Software

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="03f00500dvldtc.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Monitoring Post</B></FONT><B>   </B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="040d2c00dvldtc.gif"> <div>  <img src="HTMLobj-148/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="120" height="58">  </div> <bR> <div>  <a href= "http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/" target="_top"" onMouseOver= "if (document.images) document._91620281150.src= 'http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/20181150.gif';" onMouseOut= "if (document.images) document._91620281150.src= 'http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/20281150.gif';"><img src= "http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/20281150.gif" name="_91620281150" border=0></a>  </div> <div>  <a href= "http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/about.htm" target="_top"" onMouseOver= "if (document.images) document._1801fa81150.src= 'http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1fb81150.gif';" onMouseOut= "if (document.images) document._1801fa81150.src= 'http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1fa81150.gif';"><img src= "http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1fa81150.gif" name="_1801fa81150" border=0></a>  </div> <div>  <a href= "http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/shack.htm" target="_top"" onMouseOver= "if (document.images) document._8481f5581150.src= 'http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1f681150.gif';" onMouseOut= "if (document.images) document._8481f5581150.src= 'http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1f5581150.gif';"><img src= "http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1f5581150.gif" name="_8481f5581150" border=0></a>  </div> <div>  <a href= "http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/images.htm" target="_top"" onMouseOver= "if (document.images) document._4511f181150.src= 'http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1f281150.gif';" onMouseOut= "if (document.images) document._4511f181150.src= 'http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1f181150.gif';"><img src= "http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1f181150.gif" name="_4511f181150" border=0></a>  </div> <div>  <a href= "http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpost/iss.htm" target="_top"" onMouseOver= "if (document.images) document._29036a81150.src= 'http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpost/36b81150.gif';" onMouseOut= "if (document.images) document._29036a81150.src= 'http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpost/36a81150.gif';"><img src= "http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpost/36a81150.gif" name="_29036a81150" border=0></a>  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="21181150.gif" border=0 width="129" height="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  <a href= "http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/links.htm" target="_top"" onMouseOver= "if (document.images) document._691eb81150.src= 'http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1ea81150.gif';" onMouseOut= "if (document.images) document._691eb81150.src= 'http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1eb81150.gif';"><img src= "http://www.accesscomm.ca/users/monitoringpost/1eb81150.gif" name="_691eb81150" border=0></a>  </div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:monitoringpost@accesscomm.ca" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:monitoringpost@accesscomm.ca"><U><B> <img src="HTMLobj-530/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="60" height="50">  </B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Send an E-mail</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Copyright © 2000 - 2010</B></div> <div> <B>All Rights Reserved</B></div> <bR> <div>  <form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" target="_blank" method="post"> <input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick"> <input type="image" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/x-click-but04.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="Make a donation with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!"