq anymore (thanks for the tip hi hi)  I'm working on the antenna setup.  I need a better mast and adding a rotor.  I have 120' trees all around me so it's quite a challenge.

Thanks again!
Don
KB7KUH
Logged

WD9EWK

  • Member
  • Posts: 714
    • WD9EWK/VA7EWK
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2021, 03:02:09 PM »

Thank you for getting this for me to hear.  I did not hare anyone replying to me.  I'm just getting back into the Sats.  I won't do the Cq Cq Cq anymore (thanks for the tip hi hi)  I'm working on the antenna setup.  I need a better mast and adding a rotor.  I have 120' trees all around me so it's quite a challenge.

Time to check out your setup, on receive. Antenna, coax (type and length), squelch wide open on sub VFO for downlink, ... ? Your station had no problems coming through, and even with the low pass I had in northern Arizona on Saturday night I had no problems hearing you - and even seeing your call sign. You don't always get the call signs on the screen with every transmission when working through AO-27, as you could see in that video, and other videos of AO-27 D-Star activity at:

http://www.youtube.com/va7ewk

If you are working AO-27 and transmitting in DV, the sub VFO will mute when it receives a D-Star signal. You really can't work AO-27 full-duplex in D-Star with just an ID-5100 (the IC-9700 is the only D-Star capable of cross-band full-duplex operation in D-Star), but I usually go by seeing "MUTE" on the sub VFO to know I'm getting through. And, sometimes, I'll even see my own call sign on the sub VFO side of the screen when transmitting. An example of that can be seen in this short video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAMWuCax4bw

This shows transmissions through AO-27 in FM and D-Star. I change the mode on the main VFO, but don't have to change the mode on the sub VFO (it stays in DV, and I enabled "DV Auto Detect" so the sub VFO can also receive FM traffic).

Have you seen this thread on QRZ?

https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/icom-id-5100-for-fm-satellites-and-d-star-via-ao-27.755389/

More about using the ID-5100 on FM satellites, and especially on AO-27 in D-Star.

73!
Logged
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/ - Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

KB7KUH

  • Posts: 62
    • HomeURL
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2021, 04:32:04 PM »

Antenna is a Cushcraft A270-6S, coax will be replaced with RG8X at about 65'  I need to get a better mast so I can put a rotor up.

Getting there slowly but surely.  Might talk the XYL into getting a IC-9700.

Thanks for all your help.  Great videos, they have helped a lot.

73
Logged

W9IQ

  • Member
  • Posts: 8866
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2021, 06:13:54 PM »

Do consider a lower loss coax than RG-8. If you can afford it, Times Microwave LMR-400 (or even LMR-600) would be a much better choice for that length.

- Glenn W9IQ
Logged
- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.

KB7KUH

  • Posts: 62
    • HomeURL
Re: Sat tracking software
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2021, 07:22:52 PM »

Do consider a lower loss coax than RG-8. If you can afford it, Times Microwave LMR-400 (or even LMR-600) would be a much better choice for that length.

- Glenn W9IQ
I'm using LMR-400 and RG-8 for my HF antennas.  I will order some LMR-400 for it.  Hopefully between that and a rotor, that will help.  My biggest hurtle is the trees I think.
 

Thanks
Logged
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up