translated by George Mathgen, LX1BB, revised by Emily Clarke, W0EEC (2005),. Wayne Estes, W9AE (2008 - 2013)
1a. How to configure
SatPC32 for a new satellite
1b.
Choice of an editor
1c.
Use of Satellite Names in SatPC32
2.
Keplerian element files (source files)
a.
Required data format
b. Source
file directory
c. How to name source
files
d. How to obtain source
files
e. Manual entry of Keplerian data
3. Radio control
a.
CAT control of radios supported by the programs
b.
CAT control of multiple radios
c.
CAT control of SDR devices (SDR = Software Defined Radio) by
SatPC32
d.
Non-supported radios
e.
Entering Frequency data
f.
Transverter and converter operation
g.
Bandswitching
Appendix:
AO-40 operation
4. Rotor steering
(port address, delay)
a.
IF-100
b. RifPC
c.
KCT
d.
FODTrack
e. EGIS, SDX, W0LMD, SaebreTrackBox,
Labjack
f. ARS, WinRotor32, HalloRotor
5.
Known problems and error messages
a.
Message 'Exception EOleSysError, class not registered'
b.
Message at installation: The following files could not perform
selfregistration …'
c.Graphical
disturbances
aa. Lines and
other disturbances
bb. Graphical functions
too slow
cc. Text lines below the map
are not (completely) displayed
d.Message:
Ungultige Gleitkommaoperation = ("Invalid floating point
operation")
e.
TX-frequency error with FT-847
f.
I/O-Error 103 or message: Error while loading file ....
g.
Error message: Operation only valid when the port is open
h.
Error message: No SourceFile was found...
i.
Steering of AlfaSpid rotors
j.
Labjack U3 error message: Ljackuw.dll not found
k.
Ole error 8004503A...
l. Error
message: Can't open COMxx, Invalid Port number or similar
m.
Error messages regarding the driver IOPort.SYS
n.
Running SatPC32 from a “standard” user account
o.
CAT control of the IC-9100
p.
Error while loading file xxxq.
TS-2000 CAT problem with SatPC32 Vers.12.8c
q.
TS-2000 CAT problem with SatPC32 Vers.12.8c
r.
Controlling WinRotorPlus by SatPC32ISS
s.
The satellite's frequencies are not displayed although the soource
file contains data
The
following text relates to questions and problems, which have arisen
over time with the SatPC32 programs.
1a. How
to configure SatPC32 for a new satellite
If
you want to track a newly launched satellite, first you must manually
configure some SatPC32 data files.
When a new satellite is
launched, the available Keplerian element files do not typically
contain data for the new satellite. In this case, users
can manually insert data into an existing Keps file. The new
satellite’s Keplerian data is typically announced by the
satellite’s command team via email or a web site.
Important:
If the data set is contained in
an e-mail first save the mail with "Save as.." in text
format (.txt). Then open it and with "copy and paste"
insert the data set into the file.
Otherwise the data set will
lose its format and no longer fit the NASA-2-Line format.
Further,
SatPC32 requires data for frequency and mode steering and setting a
possible subaudible tone.
If you want the program to
automatically switch to the new satellite when it rises you must
specify the priority order in the file Prior.SQF.
Some satellites allow calculation of the "Squint"
angle. This is the angle that the satellite antennas point away from
the user’s location. To utilize this function an entry in the
file "Squint.SQF" is required.
Some Keps files don't
contain the handy AMSAT name of the satellite. An entry in the file
AmsatNames.txt is required if you want the program to display the new
satellite's AMSAT name.
SatPC32 stores the necessary data in
several text files (Doppler.SQF, SubTone.SQF, Prior.SQF, Squint.SQF,
AmsatNames.txt). These files can be opened and edited from the
SatPC32 menu "?", "Auxiliary Files". The
files themselves contain instructions on how to be used.
With
the following link you can display a tutorial by Wayne Estes, W9AE.
It describes step by step how to
configure the
SatPC32 data files for the satellite XW-1 (now: HO-68)
W9AE_Tutorial
It
can be used as an example also with any other satellite.
Most of the SatPC32 data files (auxiliary files) are managed by the program. However, some of them can be modified manually with a text editor. These are the files that can be opened from the SatPC32 menu “?” / “Auxlilary files”.
It is extremely important that the format of the text entries doesn't change, and this includes the format of line endings. Unix and MacIntosh systems use line endings that are different from the standard line ending, so it is recommended that you use a program such as Windows Notepad that will conform to the convention. Any text editor can be used, but Windows Notepad is convenient as it saves text files in the required format.
It is also important to maintain the ASCII text format in the configuration files. Do not add additional characters unless you are sure those characters conform to the convention used in the file you are modifying.
Until program version 12.7 the data files were stored in the SatPC32 program folder and its sub folders. Starting with version 12.8 SatPC32 stores the program data in a separate data folder. This method of data storage is necessary to conform to the security requirements of Windows Vista. The location of the data folder depends on which version of Windows is in use.
With Windows Vista the folder is C:\Program Data.
With Windows XP the folder is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data.
With Windows 98/ME the folder is C:\My Documents.
The path can easily be found in a bottom line of the menu “Satellites”.
The data files can be opened with Notepad from the SatPC32 menu “?” / “Auxiliary Files”. From program version 12. 8 SatPC32 includes a simple built-in editor, which can be used alternatively. For information on how to use this editor click on the “Help” button in the editor window. In the auxiliary file “DivOptions.SQF” you can choose whether the data files shall be opened with Notepad or the built-in editor. With a + (plus) sign in line #5 SatPC32 will open the data files with the built-in editor, or with a – (minus) sign it will use Notepad.
1c. Use of satellite names in SatPC32
To perform calculations for a selected satellite, the program must be able to clearly identify it. This is only possible using the satellite's 'Identifier' (also called 'Catalogue Number') which is contained in the data set and is identical in all Keplerian data files (source files) for the same satellite.
On the other hand, the user needs a handy, easy-to-remember name to handle the satellite in the program and to make entries in files that require a satellite name (Dopper.SQF, Prior.SQF, etc.). The identifier as a 5-digit number is not particularly suitable for this.
However, the satellite names used in the different source files for the same satellite are often different. This applies e.g. for the names used in the AMSAT files (nasa.all, nasabare.txt) compared to the names used in Celestrak files (amateur.txt, cubesat.txt etc.). If the name is used as a distinguishing feature in the program, the satellite or its frequencies may no longer be displayed when changing the source file, although the new source file contains data for it.
The simplest solution is using always the same source file and choosing a file that already uses the AMSAT names such as nasa.all or nasabare.txt.
The AmsatNames.txt auxiliary file enables a solution when using different source files:
The file
AmsatNames.txt shipped with SatPC32 contains the 'Identfifiers' for many
satellites. Beginning with release
7/2020) it contains the 'Identifiers' of all satellites (approx. 200)
contained in the source file nasa.all and their names used in
nasa.all.
