Symbols and Track Information
There are primarily two symbols used on the track map - the satellite, which is identified by it's name, and your QTH. Your QTH will only appear if you have previously saved it on the Pass Prediction page. If you don't see your QTH symbol, submit a pass prediction with the appropriate information and return to this page.
The trackmap will also show a series of yellow dots that are the satellite's track. The track will be approximately 2 orbits or approximately 3 hours.
Credits
- The tracking web application was conceived, designed and developed by Emily Clarke, W0EEC
- The Predict engine was developed by John Magliacane, KD2BD and is used with his permission. Additional modifications to provide better accuracy were provided by Paul Williamson, KB4MU
About Time
Time has been synchronized to UTC time at the AMSAT server so even if your PC's clock is off the time should be within 2 seconds of true UTC time. If you are on a slow dial-up connection this time difference may be greater.
Please provide feedback!
I'd love to hear from you. If you are using one of the supported browsers and are having trouble, please file a bug report using the link on the bottom of this page. If you are using a browser that is not listed and it is successful please let me know and I'll add it to the list and give you credit.
How it Works
The way this page works is that it downloads the selected satellite's predicted position from the Predict engine for the next 3 hours. The position of the satellite will update when the satellite moves 1/2 degree in either latitude or longitude.
The tracking system "refreshes" the information each time you select a satellite. After 3 hours it will need to refresh the information from the Predict engine and retreive the next group of predictions. When this refresh operation occurs you will need to be connected to the internet or your browser will produce an error. You will know when the refresh occurs because the web page banner will change, and the satellite track will be updated.
Offline Operation
You can disconnect your computer from your internet service provider for the period when the computer is using the predictions downloaded from the server (while the satellite is following it's track) however after that time you will need to reconnect or the page will cease to function and display an error. An error will also occur if you are trying to change satellites during offline operation.
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