Visual
SAT-Flare Tracker 3D
1.0 GETTING STARTED
This section shows a few basic steps required to configure the program before starting work.
1.1 SET UP THE OBSERVER SITE LIST AND THE CURRENT COORDINATES
After
the software install, the user may want to set-up the list of observatories (sites):
- If a custom list of sites is desired, please edit the site.txt file entering all the required sites. Please see here for more details about the file format.
and the coordinates of the current observing site:- to set the current observer coordinates please fill all the fields of the Local Settings
window in the Setting menu bar item. The observer coordinates
might also be obtained from the city database. In that case, manually select the observer city by its name and then double click on its entry in the City List. The local coordinates will be automatically set.
1.2 SAVE THE PROGRAM SETTINGS
To save the program settings, in order to have them automatically restored every time the program starts, please save a Workspace with the name of startup.cst in the program folder.
2.0 EXAMPLE 1 - TRACKING A SATELLITE BY USING ITS TLE TEXT
Follow the following steps to track in real-time a satellite by means of its TLE text:
- Click on Reset View in the Quick menu bar item in order to reset the program view.
- Click on the Clear button in the Satellites frame in order to make sure previous satellites are deleted.
- Paste the available TLE into the edit box of the Satellites frame.
- Click on the ADD button in the Satellites
frame in order to add the satellite TLE to the program data. The
satellite and its orbit should appear around the globe. Adjust the zoom
factor by means of either the keyboard or the mouse to see them properly.
- Activate / Deactivate the Sun-Light by using the [G] key.
- Show / Hide the visibility circle centered on the observer site by using the [A] key.
- Make the program running in real-time mode, by clearing the time offset with the [0] (zero) key, and by activating the Run Time option with the [R] key.
2.1 EXAMPLE 2 - TRACKING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS)
Follow the following steps to track in real-time the International Space Station (ISS):
- Click on Reset View in the Quick menu bar item.
- Click on the Clear button in the Satellites frame in order to make sure previous satellites are deleted.
- Open the Download window by clicking on the Download TLE from Internet menu in the Satellites menu bar item.
- Select the line reporting the ISS text and then click on the Download, Add button.
- When the download is completed, close the window by clicking on the OK button. Now, one orbit trace with several satellites should appear around the globe.
- Deactivate all the satellites but the International Space Station by means of the Satellite List window of the Satellites menu bar item:
- Click on Select All
- Click on Disable Selected Sats
- Double click on the ISS (Zarya) entry in the list. This will make the ISS the working satellite, so that it will be displayed also if it has been disabled.
- Close the window by clicking on the Close button.
- To make sure the plotted satellite is actually the ISS, activate the Show Satellite Names option in the Draw menu bar item.
- Activate / Deactivate the Sun-Light by using the [G] key.
- Show / Hide the visibility circle centered on the observer site by using the [A] key.
- Make the program running in real-time mode, by clearing the time offset with the [0] (zero) key, and by activating the Run Time option with the [R] key.
2.2 EXAMPLE 3 - VISUAL TRACKING OF IRIDIUM FLARES
Follow the following steps to track the Iridium Satellites and their flares:
- Click on Reset View in the Quick menu bar item.
- Click on the Clear button in the Satellites frame in order to make sure previous satellites are deleted.
- Open the Download window by clicking on the Download TLE from Internet menu in the Satellites menu bar item.
- Select the line reporting the IRIDIUM text and then click on the Download, Add button.
- When the download is completed, close the window by clicking on the OK button. Now, all the Iridium Satellite should appear around the globe along with the orbit of the working satellite.
- Activate the flare plotting, by means of the Show Satellite Flares/Shadows option in the Tracking menu bar item, or simply by pressing the [I] key.
- Activate the Show Satellite Names option in the Draw menu bar item, to see the satellite names.
- Activate the Show Flaring Surface ID option in the Tracking menu bar item, to see which antenna is flaring.
- Activate / Deactivate the Sun-Light by using the [G] key.
- Show / Hide the visibility circle centered on the observer site by using the [A] key.
- Make the program running in real-time mode, by clearing the time offset with the [0] (zero) key, and by activating the Run Time option with the [R] key.
To see the satellites on the sky-map, follow these additional steps:
- Request the sky-map by clicking on the Draw Sky Map entry in the Sky menu bar item.
- Activate the option Project Orbit On The Local Sky in the Satellites menu bar item, or simply press the [P] key.
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By
Simone Corbellini
