[amsat-bb] Tracking

[Joe]

As in when is a bird gonna come by?

I'm an old timer. Remember the "Oscarlocator?"
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/images/oscarlocator.jpg
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/images/oscarlocator.jpg
It never ever failed.

I am seriously interested in getting active again on many of the birds. 
But unless I fix a problem I am having I won't be I'll go back to EME 
Oscar 1 or was that Oscar 0? And other weak signal modes.

My problem is. pass predictions. Many of the different sources I try 
display totally different pass times.

Now I can understand with the two "Programs" I use, ( Orbitron & The 
tracker in HRD ) if I don't have something set right the pass 
predictions could be in error. My fault. weven tho I could set up both 
programs exactly the same. I still get passes that are not the same. 
sometimes like 1/2 a orbit off. other times even worse the passes are 
like 1 pass off in other words one program says the pass is just ending, 
and the other says it is just beginning. But again, this all could be 
operator error.

BUT............

And there always is a but isn't there.

Web page based trackers, now those should work no matter where you are, 
and what time your computer says it is true? I mean is a bird is 
directly over say Chicago, shouldn't every web site show it being over 
Chicago regardless or where you are or what time your computer says it is?
I look at like 4 different pages and they have the same bird in 
different places. some again 1/2 an orbit wromng, some like 10 minutes 
different.

What is someone to do!?

Joe WB9SBD
EN43
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