Beginning with this release AmsatNames.txt can also be generated and updated
from nasa.all via mouse click using the utility program
'CreateAmsatNames.exe'. This program is located in the SatPC32 program
folder. It can be started from the SatPC32 menu 'Programs'.
If
you select the 'Use AMSAT Names if Available' (default) or 'Display
only Sats with AMSAT Names' options in the SatPC32 menu 'Satellites'
> 'Sat.Names', the program checks whether the identifier from the
data set of the selected satellite is included in AmsatNames.txt. If
this is the case, the program always uses the name assigned to the
identifier in AmsatNames.txt, regardless of the possibly different
name in the source file used. This name is displayed in the program
window. It must also be used when editing files that require a
satellite name (Doppler.SQF, Prior.SQF, SubTone.SQF, Sqint.SQF).
The same applies to the programs SatPC32ISS, Wisat32,
WinListen and WinAOS.
In
this way also other source files, which contain data for the same
satellites as nasa.all, but use different satellite names, e.g. the
Celestrak file amateur.txt, can be used.
This
principle also applies to the programs SatPC32ISS, Wisat32, WinListen
and WinAOS.
SatPC32 reads the Keplerian data from source files in AMSAT format (see the file ‘Orbsmanu.ele’ in the sub folder ‘Manuell’) or in NASA-2-Line format (examples for this kind of files are the Celestrak ‘NORAD Two-Line_Element Sets’ files).
It is important that you make sure the Keplerian elements file is in Windows text file format and that line endings conform to this convention. If you copy and paste Keplerian elements from a webpage the line endings may not always be in Windows text format.
Here is an example of a NASA 2-Line format (tle) Keplerian element file:
AO-7
1 07530U 74089B 05098.72037641 -.00000028 00000-0 10000-3 0 4085
2 07530 101.6349 146.3002 0011966 10.7090 349.4235 12.53570870390940
AO-27
1 22825U 93061C 05099.58318373 .00000218 00000-0 10196-3 0 1071
2 22825 98.2505 98.7167 0009508 105.3179 254.9056 14.29123205601429
Actually the data sets of NASA-2-Line files are 3-line sets (a first line with the satellite’s name and 2 data lines). The naming ‘NASA-2-Line’ is usual, however. The true Space-Track 2-line Datasets without a name line can’t be used with SatPC32 unless a first line with the satellites’s name has been added.
There are two important things to notice. The first is that the lines do not contain blank lines between the second line of the two line element, and (although you cannot see it) the second line of last satellite contains a new line (carriage return) after the last character.
Please
Note: Although the programs recognize both formats, the NASA-2-Line
files should be preferred because the results are more precise.
Furthermore, these files are particularly convenient as they contain
data of more than 50 satellites interesting for hams. The
'orbsxxxa.ele' files require more memory space or contain fewer
satellites. For manual editing however, only the latter format is
suitable.
b.
Source file directory
Store
the source files in the sub folder ‘Kepler’ in the
SatPC32 data folder. Don’t store other files in this
folder.
If you want to choose another source file folder the
path to that folder must be stored for future program starts.
To do that navigate with the SatPC32 menu ‘File|Open’ to
that folder and open a source file. The menu ‘Satellites’
will open, if not, open it by clicking on ‘Satellites’ in
the menu bar.
In the menu ‘Satellites’ click on
the ‘OK’ button. The new filename and path will then be
stored. When a new source file is available in the source file folder
it will be displayed in the left list of the menu ‘Satellites’.
To select it click on the filename and then on ‘OK’.
Attention:
The SatPC32 ‘Update Keps’ function will always write the
downloaded files into the sub folder ‘Kepler’ in the
SatPC32 data folder. If you want to update Keplerian data with this
function you need to keep the folder ‘Kepler’ or to copy
the file from ‘Kepler’ into the selected folder.
c.
How to Name Keplerian Element Files
Usually
you will store the Keplerian data files with there original names,
i.e., the CelesTrak files or files that have been created with the
TLE Retriever (s. below) can be stored as ‘amateur.txt’,
‘noaa..txt’, etc. When you store the files this way older
issues of the files will be overwritten and the program will
automatically use the new data from the next program start.
Sometimes the original filenames are rather unhandy, however. The names of files from AMSAT’s Keplerian Element E-Mail Service, i.e., look as follows: ‘[keps] orbs05196.2l.amsat’
I personally save these files
as ‘Orbs196’ in text format. The extension ‘.txt’
will be automatically attached by Outlook. The number ‘196’
stands for the day of the current year at which the data were
published, the letter ‘n’ for the data format ‘Nasa’.
With data in AMSAT format one could use an ‘a’
instead of ‘n’.
The advantages of this methode:
The filename shows the age of the data. Further, the previous file
will not be overwritten. If – i.e. – the new file is
corrupted or if it contains wrong data or no data for a particular
satellite the user can go back to the older file.
However, the program will not automatically use the new file as it would do when you keep the same name for the updated file. To cause SatPC32 to use the new file click on the filename in the left list of the menu ‘Satellites’ and then on ‘OK’.
With the SatPC32 menu ‘Setup|Observer’ you can determine a file filter. This filter will be evaluated by the left list of the menu ‘Satellites’. This list will therefore display only files that match the filter. Further, the filter will be used as the second one of the ‘Open file’ dialogue (menu ‘File|Open’). The default setting ‘*.*’ will cover all files. If the source file folder contains only Keplerian data files you should leave this setting. With folders that contain also other files you may define a proper filter, i.e. ‘orbs????.*’ (each ‘?’ stands for any single char, a ‘*’ for any sequence of chars). This filter would cover filenames like ‘orbs196n.txt’.
Keplerian
elements are published by many organizations, however, most of these
get elements from Space Track, which is operated by the United States
Airforce Space command. Space Track provides Keplerian elements in
real time, and other organizations publish them on a daily or weekly
basis. These weekly bulletins are distributed via email, on websites
or in the packet radio network under the heading 'Kepler'. In
addition, they can be downloaded from the Amsat pages on the
Internet.
aa.
Files from AMSAT’s website, CelesTrak Files
Upon
installation SatPC32 uses the file ‘nasa.all’ in the sub
folder ‘Kepler’ in the SatPC32 data folder. The file has
been downloaded from the AMSAT website. It contains the data of about
50 satellites: all amateur satellites, several weather satellites and
other satellites like the ISS and the Hubble Space Telescope. So,
‘nasa.all’ is a very good all-purpose file for
amateur satellite operation.
To download updated versions of ‘nasa.all’ open the ‘Update Keps’ window in the SatPC32 menu ‘Satellites’ and select the corresponding download address from the list:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/keps/current/nasa.all
The downloaded file will overwrite the previous version of ‘nasa.all’. The program will then automatically use the updated data. AMSAT updates the file once per week (that is more than sufficient).
CelesTrak
is a website created by Dr. T.S. Kelso that is authorized by AFSPC to
distribute Keplerian Elements. Many amateurs prefer the format used
by Celestrak because it has organized Keplerian Elements into
logicial groups called data sets. It also gives amateur satellite
elements names according to the AMSAT OSCAR designation, thus
AMSAT-Echo is referred to as AO-51.
