[amsat-bb] FoxTelem 1.09 released

Fri Dec 4 14:24:23 UTC 2020

Hi Frank,

Sorry for the difficulties here.  Programs should prevent these sorts of
issues.  So let's see if we can work out what is causing the problem and
fix it.

In version 1.07 and version 1.08 some of the settings were stored in the
install folder.  Specifically settings tied to each spacecraft such as the
downlink frequency.  If you changed that value in the GUI then it saved the
new value back into the install folder.  That appears to be working fine
for you.

In 1.08 and 1.09 no settings are saved in the install folder.  Instead they
are saved into your data folder along with the telemetry that you download.
This is the "user properties file" that it can not save.  Why it can't save
it is a good question.

So I need to know where you have saved the telemetry.  This is the folder
that is listed on File > Settings and is called the Log files directory.
If 1.09 won't start then run 1.07 and let us know what that points to,
unless you do something at each install to move the data around.  We can
then help you get this fixed and working.

73
Chris

73
Chris

On Thu, Dec 3, 2020 at 6:50 PM Frank via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
wrote:

> Burns,
>
> Thank you for the reply.  I have foxtelem 1.07y, 1.08p, 1.08z3 and 1.09n3
> installed on this computer each in its own directory.  1.07y and 1.08p
> launch and run properly.  1.08z3 and 1.09n3 each have the error message and
> do not start.  All programs were downloaded and installed in the same
> manner. They are all on the same SSD and installed under a Windows
> administrator account.  There is not a run directory in properties on any
> of the four versions.  The computer only has one account/user which is the
> administrator.  Properties on the folder do not list read only.  At a loss
> as to why 2 older versions run and the last two versions do not run.  Not
> being a Windows wizard I do not know where to go from here.
>
> 73,
> Frank
> K6FW
>
> >
> >
> > On Dec 3, 2020, at 6:40 AM, Burns Fisher <wb1fj-bb at fisher.cc> wrote:
> >
> > Frank,
> >
> > I am not an expert on the internals of FoxTelem, but I have seen no
> other answers, so I will chime in and ask whether you had FoxTelem
> installed on this same system earlier and whether you are starting it up
> specifying a data folder.  (You do this by specifying a folder either on
> the command line if you start it that way, or in the shortcut properties).
>  If you specify a data folder (directory), that has to be writable by you.
> >
> > It says "run directory".  That would be the directory where you actually
> placed the folder that you downlinked, and which includes a "FoxTelem.jar"
> file.  Is that writable, or did you somehow put it in a location that may
> be accessible to multiple users but not writable?
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Burns WB1FJ
> >
> > On Wed, Dec 2, 2020 at 10:14 PM Frank via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org
> <mailto:amsat-bb at amsat.org>> wrote:
> > I installed FoxTelem 1.09 on a windows PC.  When I launch the
> application the error message “Could not write spacecraft user properties
> file.  Check permission on run directory or on the file.”  Don’t know how
> to fix this error message.  Thanks for guidance.
> >
> > Frank
> > K6FW
> >
> >
> > > On Nov 30, 2020, at 9:49 PM, Mark Jessop via AMSAT-BB <
> amsat-bb at amsat.org <mailto:amsat-bb at amsat.org>> wrote:
> > >
> > > A related question: When decoding the BPSK telemetry, what audio IF
> range
> > > can it be present in?
> > >
> > > In the SatNOGS BPSK demodulator flowgraph, the audio output part of the
> > > flowgraph places the signal at a 12 kHz IF. This is necessary for 9k6
> BPSK
> > > transmissions, and we fixed it at 12 kHz even for 1200 baud BPSK to
> ensure
> > > the signal would remain within the 24 kHz passband (48 kHz sample rate)
> > > even if there was a bit of drift at either the ground-station or sat.
> The
> > > audio recordings are currently mainly used with the Funcube telemetry
> > > decoder, which is quite happy to decode 1200 baud BPSK at the 12 kHz
> IF.
> > >
> > > An example of such an audio recording, with a 1200 baud BPSK signal at
> 12
> > > kHz IF is here:
> > >
> https://ia803207.us.archive.org/32/items/satnogs-observation-2403591/satnogs_2403591_2020-06-19T00-39-49.ogg
> <
> https://ia803207.us.archive.org/32/items/satnogs-observation-2403591/satnogs_2403591_2020-06-19T00-39-49.ogg
> >
> > >
> > > Can FoxTelem be configured to accept BPSK at this IF? If so, then it
> will
> > > be possible to use any of the audio recordings from SatNOGS
> observations,
> > > even if a decoder is not developed in time.
> > >
> > > 73
> > > Mark VK5QI