> <input type="hidden" name="encrypted" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7----- MIIHHgYJKoZIhvcNAQcEoIIHDzCCBwsCAQExggEwMIIBLAIBADCBlDCBjjELMAkG A1UEBhMCVVMxCzAJBgNVBAgTAkNBMRYwFAYDVQQHEw1Nb3VudGFpbiBWaWV3MRQw EgYDVQQKEwtQYXlQYWwgSW5jLjETMBEGA1UECxQKbGl2ZV9jZXJ0czERMA8GA1UE AxQIbGl2ZV9hcGkxHDAaBgkqhkiG9w0BCQEWDXJlQHBheXBhbC5jb20CAQAwDQYJ KoZIhvcNAQEBBQAEgYAGUdLk/Q4ppct+1RLtTjRDTi1MgtMmuqIPksFZQxlevDHO OCLUC4NpxINUwXfJ4WQCmIxUfuRSRkxoqwfcadbMuYM3XAIr7mccpKQPCfAwdErZ c8WzColzfR9NgqVlbUc3NXhgbV6hHzjCWVGlHtOnnXkrHOWupO1LDOc0Sqb3hDEL MAkGBSsOAwIaBQAwgZsGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAUBggqhkiG9w0DBwQIhfVzQD/7CU+A eFZEo0gb6EJLUT1S3UFnUNxvWSQPmuTD4N9XHP02OflLhwiQ7+M6dLs2+mQjbKbO nACa9DhxweuUO2v0UJubIDfoUUMGZnpanLzdQ2GhBQun9GiW1gOBAx3yqY7WHpiI GVvnTPr5msYbp4CwM9ZiUTL+NY45+T2Tg6CCA4cwggODMIIC7KADAgECAgEAMA0G CSqGSIb3DQEBBQUAMIGOMQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzELMAkGA1UECBMCQ0ExFjAUBgNV BAcTDU1vdW50YWluIFZpZXcxFDASBgNVBAoTC1BheVBhbCBJbmMuMRMwEQYDVQQL FApsaXZlX2NlcnRzMREwDwYDVQQDFAhsaXZlX2FwaTEcMBoGCSqGSIb3DQEJARYN cmVAcGF5cGFsLmNvbTAeFw0wNDAyMTMxMDEzMTVaFw0zNTAyMTMxMDEzMTVaMIGO MQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzELMAkGA1UECBMCQ0ExFjAUBgNVBAcTDU1vdW50YWluIFZp ZXcxFDASBgNVBAoTC1BheVBhbCBJbmMuMRMwEQYDVQQLFApsaXZlX2NlcnRzMREw DwYDVQQDFAhsaXZlX2FwaTEcMBoGCSqGSIb3DQEJARYNcmVAcGF5cGFsLmNvbTCB nzANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOBjQAwgYkCgYEAwUdO3fxEzEtcnI7ZKZL412XvZPug oni7i7D7prCe0AtaHTc97CYgm7NsAtJyxNLixmhLV8pyIEaiHXWAh8fPKW+R017+ EmXrr9EaquPmsVvTywAAE1PMNOKqo2kl4Gxiz9zZqIajOm1fZGWcGS0f5JQ2kBqN bvbg2/Za+GJ/qwUCAwEAAaOB7jCB6zAdBgNVHQ4EFgQUlp98u8ZvF71ZP1LXChvs ENZklGswgbsGA1UdIwSBszCBsIAUlp98u8ZvF71ZP1LXChvsENZklGuhgZSkgZEw gY4xCzAJBgNVBAYTAlVTMQswCQYDVQQIEwJDQTEWMBQGA1UEBxMNTW91bnRhaW4g VmlldzEUMBIGA1UEChMLUGF5UGFsIEluYy4xEzARBgNVBAsUCmxpdmVfY2VydHMx ETAPBgNVBAMUCGxpdmVfYXBpMRwwGgYJKoZIhvcNAQkBFg1yZUBwYXlwYWwuY29t ggEAMAwGA1UdEwQFMAMBAf8wDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEFBQADgYEAgV86VpqAWuXvX6Or o4qJ1tYVIT5DgWpE692Ag422H7yRIr/9j/iKG4Thia/Oflx4TdL+IFJBAyPK9v6z ZNZtBgPBynXb048hsP16l2vi0k5Q2JKiPDsEfBhGI+HnxLXEaUWAcVfCsQFvd2A1 sxRr67ip5y2wwBelUecP3AjJ+YcxggGaMIIBlgIBATCBlDCBjjELMAkGA1UEBhMC VVMxCzAJBgNVBAgTAkNBMRYwFAYDVQQHEw1Nb3VudGFpbiBWaWV3MRQwEgYDVQQK EwtQYXlQYWwgSW5jLjETMBEGA1UECxQKbGl2ZV9jZXJ0czERMA8GA1UEAxQIbGl2 ZV9hcGkxHDAaBgkqhkiG9w0BCQEWDXJlQHBheXBhbC5jb20CAQAwCQYFKw4DAhoF AKBdMBgGCSqGSIb3DQEJAzELBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHAYJKoZIhvcNAQkFMQ8XDTA0 MDQwMTA2MDIyMVowIwYJKoZIhvcNAQkEMRYEFLYth7ZVLNsqErkePVqKrGatOVPY MA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUABIGAkWnXNMCtUGTtle5s3I+6T63iNhdh8etZTU3sMgsx z8zvPfMzkQ/kXnZtOzEs24cS34xWKO3e6h1DjIvS3VbIchIj92pM5PG8EaluIajK O/S9eXv7tEHUXcwxUW24Y9D0ei8SfMKPeCPI2TVFiI5JomxS8miWvuV1jA+AJ6C3 rI8= -----END PKCS7----- "> </form>  </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Software</div> <div> Several software programs are available to assist the amateur satellite enthusiast in their efforts. Listed here are those which have been employed at <I>The Monitoring Post </I>and are recommended. Although not an exhaustive listing, the focus is on those applications that are either "freeware" or require a <U>minimal</U> registration fee and are written by fellow enthusiasts - no commercial applications are shown. In addition, some programs provide added functionality through the use of supplementary files. In those cases, copies of <I>The Monitoring Post's</I> and/or other enthusiast's supplementary files are listed and made available for download - users should consult the respective program's online help for more information regarding usage.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Ground Tracking / Prediction Software</div> <bR> <div> Various software programs are available to predict and display the tracks of satellites. Highlighted here are three programs supporting either a DOS or Windows based PC configuration. In addition to determining signal acquisition / loss times for a given satellite, they offer support for third party interfaces that automate tuning of a receiver / scanner and/or control over an antenna rotator. For a very casual approach, NASA maintains an on-line prediction utility <A HREF="http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/realtime/JTrack/NOAA.html" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/realtime/JT"><U>here</U></A>.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.david-taylor.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/software/wxtrack.htm" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.david-taylor.pwp.blueyonder.c"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">WXtrack</U></A>  <A NAME="wxtrack_software_link"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>- one of many programs written by David Taylor is this author's favorite. A Windows based "freeware" program that integrates with the programmer's other software package SatSignal. WXtrack offers many features <U>not</U> found in other tracking programs that are particularly suited to the WXSat enthusiast. Initially developed with the WXSat enthusiast in mind, it has being continually enhanced upon expanding it's appeal to anyone involved in the monitoring of satellites. Registering allows access to some of the more advanced features like a rotator interface and radio control using <A HREF="#wisp_dde_client____version_4_0" TITLE="Software"><U>WiSP</U></A>.