[amsat-bb] Re: Satellite tracking programming ideas

[Robert Bruninga]

I have not paid attention.  

Have any of the tracking programs incorporated the single serial
port operation and control of the D700 or D7 for satellite
operations?   

For years and years this excellent dual band radio with internal
TNC was ignored by most control programs.  I wrote APRStk to
control it, but kinda lost track if any of the other tracking
programs finally picked it up?

And if they did, do they also allow simultaneous control and
operation of the TNC.

Bob, WB4APR

> -----Original Message-----
> From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org 
> [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On Behalf Of Bruce
Robertson
> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 4:23 PM
> To: Erich Eichmann
> Cc: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Satellite tracking programming ideas
> 
> Ham Radio Deluxe has a satellite component that does full
doppler
> tuning, and it ought to be added to this discussion. I believe
it
> works the same way as described below. However, it has a
'transmit'
> button which, in many circumstances, needs to be pushed to
provide
> reliable operation. I believe under other circumstances, one
can use
> the PTT on a transmitting radio to indicate a transmit.
> 
> There's a trade-off here in two-radio operation. HRD does not
require
> a restart when switching modes from U/V to V/U (and v. v.);
however,
> it does require the software transmit. SatPC32 will allow you
to use
> the PTT switch on the transmitting radio to indicate transmit
for the
> doppler tuning, but you need to restart the program when going
from
> U/V to V/U.
> 
> HRD does have one feature that I have always really liked, and
that I
> would love to see added to any other program with doppler
tuning. It
> is common to have these programs indicate the groundstation
frequency,
> which of course the radio should read. HRD also (or instead?)
shows
> the frequency *at the satellite*. From a user's standpoint
this is
> much more useful: it tells you if you're off the band edges of
the
> transponder, and if two users have this information, they can
compare
> it. (I once early in my use of linear transponders asked the
person I
> was chatting with what frequency their software said they were
on on
> the bird, and he was quite perplexed. I've since realized that
most
> software doesn't provide this information.)
> 
> Anyway, that one piece of info would, to my mind, be a great
use of
> the SatPC32 real estate. Perhaps it could be the subject of
another
> toggle switch, like the one that switches between AOS
countdown and
> UTC.
> 
> In any case, a big thank-you to the folks who work on these
projects.
> You are an invaluable addition to our corner of the hobby.
> 
> 73, Bruce
> VE9QRP
> 
> 
> 
> On Jan 18, 2008 3:16 PM, Erich Eichmann 
> <erich.eichmann at t-online.de> wrote:
> > Hello Phil,
> > you wrote:
> > > This requires some manual intervention in that I have to
stop the
> > > automatic tracking, turn the knob and then restart the 
> tracking. This
> > > could take a
> > > few seconds which would mean that the tracking could be a 
> few seconds
> > > behind.
> > > The alternative is to click on an up / down tuning arrow 
> which will stop
> > > the tracking and adjust the received frequency. Clicking 
> on a restart
> > > button
> > > would restart the tracking. I think that's the way satpc32
works.
> > >
> >
> >
> > SatPC32 works similar as Instant Tune (see Anthony 
> Monteiro's detailed
> > answer):
> > With SSB sats the program polls the RX VFO once per second. 
> If the result is
> > equal with the previous one the user hasn't moved the VFO 
> knob or tuned the
> > frequencies via mouse or keyboard. Then the program can
update the
> > frequencies for Doppler correction if necessary.
> >
> > If the values are different the user has moved the knob or 
> tuned the radio
> > via mouse or keyboard. The program then postpones a possible
Doppler
> > correction.  It waits until it gets two equal values again 
> (that means the
> > user has stopped moving the knob). Then it calculates the 
> frequency change
> > the user made and recalculates and sets the new TX 
> frequency like your
> > program does and automatically continues with Doppler
correction.
> >
> > So, no manual intervention is necessary.
> >
> > The program updates the radio frequencies for Doppler 
> correction when the
> > higher one of both frequencies has changed by a certain 
> amount of Hertz.
> > This "interval"  can be selected separately for SSB and FM 
> sats (typically
> > 50 - 100 Hz with SSB and 300 - 500 Hz with FM sats).
> >
> > Good luck with your project.
> >
> > 73s, Erich, DK1TB
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Phil" <phillor at telstra.com>
> > To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> > Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 8:26 AM
> > Subject: [amsat-bb] Satellite tracking programming ideas
> >
> >
> > > Thank you for reading this.
> > >
> > > I'm currently marooned because of flood water, and likely 
> to be so for at
> > > least another week, so to pass some time I decided to 
> upgrade my satellite
> > > tracking program. Disappointingly, playing with the 
> current satellites in
> > > this country is pointless so the programming exercise is 
> purely academic.
> > >
> > > Originally, my tracking program displayed the link 
> frequencies but I
> > > decided
> > > that was unnecessary since the radio has a perfectly good 
> display itself.
> > > So
> > > to make frequency corrections, due to hardware errors, or 
> to listen to
> > > another part of the downlink I simply used the radio's 
> tuning knob. The
> > > program detected that the receiver's frequency had 
> changed and calculated
> > > a
> > > new uplink frequency.
> > >
> > > This requires some manual intervention in that I have to
stop the
> > > automatic
> > > tracking, turn the knob and then restart the tracking. 
> This could take a
> > > few
> > > seconds which would mean that the tracking could be a few 
> seconds behind.
> > > The alternative is to click on an up / down tuning arrow 
> which will stop
> > > the
> > > tracking and adjust the received frequency. Clicking on a 
> restart button
> > > would restart the tracking. I think that's the way satpc32
works.
> > >
> > > I've probably got too much time on my hands and both 
> methods seem to work
> > > equally well. Does one method have an advantage over the
other?
> > >
> > > The update interval has to be fairly short so that a 
> manual frequency
> > > change
> > > can be quickly detected. I'm currently updating the radio 
> based on time.
> > > The
> > > alternative is to update based on frequency, say every 
> time the higher
> > > frequency changes by 20Hz. This would lessen the number 
> of radio updates
> > > during periods where the Doppler effect is at a minimum 
> but does it matter
> > > if the radio is undated unnecessary? The rotator bearing 
> is updated every
> > > ten degrees but that's to lessen mechanical fatigue.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Phil.
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> of the author.
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> >
> >
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