© 2002,2005,2008 E.
Eichmann, DK1TB
Kiewningstr. 57
32756
Detmold
(translated by George Mathgen, LX1BB)
A.
DDESat32 is an interface program to be used (only) with WiSP32.
Also, it requires SatPC32 to be installed on the PC. Via DDE the program takes its information from GSC regarding
Azimut, Elevation, MA value, up- and downlink frequencies as well as mode. DDESat
converts these data into the protocols of the connected equipment and directs
them to the serial and parallel ports of the PC. The program supports CAT
steering of the Yaesu FT-736R and FT-847, the Kenwood TS-790E/A and TS-2000 and
the ICOM IC-820H, IC-821H, IC-910H transceivers as well as other ICOM equipment
using the same protocol such as the IC-275/475. Also, DDESat32 supports all
rotor interfaces and controllers that can be steered by SatPC32.
The program runs on IBM compatible
PCs under Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista 32
B.
Installation
Store and
unzip the downloaded setup file into an empty folder on your harddisk. Then
start the Setup program in that folder. Previous DDESat32 versions had to be
installed in the SatPC32 directory. Beginning with V. 12.8 that is no longer
necessary.
C.
Settings
1. To
allow data transfer between DDESat32 and GSC,
you have to activate the DDE tab in GSC (Station
setup-Rotator-Interface-Type).
2. DDESat32
automatically starts GSC (if it is not yet runnimg). Therefore it needs to know
the name and path of GSC. These data are stored in the file 'GSCpath.SQF' which
can be found in the DDESat32 data folder after installation of DDESat32. The
file defaults to C:\wisp32\GSC. If you use another directory, this file has to
be modified with an editor like Notepad.
3. Settings with the DDESat32 Setup menu: see
below D.4.
D. Menu
functions
1. CAT Menu
a.This menu allows you to set the CAT
steering interval and to make frequency corrections. Interval is to be
understood as the frequency change in Hz (due to the drift of the Doppler
offset) at which the program adapts the frequency of your radio. In FM mode,
this setting is not critical. The default value is 100 Hz. The program measures
the higher of the two operating frequencies for Up- and Downlink to determine
when the interval is reached.
b.Frequency correction
correction panel. Aditionally, the
correction can be made (in 100 Hz steps) by the right/left keys of your PC. A
correction can only be made during a satellite pass and relates only to that
satellite as other satellites may need another or no correction at all. The
correction value remains active for that satellite until it is changed or until
the program is closed. Hence it will be used again for the next pass of that
satellite. Durable frequency corrections have to be done by changing the
frequency settings in GSC.
The correction always relates to the
downlink frequency. However, the uplink frequency will be automatically
adjusted also. If for instance the downlink frequency in the 70 cm band is
corrected by 180 Hz, the uplink frequency in the 2m band will be corrected by
approximately 60 Hz in the same direction. This is based on the assumption that
the satellite and radio frequencies are equal and that deviations from nominal
values affect both areas in the same way.
2.
Rotor menu
a.Under the heading 'Standard
directions' you can choose a station or
a digipeater where the antenna can be directed automatically. The related data
are stored in the 'StandPos.SQF' file. If a standard direction is selected,
rotor steering and parking function are disabled to avoid an unvoluntary move
of the antenna. This situation is indicated by a minus sign in the 'R' and 'P'
fields.
b.The horizontal and vertical antenna
positions can be corrected by the one degree step correction function. This correction is not durable, and will be
cancelled at program close. A durable corection of an antenna offset can be
programmed through SatSetup.
c.This menu
also allows to deternine the park position and the time to activate it after a
pass. The park position cannot be activated manually but only automatically
after a satellite pass. It will only be run if the rotor steering is activated
(R+).
3.
Menu mode
a.For Converter or Transverter operation,
the orbit calculation progranm needs the final operating frequencies to
determine the right Doppler offset and the radio needs the converter or
transverter offset frequency. This menu allows you to enter the respective
offset frequencies by clicking on an item in the list.
Attention:
The comma in the list is not a decimal comma, but seperates the up- and
downlink frequencies.
The
offsets are stored in the 'Transvrt.SQF' file.
b.In the Icom version, you can choose
between different radio combinations in the Address window
4.
Setup menu
DDESat32 evaluates the SatPC32 settings
regarding rotor and radio control. Therefore only a few further settings are
necessary regarding these functions:
a.Radio
brand: The selection is done through the Setup menu.
Attention: Changing the radio brand in
DDESat32 also changes the corresponding setting in SatPC32 and vice versa.
Therefore there should be no need to change this setting.
b.Different rotor steering options can be
chosen. The tracking can be done in time steps or in angular variation. With the
last option you can additionally choose if the tracking should be done with
constant angles or if the decreasing influence of increasing elevation on
horizontal tracking should be compensated (gain related Tracking). At incresing
elevation values the horizontal aperture of the antenna seems to increase (at
90 degree elevation the horizontal direction is unimportant). At increasing
elevations, the horizontal tracking correction can be increased by using a
certain function without inducing any gain loss. On the other hand, the
satellite’s azimut changes more rapidly with incresing elevations. By using a
constant angle tracking the number of
corrections increases heavily. The 'gain related' setting massively
reduces horizontal rotor wear by reducing the number of corrections. This
setting has been used successfully with the main programs.
Interval length and tracking angle can be
chosen freely. Additional information can be found in the explanations for
SatPC32 and Wisat32 (Manual,txt).
c.You can also determine if rotor
steering, Cat-tuning and the park position should be activated at program
start..Subsequent activation is possible through the `R`, `C` and `P` buttons.
d.Upon activation of the 'RotorServer'
option, rotor data can be transferred to a DDE interface instead of a parallel port. Therfore, others
than the IF100 interface can be used. For the time being, these are the Egis
rotors, RifPC from Orbitronic and WinRotor32 from Funkbox, ARS frome EA4TX,
HalloRotor from DB3DH. Hereby, DDESat32 starts a specific server program
(ServerEgis, ServerRifPC, Winrotor32, ARSwin) which converts the data into the
protocol of the steering unit or the inteface and transfers them to a PC port.
The name of the respective server program is located on the 'RotorServer.SQF'
file.
By activating the 'CatServer'
option, the CAT data are directed to a
DDE interrupt instead of a serial port. The related server programs are located
on the auxilliary disk. The name of the chosen server programs is stored in the
CatServer.SQF file.
Attention: Before 'DDERotor' or 'DDE Cat'
are activated, the corresponding Server program (defined in 'RotorServer.SQF'
or 'CatServer.SQF, i.e. the WinRotor32 software) has to be copied into SatPC32
directory, otherwise DDESat32 will send an error message.
5.
Quit menu
By closing the program through this menu,
the last screen layout will be stored. The same applies if you close the
program through the 'x' button.
6. Under
the menu bar you can see three buttons 'R', 'C' and 'P'. These are used to
activate or deactivate Rotor steering, CAT tuning and Park function.
As the
park function can only be used if the rotor steering is activated, deactivation
of the rotor steering will also deactivate the parking function. In the same
way, activation of the parking function will also activate rotor steering. Upon
selcting a standard direction, both functions are deactivated.
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DK1TB ****