Also, the Celestrak files
are stored as ASCII text files as required by SatPC32 and finally
these files can be downloaded with the SatPC32 ‘Update Keps’
function in the menu ‘Satellites’ via mouse click. For
hints how to proceed and how to add other CelesTrak data files look
here.
Therefore
the CelesTrak files are very suitable to be used with SatPC32.
To
access the CelesTrak website visit:
http://www.celestrak.com
When
you visit the CelesTrak site you should click on the "Current
Data" button under the "NORAD Two-Line Element Sets"
heading. This will display the list of element sets. When you
click on the heading "Amateur Radio" under the heading
"Communications Satellites" the amateur radio elements will
be displayed.
One note - satellites that have been launched in
the previous 30 days are not contained in the Amateur Radio element
set but are in the "Last 30 Days' Launches" element set. If
you are interested to use thees satellites you may need to add
the download address of this group to the file ‘Celestrak.SQF’.
bb.
Subscribing to AMSATs Keplerian
Elements Email List
AMSAT has been authorized by AFSPC to
distribute Keplerian elements by email, through the AMSAT website and
via packet radio. AMSAT distributes elements in both NASA TLE format
and in the AMSAT Verbose format.
Users with an E-Mail
address may subscribe to the AMSAT NA keps service to obtain weekly
ata file updates automatically. In order to subscribe to this
service, send e-mail to:
Majordomo@AMSAT.org
In
the subject field no entry is necessary, at least one space is
sufficient.
In the text window enter:
subscribe
keps
To unsubscribe the service, write an e-mail in the same
way, but with the text:
unsubscribe
keps
Store the files from this service in text format with the
'Save as' command in your email program and be sure to save the file
in text format. For hints how to name the files see sect. b.
above.Outlook will then add the extension ‘.txt’ to the
filename.
cc.
Space Track
Space
Track is a satellite data service operated by the US Air Force
Space Command (AFSPC). Currently there is no cost to use the service,
however due to existing National Security Restrictions pertaining to
access of and use of U.S. Government-provided space information and
data, all users accessing the Space Track website must be an approved
and registered user. Normally you will create a Space Track account
and will receive information from Space Track about using the system.
To learn more about Space Track visit the Space Track website
at:
http://www.space-track.org
If
you are using Keplerian Elements directly from Space Track you will
notice that the satellite names are not the usual AMSAT satellite
names which are used by other services. For example you will find
that other sources refer to OSCAR 7 as AO-7 and JAS 2 as FO-29,
however Space Track will provide Keplerian elements using the
formal name (OSCAR 7 and JAS 2). The Space Track satellite names are
rather unhandy, so, you should replace them by the usual AMSAT
names.
aaa.
To do this you may use Dr.T.S.
Kelso’s TLE Retriever. TLERetriever is a utility program that
was written by Dr. T.S. Kelso and will download element sets directly
from Space Track without having to go to the Space Track
website. TLERetriever is a free download available at the CelesTrak
website:
http://www.celestrak.com/SpaceTrack/TLERetrieverHelp.asp
When
you start TLERetriever you can specify the Username and Password for
your Space Track account and select the Current Catalog Files for the
Space Track Data Sets. Typically you should download the Full
Catalog.
Producing Kelplerian element files using TLERetriever
is a two step process. You first need to download the Space Track
Data Set using the ‘Download Data’ button, and then
create the CelesTrak Data Sets you want by clicking on the ‘Process
Data’ button. Alternatively you can launch TLERetreiver and
include ‘-update’ on the command line. This will
tell TLERetriever to process the data and terminate.
A typical
TLE Retriever window could look as follows:
The
TLE Retriever will store the data files in the folder
…\My
Documents\My TLEs.
This target folder can not be changed in the
TLE Retriever ‘Configuration’ window. To use the files
with SatPC32 navigate with the menu ‘File|Open’ to that
folder and select a file. Then open menu ‘Satellites’ and
click ‘OK’. The filename and path will then be stored for
future program starts.
HalloKepler
lets you determie the folder for target files. The program stores the
filename and filepath in the text file “SaveAs.txt” in
the HalloKepler program folder.
bbb. The program HalloKepler by Gerd Riesner, DB3DH, provides similar comfortable abitilities to create Keplerian data sets from Space-Track files that can be used with SatPC32. HaloKepler can be downloaded for free from the website http://www.hallosat.de/.
With HalloKepler you can also download the Space-Track files without using a web browser.
HalloKepler lets you determie the folder for target files. The program stores the filename and filepath in the text file “SaveAs.txt” in the HalloKepler program folder.
To determine another filepath you can modifiy the file accordingly with an editor, i.e. with Notepad.
The screenshot shows the HalloKepler window:
As mentioned above files from this server, i.e. the file ‘nasa.all’, can be downloaded also via the AMSAT Http server with the SatPC32 function ‘Update Keps’.
If you want to use files that can be downloaded only (directly) from the FTP-Server, storing problems may occur. Look at the file extension when you download a file from this server. Files with the extension ‘.txt’ are text files which can be read by SatPC32. Files with the extension ‘.all’ (‘nasa.all’, ‘amsat.all’) can not be saved with the MS Internet Explorer in the required text format. When SatPC32 loads such files the message ‘No data found in file …’ will be displayed.
If this
error has occurred, reopen the file with a text program such as
Wordpad, and save it as (pure) text.
A second solution is to
download the file with a text program like MS Word instead of
the MS Internet Explorer. That way the file can be
downloaded as a text file and saved in the same format. The file will
then be readable by the SatPC32 programs. The browser ‘Firefox’
allows to download the file in text format, too.
Kep files from the packet radio network and from packed radio satellites usually come in the right format and can be saved as such.
e. Manual entry of Keplerian data
The Setup program creates a subdirectory 'Manuell' in the SatPC32 data directory. It contains the files 'Manual.txt' with additional information and 'orbsmanu.ele', a kep file in Amsat format containing the most important ham radio satellites. It can be edited with Notepad or any other suitable editor.
The
subdirectories 'Yaesu', 'Icom' and 'Kenwood' contain detailed
instructions (text files and sketches) about how to connect your
Yaesu, ICOM or Kenwood radio to a Windows PC and control it by
SatPC32. The instruction files can also be opened from the
SatPC32 menu "?", "Hints[Radio] for....".
For
important instructions about how to configure the program for the
IC-970 click
here.
The list of radios supported by SatPC32 is:
Manufacturer |
Supported Models |
Icom |
IC-820, IC-821, IC-910H, |
Yaesu |
FT-736R, FT-847, |
Kenwood |
TS-790E/A, TS-2000/X, |
b. CAT control of multiple radios
Besides control of single transceivers, SatPC32 also supports CAT control of separate Uplink and Downlink radios. All CAT abilities of the program are available in this case. With SSB satellites the RX radio can be tuned with its VFO knob (“transparent” tuning). The program will then automatically tune the TX radio to the correct Uplink frequency. Essentially, SatPC32 “tracks” the VFOs of the two radios while also providing Doppler correction.
