[amsat-bb] Automating the AMSAT Status page for APRS satellites

[Robert Bruninga]

>
> > Exactly.  Many hams manually populate the AMSAT page every day.


>> This web site takes user reports by hand and does not draw
>> from the world wide data stream of satellite ground stations.

Yep, a great opportunity for someone to write code to check the ARISS.NET
and pcsat.findu.com downlink pages and check for last heard packet from
RS0ISS, from PSAT.  If it is from PSAT-1 then it is only beacons.  If it is
from PSAT itself, then the digipeater is on.

Though rather than randomly scarfing those pages, it might be more
efficient if maybe the FINDU.COM page originated the status report to the
AMSAT page every 2 hours.

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

But on the otherhand the page now is all manual and so it not only reflects
the reported status it also shows the interest shown by the number of hams
that take the time to report it.

If PSAT and ISS DATA were automatically updated, then they would show solid
bars of reports, and no one would bother reporting, and we would not see if
anyone cared enough to update it?

Besides, Steve just lives it when I suggest things for him to do... ;-)

Bob, WB4APR