> I would like to volunteer to help out > in whatever capacity I can. I run my > own web server built by myself and a > few websites.
Seeing your message, caused me to stop and think, what is the next thing I think might be valuable to help the general amateur radio operators to better operate the satellites? Again, this might not be at all what you are interested in, but let me have a go at defining a nice project for someone in case this fits anyone's talents. PROBLEM: To play satellites, you need to have a tracking program and to WATCH it all the time or do PLANNING to know when to go play satellites. Actually, this is so... Past decade. OBJECTIVE: What we need is a "service" that continuously feeds SAT-IN-VIEW information to everyone in the field right there on their radio front panel, whenever any AMSAT is in view. This way, you can be mobile, or hiking, or anywhere on the planet, and right their even without ASKING, the information will be PUSHED to you. SOLUTION: Actually, this capability has existed since about 1997 on the APRS channel, but it only works where a LOCAL individual runs either APRSdata or DIGI_NED in the local region, and maintains it. In this case, mobiles, or anyone monitoring the national APRS channel will receive this INSTANT information not only showing any SAT in view, but also its AZIMUTH, ELEVATION and FREQUENCY of both the uplink and downlink AND DOPPLER! You can see examples of this system on http://www.aprs.org/localinfo.html . Move your slider about 90% down the page and look for the paragraph LOCAL SATELLITE ALERTS. This way you don't need any PC, or anything. But if you are mobile and if a satellite comes above the horizon in your area, and you monitor APRS on your APRS mobile radio, then you will be able to work the satellite (also mobile, since we only output the satellites that are easy to work from a mobile)... The info on the satellite is updated once each minute when it is above the horizon. Also, once each TEN minutes a SCHEDULE of any satellites coming up in the next 80 minutes is transmitted to the DX LIST inside your radio, so you can also check for any future passes. PROJECT: Rather than having to have 1000 volunteers all over the world, one in the footprint of every APRS local area have to operate and maintain one of these programs (which is why most people never see these alerts), it would be nice if there was just ONE central server that fed this data everywhere. Then only one person would have to update the server when new satellites were launched and once every week or so to download new TLE element sets. ISSUES: In one sense this would be a great step forward, in centralizing the generation of this data. But the problem is, that it still will not go from the APRS-internet stream back to local RF in each local area, unless a local Igate operator adds the "server" to his gate-to-RF list. But at least that is much simpler than having to maintain a program. Local AMSAT mobiles who want this feed, just ask their local Igate operator to add the server, and from then on, whenever mobile, they will see these alerts. RESULT: Every mobile everywhere that is in view of a satellite, even without any prior planning, will be alerted to a satellite in view, its direction and elevation, its frequency and its Doppler, right there on the front panel of his APRS radio. See the web page for what these displays look like on an APRS radio: Bob, WB4APR _______________________________________________ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