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="545" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#0000FF" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000099" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 18 WIDTH="119"><div> File Name</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="40"><div> Size</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="281"><div> Description</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="74"><div> Updated</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="119"><div> <A HREF="http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpost/download/alarms.zip" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpos"><U>alarms.zip</U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="40"><div> 165K</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Sounds for AOS, LOS and more!</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="74"><div> 06/05/04</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="119"><div> <A HREF="http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpost/download/tlenotes.zip" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpos"><U>TLEnotes.txt</U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="40"><div> 6K</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Satellite downlink  freq's, launch dates, etc.</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="74"><div> 16/10/04</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://noaasis.noaa.gov/cemscs/poltbus.txt" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://noaasis.noaa.gov/cemscs/poltbus.t"><U>TIROS Bulletins</U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="40"><div> 7K</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Info. related to tracking and performance</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="74"><div> Daily</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.dransom.com/stsplus.html" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.dransom.com/stsplus.html" tar"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">STSOrbit Plus</U></A> - a DOS based "freeware" program which displays the position and ground track of selected satellites on a variety of maps ranging from a full map of the world to zoom maps showing considerable detail. One particular feature to note is the program's ability to display the various transmit/receive frequencies utilized by a particular satellite and the appropriate Doppler shift. Kepler updates via companion program STSUpdate. Appealing to those who perhaps would like to dedicate an older PC to strictly the tracking of satellites, STSOrbit Plus is one of the oldest tracking programs that gets the job done with a very minimal PC.</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.stoff.pl/downloads.php" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.stoff.pl/downloads.php" targe"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Orbitron</U></A> v3.1 - if one were to strip out many of the WXSat features found in WXtrack that would probably be a good starting point in describing Orbitron's overall look and feel. Although it has many of the same options for customizing different aspects of the program the uninitiated will likely find the interface more intuitive than WXtrack. It also appears to be less resource hungry than similar offerings. Available as freeware or as the author puts it, "cardware", Orbitron includes the ability to interface with WiSP. Recommended for the non-WXSat enthusiast who wants more than a simple tracking program but without the advanced features of WXtrack or other similar offerings.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Orbital Elements</div> <bR> <div> It takes at least six parameters to uniquely define an orbit and a satellite's position within the orbit. This data is commonly known as Keplerian elements or "keps" and is used by ground tracking / prediction software to plot a satellite's position. Most ground tracking / prediction software provide for the automatic retrieval of "keps" but a couple of standalone programs also provide this functionality.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">STSUpdate - as mentioned is a companion program to STSOrbit Plus but also can be used on it's own. This author tends to update "keps" on a weekly basis but has found this program indispensable during NASA's shuttle missions when elements need to be updated sometimes as much as three times a day. See STSOrbit Plus link for downloading.</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.eoss.org/elementmanager/index.html" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.eoss.org/elementmanager/index"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Element Manager</U></A> - is designed to manipulate and give the user total control over their element files.