Attention:
To steer multiple radios activate the option “Autom.
RX/TX Change” in the menu “Setup“ / “Radio
Setup“.
To steer two Icom radios, also select the
option “None” in the “Radio 2” section of the
“Setup” / “Radio Setup” menu.
aa.
Separate ICOM
radios
for Uplink and Downlink
The easiest way of controlling 2 radios is with 2 ICOM radios. All ICOM radios can be identified by their “address”. So, the radios can be controlled with a single CAT interface – i.e. the Icom CT-17 - and only one single COM port is required for both radios.
To control – i.e. –
the single band transceivers IC-275 (VHF, address hex. 10) and the
IC-475 (UHF, address hex. 14) with V/U satellites (Uplink on VHF,
Downlink on UHF) as well as with U/V satetellites (Uplink on
UHF, Downlink on VHF) only one address pair in the file “IcomPar.SQF”
in the SatPC32 data folder is required. This file could then look as
follows:
19200
$14,$10
.............
……….
……….
The
first line contains the CAT baud rate. Subsequent lines
contain address pairs. As many as four address pairs may be
specified for various radio combinations. At program start SatPC32
will always use the first address pair. At runtime these radio
pairs can be chosen in the SatPC32 “Mode” menu.
When the option “Autom.
RX/TX Change” is activated the program checks whether the
selected satellite is a V/U or a U/V transponder. This way it
recognizes which radio needs to be steered as the receiver and which
one as the transmitter.
The address pairs can be modified
with the combo boxes in the menu “Radio Setup”.
Since the file IcomPar.SQF is a text file it can also be modified
manually with the Notepad text editor.
bb. Separate
radios of other
manufacturers
To
steer 2 separate Yaesu or Kenwood radios, i.e. the Yaesu
Semi-Duplex-Transceivers FT-817, FT-857 or FT-897, or radios of
different manufacturers, i.e. the IC-706 MKII and the Yaesu FT-857,
the settings for radio #1 must be done in the “Radio 1”
section of the “Radio Setup” menu, and the settings for
radio #2 in the “Radio 2” section of that menu. Since the
program automatically recognizes which radio has to be steered as
receiver and which one as transmitter it makes no difference which
one you configure as radio 1 and which one as radio 2.
SatPC32 can optionally output only the RX frequency (instead of RX and TX frequencies) to the RX radio. This option can be chosen with the auxiliary file “DivOptions.SQF“. The file can be opened from the SatPC32 menu “?”, “Auxiliary Files”. The file itself contains detailed instructions. This option should be chosen when the RX radio is a half-duplex transceiver, i.e. the Yaesu FT-817. Otherwise the program will output the TX frequency to this radio and toggle the VFOs whenever Automatic Doppler correction updates the frequencies. This will cause unnecessary momentary muting of receive audio whenever the transmit frequency is adjusted.
c. CAT control of SDR
devices (SDR = Software Defined Radio) by SatPC32
aa.
SatPC32 allows
control of SDR devices, provided the firmware of the radio can
emulate the CAT commands of Kenwood, Icom or Yaesu radios.
I tested the program with the SDR
receiver FUNcube Dongle Pro + (FCD). The radio can be
controlled by SatPC32 in conjunction with the free radio
software HDSDR (http://www.hdsdr.de/)
and works well as satellite receiver.
In order to
enable SatPC32 to send the CAT commands to HDSDR both
programs have to be connected via a null modem. Therefore, two
COM ports are required. The ports can be physical (ports
on the main board or a PCI card) or virtual (ports generated by
USB-to-Serial adapters). The easiest and cheapest solution is a
virtual null modem, however. There are several
programs , that generate pairs of virtual COM ports, connected by a
virtual null modem. Some of them are free. A very well
proven program is VSP Manager
(http://k5fr.com/ddutilwiki/index.php?title=VSP_Manager)
by Steve Nance, K5FR. It can easilby be installed and works
flawlessly under all Windows versions. Licensed amateur radio
operators will get a copy from the author for free.
Proceed as
follows:
Install HDSDR and VSP Manager (or the
program you want to use instead).
Start VSP Manager and
generate a pair of connected COM ports.
Start SatPC32
and open menu "Radio Setup".
The firmware of the dongle
emulates most of the CAT commands of the Kenwood TS-2000. Therefore
select the TS-2000 for model in the "Radio 1" section.
Set
the CAT baudrate to 57600.
In the "COM Port"
window enter one of the generated virtual port numbers and set the
CAT delay to 20.
Leave ALL other options unchecked.
In the
"Radio 2" section specify the separate radio you want to
use as TX. If you don't use a TX choose "None" and
in the auxiliary file "DipOptions.SQF" replace the -
(minus) sign in data line #4 by a + sign. SatPC32 will then steer
only the downlink frequency. The file can be opened and editied from
the SatPC32 menu "?" > "Auxiliary Files".
Save
the changes and close SatPC32.
Start HDSDR. In menu "Options"
> "CAT to HDSDR" > "Port" choose the other
port number.
Choose the same baudrate that you
set in SatPC32.
Check the option "Activated".
Restart
SatPC32. Switch the control "C" to "C+".
The
program should now steer frequencies and modes in HDSDR. With SSB
satellites you can tune around the passband via the SatPC32 frequency
controls or the keyboard and HDSDR will follow. The up/down and
right/left keys allow comfortable tuning in steps of 100 and 500 Hz.
Tuning via the keyboard will only work, however, if SatPC32 is
the "active" one of the programs (blue headerline). Vice
versa you can tune the frequency via the frequency controls of HDSDR
and SatPC32 will follow.
The Flex-Radios (1500, 3000,
5000) can also be controlled by SatPC32. I could not test these
radios myself, however. For detailed instructions see the web site of
FlexRadio
(http://www.flexradio.com/files/configuring-the-flex-5000-with-satpc32-pdf/).
bb.
If
you want to use the SDR as satellite receiver with U/V (uplink UHF,
downlink VHF) and V/U (uplink VHF, downlink UHF) satellites you need
to switch the VHF/UHF antennas. That can be done via a Coaxial
Transfer Switch. The switch can automatically be controlled by
SatPC32. The voltage of the DTR pin of the Radio 2 COM port
(optionally, see menu "Options") changes when the user
switches between U/V (low) and V/U (high) satellites.
It is necessary, however, to insert a transistor interface between PC and the antenna relais to protect the port.
Schematic of a 1-transistor
interface:
Interface
for antenna switch
d.
Non-supported radios
If your rig cannot be linked to
SatPC32, the program's frequency indications can still be used for
manual frequency
tuning. For
instance, to tune your radio to hear your own signal back.
In that case you should choose the FT-736 configuration of the program. Also leave the COM port setting at 0.