> > >
> > > On Tue, Dec 1, 2020 at 4:01 PM Mark Jessop <vk5qi at rfhead.net <mailto:
> vk5qi at rfhead.net>> wrote:
> > >
> > >> Is there a link available to a description of the FOX-1E telemetry
> format?
> > >> (modulation, framing, error correction, packet descriptions, etc...)
> > >>
> > >> It would be nice to implement a decoder within SatNOGS, to enable the
> 300+
> > >> ground stations around the world to contribute telemetry...
> > >>
> > >> 73
> > >> Mark VK5QI
> > >>
> > >> On Tue, Dec 1, 2020 at 1:00 PM Burns Fisher via AMSAT-BB <
> > >> amsat-bb at amsat.org <mailto:amsat-bb at amsat.org>> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> For those of you with Fox-in-a-box telemetry stations (Fun Cube
> Dongle in
> > >>> a
> > >>> Raspberry Pi with FoxTelem software), FoxTelem 1.09 has been
> successfully
> > >>> tested on an FIAB.
> > >>>
> > >>> It is easy to update your FIAB with the new FoxTelem version.  Some
> time
> > >>> ago, I provided the instructions for upgrading to a new FoxTelem
> release
> > >>> at
> > >>>
> > >>>
> http://burnsfisher.com/AMSAT/FoxInABox/Updating%20FoxTelem%20on%20your%20Fox-in-a-Box.txt
> <
> http://burnsfisher.com/AMSAT/FoxInABox/Updating%20FoxTelem%20on%20your%20Fox-in-a-Box.txt
> >
> > >>> and they will not have changed significantly other than the version
> > >>> numbers.
> > >>>
> > >>> In any case, over the next few days, I will update and post the
> > >>> instructions as well as making the new version available on the FIAB
> SD
> > >>> cards sold in the AMSAT store and (a bit after that) on the free
> download.
> > >>>
> > >>> Thanks to Chris for a great new version!
> > >>>
> > >>> 73,
> > >>>
> > >>> Burns WB1FJ
> > >>>
> > >>> On Mon, Nov 30, 2020 at 7:32 PM Chris Thompson via AMSAT-BB <
> > >>> amsat-bb at amsat.org <mailto:amsat-bb at amsat.org>> wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>>> This release provides several enhancements and needed changes for
> > >>> RadFxSat,
> > >>>> also
> > >>>> known as FOX-1E. This new spacecraft sends 1200bps BPSK telemetry in
> > >>>> parallel
> > >>>> with a linear transponder.  Downloading telemetry and sending it to
> the
> > >>>> server will assist
> > >>>> AMSAT and the Radiation tolerance experiments from Vanderbilt
> > >>> University.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> You can download it here:
> > >>>> http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/windows/FoxTelem_1.09n3_windows.zip <
> http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/windows/FoxTelem_1.09n3_windows.zip>
> > >>>> http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/linux/FoxTelem_1.09n3_linux.tar.gz <
> http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/linux/FoxTelem_1.09n3_linux.tar.gz>
> > >>>> http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/mac/FoxTelem_1.09n3_mac.tar.gz <
> http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/mac/FoxTelem_1.09n3_mac.tar.gz>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> The following changes are in 1.09 (from 1.08):
> > >>>> * Performance improvements on the telemetry tabs.  This uses less
> CPU
> > >>> than
> > >>>> 1.08.
> > >>>> * Clearer display of historical records on the telemetry tabs for
> RT,
> > >>> MAX,
> > >>>>  MIN and WOD.
> > >>>> * Bug fixes for Fox-1E decode and display of diagnostic tables,
> Whole
> > >>> Orbit
> > >>>> Data,
> > >>>>  formatting of telemetry
> > >>>> * Ignore extra commas in conversion curve comments
> > >>>> * Allow a single spacecraft to be downloaded from the Fox Server,
> even
> > >>> if
> > >>>>  FoxTelem stores many spacecraft
> > >>>> * Latest Golf-T layouts for development
> > >>>> * BPSK CRC checksum calculation for GOLF-T
> > >>>> * Another new way to decode and display the mode
> > >>>> * More generic tab layouts to allow future expansion through soft
> coding
> > >>>> * Throttle the DDE requests when decoder stopped
> > >>>> * Many other bug fixes
> > >>>>
> > >>>> See the complete list on github here:
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>
> https://github.com/ac2cz/FoxTelem/issues?q=is%3Aclosed+is%3Aissue+milestone%3A%22Release+1.09%22+
> <
> https://github.com/ac2cz/FoxTelem/issues?q=is%3Aclosed+is%3Aissue+milestone%3A%22Release+1.09%22+
> >
> > >>>>
> > >>>> --
> > >>>> Chris E. Thompson
> > >>>> chrisethompson at gmail.com <mailto:chrisethompson at gmail.com>
> > >>>> g0kla at arrl.net <mailto:g0kla at arrl.net>
> > >>>> _______________________________________________
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> > >>>> AMSAT-NA.
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> > >>
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-- 
Chris E. Thompson
chrisethompson at gmail.com
g0kla at arrl.net