[amsat-bb] Satellite timing question.

[Richard Tejera]

Depends on th err inclination. Miss & SO-50 tend to repeat about every two week or so note that the passes tend to come earlier by about 15 minutes or so each day.

Rick Tejera K7TEJ
Saguaro Astronomy Club
www.SaguaroAstro.org
Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club
www.w7tbc.org

On May 10, 2016, at 21:14, B J <va6bmj at gmail.com> wrote:

On 5/11/16, Jason Rearick <jbr13 at md.metrocast.net> wrote:
> Yes, I have and use Gpredict, but don't know how far ahead to go to find
> when the birds come back around to about the same times as they did last
> month.  I figure they are on a cycle that repeats every so many days, weeks,
>
> or months.
>

<snip>

Keep in mind that Gpredict will only produce data for up to 50 orbits
in the future.

Each day, I put the AOS times for the satellites I track into my
computer's calendar program.  Before I do that, I print out those 50
orbits as text files and import them into a database.  I can then
check the dates or specific times that a certain satellite will be
visible.

A simple way would be to estimate the precession rate from that
orbital data and do a back of the envelope calculation for when a bird
will be in a favourable position.

Of course, one could always resort to looking up the necessary
equations in an orbital mechanics text and do some number-crunching.

73s

Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL
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