However, you should activate the 'DDE Cat' option in the 'Options' menu. Save the options and restart SatPC32. For satellites with frequency data stored in 'Doppler.SQF', SatPC32 displays the Up- and Downlink frequencies with their respective Doppler shifts taken into account. So your Doppler should be correctly compensated if you manually tune the non-interfaced radio to the frequency displayed in the main SatPC32 program window.
'If you select an SSB satellite like FO-20 or AO-40, you can search the band by using the direction keys or the 5 Up/Down buttons, provided that the CAT tuning is activated (C+). However, the frequencies shown by SatPC32 can only be an approximation for tuning your rig, as temperature effects may cause variations between the indicated frequencies and the actual ones (up to several kHz for 13 cm).
Satellite
frequency data is used by SatPC32 to tune your radio. This
information is stored in the Doppler.SQF file located in the SatPC32
data directory (the path to that folder ist shown in the foot line of
menu 'Satellites').
This is a text file and you should follow the
same procedures to modify it as you would use for any other text
file.
In the Doppler.SQF file you will find satellite entries in the following format using SO-50 as an example:
SO-50,436795,145850,FM,FM,NOR,0,0
Satellite
Name –
Enter the name assigned to the
Satellite in the aux. file AmsatNames.txt. (SatPC32 menu '? >
Auxiliary Files > AmsatNames.txt').
If
the satellite has not yet been added to AmsatNames.txt do so first.
You can also use the name from the source file used. Then the
file only works with source files that use the same name for the
satellite, however..
Downlink
Frequency -
True frequency in KHz on which the satellite is transmitting
Uplink
Frequency -
True frequency in KHz on which the satellite is receiving
Downlink
Mode -
emission used for this satellite on this downlink frequency
Uplink
Mode -
emission used for this satellite on this uplink frequency
Tracking
Mode -
whether the uplink and downlink frequencies track in normal or
reverse mode
Downlink
Offset -
downlink offset in KHz (see Section 5 below)
Uplink
Offset -
uplink offset in KHz (see Section 5 below)
Do not use commas or periods to separate thousands values as these will be interpreted as a parameter separator. Only use a decimal to enter fractional kilohertz.
This information is used by SatPC32 to initially set up the frequency of the radio. If the mode is single sideband (SSB) the frequency is only a starting point, and as you tune your radio's downlink frequency SatPC32 will adjust your uplink frequency accordingly. If the mode is FM SatPC32 does not allow you to change the radio's downlink frequency since this is a fixed value. (Note, in FM mode you can still fine tune your receiver using your radio's RIT control.
You can have as many entries for a satellite as the satellite supports. For example, AO-7 has two modes (B and A) so it has two entries:
AO-7,145948.8,432149.4,USB,LSB,REV,0,0
AO-7,29450,145900,USB,USB,NOR,0,0
SatPC32 will use the first mode entered as the default mode when the satellite is selected, so in the case of AO-7, it will default to Mode B. If you need to use another mode select it by using the CAT menu item and select the mode you need.
If you are only using SatPC32 to tune a receiver you can enter 0 for the uplink frequency. If you are only using it to tune a transmitter, enter 0 for the downlink frequency.
When operating on bands higher than 70cm the use of transverters and downconverters is common. These devices convert 2M or 70cm TX signals to the satellite's frequency and/or the received signal to 2m or 70cm. A good example of this is a downconverter used for AO-51 to convert the S-Band downlink signal to a 2M signal.
Doppler shift is frequency dependent and even though you are downconverting a high frequency to a lower frequency the Doppler shift does not change. For example, a low earth orbit satellite such as VO-52 transmits on 2M and has a Doppler shift of approximately +/- 3.5KHz during a typical pass. However the downconverted 2M signal from the AO-51 S-Band transmitter does not behave like a 2M signal but retains the +/- 40KHz doppler of the 2401MHz source. Therefore, Doppler shift has to be calculated for the operational frequency at the satellite.
In order for SatPC32 to make these calculations correctly it must know the offset frequency (sometimes called the local oscillator) against which the transverter or downconverter signal is being mixed. These offsets are unique to specific transverters or downconverters and you should consult the information provided by your device manufacturer however here are some examples:
Satellite Freq |
Offset Freq |
Radio Freq |
2400000.0 |
2256000.0 |
144000.0 |
5760000.0 |
5616000.0 |
144000.0 |
1296000.0 |
1152000.0 |
144000.0 |
5760000.0 |
5328000.0 |
432000.0 |
The easy method of calculating the offset frequency is to subtract the radio frequency from the satellite frequency.
The offset frequencies must be manually entered into the Doppler.SQF file as shown above in Section 5. They are the last two entries and must be entered in kilohertz (KHz). Do not use commas or periods to separate thousands values as these will be interpreted as a parameter separator. Only use a decimal to enter fractional kilohertz.
If no downconverter/transverter is used you should enter zero (0) for this value.
To test this example, create an entry for AO-51 Mode L/S as follows:
AO-51,2401200.0,1268700,FM,FM,NOR,2256000.0,0
When you select this mode for AO-51 using the CAT menu SatPC32 will set the frequencies to the values stored in the line +/- the Doppler shift for AO-51. If the file contains more than one line for the same satellite, the program will start with the first one. To select another one, click on it in the CAT menu..
SatPC32 also uses the offset frequency to calculate frequencies when you are tuning while using SSB/CW on a system that has a downconverter or transverter.
With most satellite transceiver models, band switching or switching between MAIN and SUB bands is necessary when switching between satellites that use different uplink/downlink bands. For example, when switching from FO-29 which operates in Mode V/U to VO-52 which operates in Mode U/V it is important to switch the main and sub bands of the transceiver. In most cases SatPC32 will automatically switch bands for you, however with some transceivers you may need to switch the transceiver manually.
Important:
The following applies to SatPC32 version 12.0 and greater. If
you are running a version of SatPC32 older than version 12.0 you
should consider an upgrade.
·
Yaesu FT-847
transceiver:
Band
switching is not necessary because both VFOs will accept any legal
frequency.
·
Icom IC-820, IC-821,
IC-910H, and Kenwood TS-2000 transceivers:
SatPC32
automatically switches bands as needed.
·
Yaesu FT-736R and Kenwood
TS-790 transceivers:
The
Computer Aided Tuning (CAT) systems of these radios do not provide a
command that will allow the computer to switch bands. Therefore
you must manually switch bands when switching between satellites that
have different uplink/downlink bands.
Band switching on the
FT-736R can only be done with the REV key after the SAT mode
has been activated (SAT button). On the TS-790 band switching is done
by pressing the MAIN/SUB key.