</div> <div> <A HREF="http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpost/download/AutoKeplerUpdate.zip" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpos"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">AutoKeplerUpdate</U></A> - is an editable  PERL script that can and has been used to download those "keps" used at this station. Using Windows Task Scheduler simply schedule a task to periodically run the script. Requires <I>ActivePerl</I> which can be downloaded for free from this <A HREF="http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.activestate.com/Products/Acti"><U>site</U></A>.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Weather Satellite Telemetry Recording Software</div> <bR> <div> The received signal (see "<A HREF="about.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About My Hobby"><U>About My Hobby</U></A>") must be recorded to a Windows wave file via the receiver's discriminator output for subsequent processing. Two programs in particular this author has employed.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.qsl.net/g4ilo/satmon.html" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.qsl.net/g4ilo/satmon.html" ta"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">SatMon</U></A> - is a system tray application which automates the recording of APT transmissions based on orbital elements to determine the start/stop times in conjunction with other user-defined criteria.  For example, one can specify the satellite, restrict recordings to a certain time of day and for only those passes above a specified elevation, etc. The program consumes a minimal amount of computer resources which may appeal to those who want to use an older computer for just recording satellite telemetry.</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.hffax.de/WX_Satellite/WXSat/wxsat.html" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hffax.de/WX_Satellite/WXSat/w"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">WXSat</U></A> - a program to decode APT, also has a built in facility for the unattended recording based on it "detecting" the 2400 Hz carrier signal.  See a more detailed description below.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Weather Satellite Decoding Software</div> <bR> <div> The following programs are for the decoding of saved APT transmissions. Both programs take a satellite recording (wave file) and produce an image - plain and simple.  Each has their respective strong points and in case your wondering this author tends to favour SatSignal.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><A NAME="satsignal"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="http://www.david-taylor.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/software/satsignal.htm" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.david-taylor.pwp.blueyonder.c"><U>SatSignal</U></A> - provides for the decoding of APT transmissions rather effortlessly.  Little configuration is required by the user making this software very "user friendly".  Although the unregistered version is fairly robust it is very worthwhile to register to gain the added features.</div> <div> The registered version integrates with WXtrack allowing the overlay of country and state borders as well as lakes and rivers. This makes the identification of land features very easy. Also, the program's author has a companion utility, SatBatch, which permits the batch processing of several saved APT transmissions at one time - very handy.</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.hffax.de/WX_Satellite/WXSat/wxsat.html" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hffax.de/WX_Satellite/WXSat/w"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">WXSat</U></A> - as above except this program requires the setting of many parameters. This will appeal to those users wanting to get into the "nitty-gritty" of processing APT transmissions.  WXSat offers an "all-in-one" solution for the recording and processing of APT transmissions in "real-time". A beginner's guide can be found at <A HREF="http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/wxsatellite/guide.htm" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/wxsatellite/g"><U>Les Hamilton's</U></A> site and although written for an earlier version it will go a long way to getting the new user up and running.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <A NAME="receiver_control_software"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Receiver Control Software</div> <bR> <div> Not to be mistaken for software offerings that provide a suite of features for computer aided scanning and receiver control - the following provide specific functionality related to the reception of satellite telemetry. All require to be used in conjunction with one of the "<A HREF="#wxtrack_software_link" TITLE="Software"><U>Ground Track / Prediction</U></A>" software packages listed on this page. For a better understanding why one might use any of these programs read up on the <A HREF="tips_doppler_effect.