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W4DPH > SAT 29.06.03 04:18l 100 Lines 3950 Bytes #999 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS-180.06
Read: GUEST
Subj: New PREDICT version released
Path: DB0ZKA<DB0BOX<DB0GV<DB0SIF<DB0EA<DB0RES<ON0AR<IW8PGT<YV6BTF<VE3FJB<
W4JAX<W4DPH
Sent: 030629/0219Z @:W4DPH.#TPA.FL.USA.NOAM #:62454 [CLW] FBB $:ANS-180.06
From: W4DPH@W4DPH.#TPA.FL.USA.NOAM
To : SAT@AMSAT
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 180.06 From AMSAT HQ
Silver Spring, MD. June 29, 2003
To All Radio Amateurs
BID: $ANS-180.06
PREDICT version 2.2.2, a satellite tracking and orbital prediction
application for the Linux and Unix operating systems, has been released.
This release corrects several small bugs and adds several new features over
the previous version. Some of the important changes include:
* Fixed a bug that caused GET_SAT (UDP socket) requests to fail after
GET_DOPPLER requests were issued. (Tnx: KF6RFX)
* Fixed a bug in "earthtrack" where latitude and longitude options sent
to "xplanet" were reversed under certain circumstances. (Tnx: ZL2BSJ)
* "earthtrack" has been modified to work with "xplanet" version 1.0 and
later. Compatibility for versions of "xplanet" prior to 1.0 is retained
through an earlier version of "earthtrack" that has been moved into
an "old_version" directory.
* Orbital phase, eclipse depth, and squint angle data has been appended
to the information returned to UDP client applications in response
to the GET_SAT command.
* Moon tracking code was replaced with a more precise algorithm based
on Meeus' method.
* Added a lunar prediction mode that predicts "passes" of the Moon.
* Added a solar prediction mode that predicts "passes" of the Sun.
* Added "MoonTracker", a small utility that runs in the background and
directs an AZ/EL antenna array toward the position of the Moon (for
EME communications).
* The Moon's declination, Greenwich hour angle, and right ascension
have been appended to the information returned to UDP clients in
response to the GET_MOON command.
* The Sun's declination, Greenwich hour angle, and right ascension
have been appended to the information returned to UDP clients in
response to the GET_SUN command.
* PREDICT now returns orbital data in NASA Two-Line format to UDP
clients in response to the GET_TLE command.
* Added a new UDP socket command (GET_MODE) to return PREDICT's
current tracking mode (single, multi, none) to networked clients.
If PREDICT is operating in Single Satellite tracking mode, then the
name of the satellite currently being tracked is returned by GET_MODE.
* In Main Menu option [G] (Edit Ground Station Information), ground
station latitude and longitude may now be entered in degree, minute,
second (DMS) format in addition to decimal degrees.
* The "vocalizer" feature was dramatically improved. Sound samples
are now read from ubiquitous .wav files, making it easier for users
to create samples of their own, even in languages other than English.
PREDICT now articulates numeric values in their entirety (i.e.:
"three hundred forty nine";) instead of articulating each digit
individually ("three four nine";) as was done previously. Alarms
and additional announcements were added to alert a visual observer
when a spacecraft is visible, when it enters into sunlight, and
when it enters into eclipse.
* Added "fodtrack", written by Luc Langermann, LX1GT. This utility
permits AZ/EL antenna control using the Fodtrack hardware interface
via the parallel port.
* Added titles to windows when PREDICT is run under X.
* The latest version of "gsat" (1.1.0) has been included.
* Several other coding changes were made. Linux-specific code was
removed in an effort to allow easier compilation under FreeBSD,
MacOS X, and other Unixes in general.
* PREDICT's main menu was expanded to handle the additional program
options. The main menu also now displays the text "Server Mode"
when the program is invoked in socket server mode (-s).
* Program documentation was updated.
PREDICT may be downloaded from:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/software/Linux/predict-2.2.2.tar.gz
Further information on PREDICT is available at:
http://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/predict.html
[ANS thanks John, KD2BD, for the above information]
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