Under SatPC32, manual band switching can be accomplished by using the SatPC32 commands (buttons in the upper left of the window) as follows:
·
Yaesu FT-736R
Please
execute the following steps:
1. Automatic satellite change OFF (A-)
2. CAT OFF (C-)
3. Press the REV key on the radio
4. CAT ON (C+)
5. Switch satellites (use the Satellite menu or click the corresponding letter)
6. Automatic satellite change ON (A+)
·
Yaesu FT-847:
Band
switching is not necessary because both VFOs will accept any legal
frequency
·
Kenwood TS-790 E/A
Please
execute the following steps:
1. Automatic satellite change OFF (A-)
2. Switch satellites (click the ident letter of the new satellite)
3. CAT OFF (C-)
3. Press the MAIN/SUB button on the radio
4. CAT ON (C+)
5. Automatic satellite change ON (A+) (if wanted)
·
Kenwood
TS-2000
SatPC32
will automatically handle band switching via the CAT
·
ICOM IC-820, IC-821,
IC-910H
SatPC32
will automatically handle band switching via the CAT
Appendix: AO-40 operation with SatPC32 (Wisat 32)
Note: The following instructions were written when AO-40 was still operational. Unfortunately the satellite stopped working in January 2004. I left the instructions unchanged, however, since they will become valid accordingly for P3E and Eagle when these satellites will be successfully launched.
SSB operation over AO-40 can only be achieved on a 13 cm Downlink and a 70cm and/or 23 cm Uplink (S2 Transponder and U / L receivers of the satellite). Furthermore, the telemetry sent by the 13cm middle beacon can be received.
Upon delivery of the program, 'Doppler.SQF' contains the following line:
AO-40,2401323.0,435667.0,USB,LSB,REV,2256000.0,0
This entry specifies a 13 cm Downlink (S2), a 70cm Uplink and a 13cm/2m Converter. When you switch to AO-40 the program will tune the RX to the beacon frequeny ( 2401323.0 kHz) +/- actual Doppler shift.
Nevertheless you will probably not hear the beacon signal immediately, due to frequency deviations of your hardware (radio and converter L.O.) and temporay frequency changes of the converter L.O.
To my experience there are significant
deviations between the radio brands up to several kHz. Also the
particular converter mixer crystals (L.O.) may differ.
Therefore no frequency entries that come with the program will
immediately match all rigs. These hardware dependent deviations can
be compensated by calibrating the frequency entries for your
particular equipment (below C., D.).
Note: The following
steps A. – F. have to be done only once!
At
future program starts simply proceed like described under G.
Please proceed as follows :
a. Verify that the CAT tuning is activated (button C+)
b. In the Satellite menu, select AO-40 as the active satellite or click on the corresponding identification letter.
If you have been working a satellite using a
reverse frequency scheme (70cm Uplink and 2m Downlink like FO-20),
some radio models require you to switch bands before selecting
AO-40 (cf. 3. above). The program then switches to the first AO-40
frequency pair found in 'Doppler.SQF' to activate CAT tuning. In the
program’s delivery state these will be the frequencies
contained in the above mentioned line.
Your radio display should then show 145323.0
kHz +/- Doppler shift for the receive frequency (Downlink) and
435667.0 kHz +/- Doppler shift for the transmitting frequency
(Uplink). The mode indicator should show USB for the Downlink and LSB
for the Uplink.
d. (Note: You may execute step F. below before you continue with the following step.)
Tune to an unused frequency and try to receive your donwlink signal. This is usually achieved by whistling or by sending a CW signal to the satellite.
Because of the afore mentioned phenomena you may not hear your own signal back at all or at least not with the right audio pitch. Mostly (for instance if the outdoor temperatures are low) your signal will appear below the chosen frequency. To find it and to tune it for best audio pitch, different ways of frequency calibration can be used:
aa. Open the CAT Menu and modify your transmitting frequency in 1000, 100 or 10 Hz steps with the help of the "Uplink Calibration" buttons until you hear your own signal. Then set the correct tone pitch by proceeding in small steps. (Don't try to calibrate the frequency with the 5 up/down controls beside the SatPC32 frequency window. These controls serve to tune the radio (QSY), but not to adjust the uplink frequency.)
bb. You can also modify your transmitting frequency in steps by pushing the +/- keys on the numeric keypad (100 Hz steps) or the "normal" +/- keys (10 Hz steps). (The bigger step rate of 100 Hz is only available from Version 8.0 on).
cc. Do not use the XIT control of your radio. Frequency changes by this methode do not change the TX-VFO frequency. With the FT-847, however, the Sub-VFO can be used to adjust the uplink frequency (from program version 11.0).
dd. When you receive your signal with the right audio pitch open the SatPC32 CAT menu. Click the "Change/Store Data File" button. In the sub window, that will open, click the "Uplink Calibration" button. The program then will automatically change the TX entry and store the new value in the Doppler.SQF file (you may watch the change in the CAT menu frequency list). The correction counter (that is displayed in the CAT menu and also above the SatPC32 frequency window) will be reset to 0.
e. With satellites that don't require a converter/transverter (i.e., FO-20, FO-29) the procedure described above is the only modification of the Doppler.SQF file that is necessary to calibrate the file for your rig.
When you switch to the satellite at later program starts, you will probably hear your signal immediately with the right audio pitch.
Small deviations then may be corrected with the CAT menu controls or the +/- keys or the radio's XIT control or the FT-847's Sub VFO.
f. With AO-40, however, you will probably have to search for your signal at every program start, (mainly) due to the temporary frequency changes of the converter L.O, caused by the outdoor temperature changes.
The SatPC32 CAT functions, however, will allow
you to find your signal very easily. Therefore the frequency
entries have to be calibrated for the AO-40 beacon
frequency:
aa. Click on the AO-40 letter below the map. That will cancel possible frequency changes with the VFO and tune the RX to the frequency entered in the Doppler.SQF file +/- actual Doppler shift.
bb. Tune the RX to the beacon frequency until you receive the beacon signal with "zerobeat". Use the VFO or the 5 frequency controls or the direction keys of the keyboard.
cc. Click the "Change/Store Data File" button. In the sub window click the "RX/TX Freq. Data" button. The program then will automatically calculate the RX/TX frequency entries that match the present RX/TX frequencies - taking into account the Doppler shift changes - and store the new settings in the Doppler.SQF file. You may watch the change in the CAT menu frequency list.
g. With these modifications the frequency entries in the Doppler.SQF file are optimally calibrated for AO-40 operation at future program starts. When you want to operate AO-40 later on simply do the following:
aa. Select AO-40.
The program will tune the RX immediately to the expected beacon frequency. Mainly due to different temperatures, however, you will probably not receive the beacon on that frequency. Therefore:
bb. Tune to the beacon signal until you receive it with "zerobeat".
cc. Open the CAT menu and click the "Correct Actual Deviation" button. The program then will automatically calculate the difference between the actual beacon frequency and the expected one and correct the TX frequency accordingly. Then you should hear your signal with the right audio pitch or close to it when you call on an unused frequency.
If you want to repeat the "Correct Actual Deviation" procedure, first click the AO-40 letter, then repeat steps bb. and cc.
h. While operating over AO-40 or other SSB transponders like FO-20, FO-29 you can tune the radio (QSY) like you can in terrestrical operation. You may, i.e., tune it to the beacon freqency if you want to receive telemetry. The automatic Doppler correction then will allow to receive the beacon signal flawlessly for hours.