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tips and Troubleshooting"><U><I>Doppler Effect</I></U></A>. </div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.qsl.net/g4ilo/rx2ctrl.html" target="_blank"" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.qsl.net/g4ilo/rx2ctrl.html" t"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">RX2 Receiver Software</U></A> - the name says it all. Requires hardware modifications to the RX2 to function.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">SatTune - for use with WXtrack allows control of an Icom PCR-1000. Limited testing has been done with Windows 95 (not so good results) and Windows 98SE (better results). Based on a file generated within WXtrack of selected satellite AOS times SatTune will change the frequency of the PCR-1000 to allow for proper reception. Downloading along with some minimal instruction is available <A HREF="http://sattune.tripod.com/sattune/index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://sattune.tripod.com/sattune/index."><U>here</U></A>.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><A NAME="wisp_dde_client____version_4_0"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftpsoft.html#win-wisp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftpsoft.html#"><U>WiSP DDE Client</U></A>  - Version 4.0 facilitates the automatic control of various RIGs including the iCOM PCR-1000. This is accomplished through a Dynamic Data Exchange or DDE interface which receives instructions from a source application. Consequently, an application like Orbitron, in the process of tracking a satellite can provide the "Doppler" corrected frequency to WiSP which in turn will tune the receiver - maximizing reception of the available signal.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Utility Software Applications</div> <bR> <div> These applications provide added functionality that the author has found useful in day to day monitoring.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.david-taylor.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/software/satsignal.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.david-taylor.pwp.blueyonder.c"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">LUTmaker</U></A>, an add-on to <A HREF="#satsignal" TITLE="Software"><U>SatSignal</U></A>, enables the easier creation of user color lookup tables (LUTs) for use with SatSignal's NOAA User Color Mapping option. The programs creates a bitmap file based on "user defined" settings - download <I>The Monitoring Post's</I> current copy of <A HREF="http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpost/download/temptocoloruser.zip" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://users.accesscomm.ca/monitoringpos"><U>TempToColourUser.zip</U></A> (91K) for comparison.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Ensuring your PC's clock is set to the correct time is vital for the prediction of satellite passes. Although several programs are available <A HREF="http://www.kaska.demon.co.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.kaska.demon.co.uk"><U>TARDIS 2000</U></A> provides various methods for accurate time synchronization and with it's companion program K9 a user can have all their PC's on a LAN synchronized effortlessly.</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.xcorder.com/index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.xcorder.com/index.html"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Xcorder</U></A> - voice activated recorder for use with a PC's sound card. A freeware application that sports a host of features including event logging, user selectable audio segment playback, programmable event recording and more. Having employed many of the available vox software applications on the net this program easily ranks up there with the best. If you find it as useful as I did please send the developer an email encouraging further development.</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.elcom.gr/sv2agw/agwpe.zip" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.elcom.gr/sv2agw/agwpe.zip"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc66ffff00.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">AGW Packet Engine</U></A> - turns your PC / Soundcard into a virtual "Packet Modem" - <I>no Terminal Node Controller  hardware required! </I>Written by George Rossopoulos, AGWPE acts as a server for client applications that would normally require a TNC. Normally a past time of HAM enthusiasts who both transmit and receive "packets", this author's interest is in the receive only aspect. More specifically, as it pertains to using the iCOM PCR-1000 for receiving "packets" from the International Space Station. AGWPE along with the iCOM PCR-1000 provide this capability. Future plans include a full tutorial including setup and acquisition of "packet" transmissions from the International Space Station.</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>