With all radios supported by SatPC32 except the FT-736R the frequencies can be tuned by the VFO and alternatively by the 5 up/down controls or the direction keys of the keyboard. With the FT-736R the frequency can be tuned only via the mouse or keyboard because the VFO cannot be read by the software.
The CAT control can easily be checked whether it works flawlessly. To do that switch on the 'TRACK' function of the radio (both frequencies are changed then when the VFO knob is moved, either in the same ('nomal') direction or in the opposite ('revers') one). SSB satellites like AO-40, FO-20, FO-29 are using 'reverse' frequency patterns. When the uplink frequency has been increased, the downlink frequency has to be decreased to receive the own signal again. For testing switch the "TRACK" function of the radio to 'normal', however. Then decrease the RX frequency by 5 kHz by using the VFO. The TX frequency then also will be decreased by 5 kHz. The TX frequency therefore is 'wrong' by 10 kHz. 1 or 2 seconds, after the motion of the knob has stopped, the program then should increase the TX frequency by about 10 kHz to tune it on the right frequency.
This section will provide information about how to set up SatPC32 with various rotor interfaces so that SatPC32 can control how your antennas are pointed. Generally SatPC32 will interface to a rotor control using either a serial port or parallel port.
The IF-100 interface is directly connected to the PC's parallel port. The programs read out the port address from the 'ParPort.SQF' file in the SatPC32 directory. This file by default contains the standard address of LPT1 (hex. 378) in line 1 and the standard address of LPT2 (hex. 278) in line 2. When you choose Port 1 in SatSetup, the program outputs data to the address stored in line 1, when Port 2 is selected, the data are sent to the address in line 2, etc.
Some PCs don't use these standard addresses for their parallel ports. The addresses used by your PC can be found in the Windows Control Panel (System - Device manager - Ports - LPT and COM - LPTx - Resources).
The port address of an additional parallel board, which I am using on my WinXP PC, are not shown there, but in the Multi-IO-Controller section in the device manager. The same may apply for multi-port serial IO cards and serial port emulators.
The data throughput of the PC is too fast for the IF-100, so the transfer speed has to be delayed. Delay values can be entered in SatSetup. Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP need other values than Windows 95/98/ME. These delays will be largely dependent on your processor speed and may require experimentation to finely tune.
From experience, the following settings should be tried:
Processor |
CPU Speed |
NT/ 2000/XP |
Win 98/ME |
Athlon |
1800 |
500 |
1800 |
Pentium II |
350 |
Unk |
200 |
Pentium |
90 |
30 |
30 |
Generally, the delay values for RifPC need to be about 4 times higher than those for the IF-100.
See the help window in the ServerKCT file.
See the Readme(FODTrack). text file in the sub folder FODTrack.
See the Readme text files in the corresponding sub folders.
See the
Readme text files in the corresponding sub folders.
These
interfaces come with their own driver software.
The following is a summary of known errors and probable solutions.
Exception EoleSysError, class not registered
As far as is known this message only appears in the first Windows 95 version. Some older system files cause it. Performing a Windows update or upgrading to a newer operating system should correct the problem. After updating or upgrading the operating system you may need to re-install SatPC32.
The
following files could not perform
selfregistration:
C:\windows\system\MSComm32.OCX
C:\windows\system\IOPort.OCX
The
remedy is the same as under a., however instead of a new
installation, registration can be done manually with Regsvr32.exe.
This is not recommended except for only the most advanced users.
1.
Lines or other disturbances appear in the graphics display or the
entire worldmap appears bright.
The
reason may be your graphics accelerator, which is known to produce
image disturbances. Reduce the setting from 100% to the first
division on the scale. (Start-Settings-Control
Panel-System-Performance-Graphics).
2.
Graphic functions are executed very slowly.
On
my Athlon 1800+ PC under WinXP the graphical functions seemed to work
very slowly despite the fast device. Particularly the preview
function in the 'Tracking' menu was executed slowlier than on my
Pent.II/350 under Win98. I reduced the graphics accelerator (see
above) to the first division on the scale. Then the graphic functions
worked as fast as could be expected.
3.
One or two lines are not completely displayed at the lower map
border.
In
one case, the reason was the choice of excessively big fonts in the
upper menu bar. By using very big fonts, the menu line is displayed
in two lines. That space is then missing below. But even if the menu
remains on one line, the last line below may still be truncated.
Choose the pre-set MS Sans Serif font, size 8 (or max. 10) for the
menus (Start-Settings-Control panel-Display-Settings-Advanced), if
Small Fonts are selected. If necessary you may change this to Large
Fonts.
Users noticed the
error message "Ungueltige Gleitkommaoperation"
(= "Invalid floating point operation") in the
following case:
a. In menu "Optons" the
SGP8SDP8 model had been chosen (the SGP4SDP4 model works
flawlessly).
b. An element in the Keplerian data set ("bstar
drag term", data line #1, col. 54 - 60) contains the value 0.
Presently (Dec. 2009) that is the case with data sets for HO-68.
I
have uploaded revised SatPC32.Exe and Wisat32.Exe files that fix the
problem. They can be downloaded from my English page "Downloads",
sect. Patches.
Selecting the SGP4SDP4 model fixes the problem also. The results of both models are of equal precision.
The message, however, is a common Windows error message occurring if mathematical calculations goes wrong, like calculating the square of a negative number. Normally, this message is rare and harmless. The program continues to run as usual. As calculations are performed in one-second steps, corrections occur immediately.
If the error occurs repeatedly, it may be due to a faulty Keps file or because the Keps file doesn't contain valid data for a selected satellite.
Try the following: The SatPC32 DATA folder contains the subfolder 'Data_Repair'. The path to the SatPC32 data folder is displayed in a foot line of menu 'Satellites'. Under Windowx XP the path will usually be: C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\SatPC32\DataRepair.
The folder DataRepair contains backups of the files 'SatSources.SQF', 'Standard.Sat' and 'nasa.all'. Copy 'SatSources.SQF' and 'Standard.Sat' into the SatPC32 data folder and the file 'nasa.all' into the sub folder 'Kepler'. Then restart the program.
An
adequate Keps file may be chosen manually for SatPC32, Wisat32 and
WinAOS
with Notepad:
The names of the Keps files used are saved in the files
· SatSources.SQF (for SatPC32)
· WisSources.SQF (for Wisat32)
· AOSSources.SQF (for WinAOS)
At program start, the 'Standard' group is always displayed. The Keps file for this group can be found in the first line in the above mentioned files (see the manual under 'Auxiliary Files').
The names of the selected satellites are stored; for the 'Standard' group in the files
· Standard.Sat (for SatPC32)
· Standard.Wis (for Wisat32)
· Standard.Aos (for WinAOS)
There you may edit or delete satellites manually with Notepad. Similar files exist for the other groups which may be created to organize your satellite group names. The name 'Standard' can be replaced by another group name, for instance 'Weather' or 'Amateur'.
e.
TX frequency error with the FT-847
2
users reported an error regarding the TX frequeny of their FT-847.
While steering the radio by SatPC32 the TX frequency jumped to a
value outside the band. The error seems to be caused by an inproper
setting of one of the radio’s parameters. However, it could not
be dertermined which particular parameter caused this error. The
problem could be solved by a CPU Reset (see FT-847 manual).
f.
I/O error 103 or message: Error while loading file (name)
This
message will be displayed when the program fails to open one of the
auxiliary files.
Regarding the most important files the
program will display the name of the file that caused the error.
If
you can’t fix the error re-install SatPC32. Important:
Don’t overwrite your present files but install the program in a
new folder, i.e. SatPC32_B. When the new installation works in this
folder configure it step by step (QTH, rotor steering ,
CAT steering, new Keps file, etc.). When it works properly you
may remove the old installaton simply by deleting the program folder
and renaming the new one SatPC32.
g.
Error message: Operation only valid when the port is open
This
message will occur when you try to steer your radio at a COM port and
have set the COM port number to a value > 0, but have checked the
option "DDE Cat" in the SatPC32 menu "Options".
This option must be UN-CHECKED when the radio shall be steered
directly via a COM port.
h.
Error message: No source file was found for group....
SatPC32
stores the paths and file names of the chosen Keplerian data
files (separately for each of the 12 possible satellite groups) in
the auxiliary text file "SatSources.SQF" in the
SatPC32 DATA folder. The path to that folder is shown in
the bottom line of the SatPC32 menu "Satellites".
Usually the path will be:
Under Windows XP "C:
Documents and Settings\Username\Application
Data\SatPC32\Kepler",
under Windows Vista and Windows 7:
"C:\User\Username\Application
Data\Roaming\SatPC32\Kepler".
Note: The folder
"Application Data" (or "AppData") is hidden
by default. So, make sure that the Windows Explorer displays also
HiDDEN files and folders (Windows Explorer - Tools - Folder
Options - View).
Upon
program installation the file
"SatSources.SQF" will look as
follows:
Kepler\nasa.all
Kepler\nasa.all
etc. (over all
12 such lines)
Line #1 contains the path and file name of the
source file used with the group "Standard".
The error message will occur if no valid file name has been stored for the particular group or if the file has been removed or renamed.
To fix the problem open the SatPC32 menu "File | Open" and in the Dialog window navigate to the sub folder "Kepler". (see above).
The sub
folder "Kepler" should at least contain the Keps file
"nasa.all" which comes with SatPC32. Mark this file and
click on "Open". SatPC32 should now start with this source
file.
Important: Open the menu "Satellites" and click on
"OK" to save the file name for future program starts.
When
the program works you may download a Keps file as usual.
When
you don't find a usable Keps file try the following:
The sub
folder "Data_Repair" in the DATA folder "SatPC32"
contains the files "SatSources.SQF", "Standard.SAT"
and "nasa.all". Using the Windows Explorer (which can be
started from the SatPC32 menu "Programs") copy the files
"SatSource.SQF" and "Standard.SAT" into the DATA
folder "SatPC32" and the file "nasa.all" into the
sub folder "Kepler". Then restart SatPC32.
i.
Steering of AlfaSpid
rotors
The latest release of SatPC32 V. 12.8c (April 24th 2014) comes with driver files for the Spid Mod2 and the Spid MD mode (ServerSpid.exe and ServerSpidMD.exe). If you use such controllers choose the item Spid or Spid MD from the list of supported controllers in menu "Rotor Setup". For detailed instructions click the "Help" button of ServerSpid or ServerSpidMD.
The following hints are important if you run the Yaesu mode of the controller..
To
steer AlfaSpid rotors with SatPC32 choose the option
„Yaesu_GS-232“ (menu “Rotor-Setup”).
LX1BB
sent me the following description of his rotor setup. He is using a
combi control box for azimut and elevation.
SatPC32
setup:
Max. Elevation: 90 (menu Rotor Setup)
Park Position:
Az=0, El=0 (Menu Rotor)
ServerSDX-Setup:
Com =
x?
Baudrate: 600
AlfaSpid
Setup:
P = 1.00 1.00
PH = 359
90
PL = 340 -1
PS = 4A
PP = 0.00
0.00
Press the F key until „A“ appears.
The PL setting is very important. I set the “Overtravel” 19 degs. With this setting I have no problems with my cables. A few degs. more or less would also be sufficient. I had to set the elevation to –1 deg. to allow parking at 0,0.
j. Error message with Labjack U3:
"Ljackuw.dll not found" or similar.
A user and I got
this message although we had installed the Labjack U3 software. The
file seems to be a Labjack U12 file. Installing the Labjack U12
software fixed the problem. The latest U12 software can be downloaded
from the Labjack website. The U12 software will be installed
into a different folder (LabjackU12Legacy), so, it doesn’t
overwrite the Labjack U3 files.
k.
Ole error 8004503A……
The
SatPC32 voice feature requires the Microsoft Speech SDK (for Windows
XP: SAPI 5.1 ) to be installed on the PC. If it is missing you will
get the aforementioned error message. The SAPI 5.1 could
be downloaded for free from the Microsoft web
site:
http://www.microsoft.com/reader/developers/downloads/tts.mspx
Unfortunately
this site is no longer available. But you will find other
links, search with the keywords "SAPI 5.1 Download".
Windows 7 and 8 come with the Speech SDK installed. A user got the errror message under Windows 7, but found the reason: The message appears if no speakers or headphones are plugged into the computer.
l.
Error message: Can't Open
COMxx, Invalid Port number or similar
This
error message appears if
1. the program tries to open a COM port
that has already been opened by another application. Choose another
COM port for one of the programs.
2. the chosen COM port is
not available on the PC. Check which ports are installed on the PC
(Start - Control Panel - System - Hardware - Device Manager - Ports
(COM and LPT).
3.
the chosen COM port is faulty.
Windows marks a faulty port with a
yellow exclamation mark. A short description and the error code
appear In the 'Properties' window of the Device Manager.. The error
can be caused by a wrong or faulty driver. A COM port that has been
generated by an USB-to-Serial converter can fail if the voltage of
the USB port is unsufficiently stable. That will happen - for example
- if multiple devices have been conneted directly to the USB ports of
a mobile PC (Laptop etc.) To avoid this put a self-powered USB hub
between PC and USB cable.
4. (only program
version 12.8b or older)
The chosen Port has a port
number > 16. The tool used by SatPC32 to manage the serial ports
supports only port numbers up to 16. The system, however,
increases the port numbers with each installation of a new port (i.e.
a new USB-to-Serial adapter). So, port numbers can be 17 or
higher. To fix the problem, you can decrease the number of the
port you want to use to be 16 or less. To do this, do the
following:
aa. In the Device Manager check which ports are
available on the PC (see 2).
bb.
Right click on the port number (> 16) you want to
change.
cc. Choose Properties - Port settings - Advanced.
dd.
Open the list of possible COM ports (click on the control to
the right of the port number).
ee. The port numbers 1 - 16
(or at least most of them) will be marked as "in use". Only
the ports listed in the Device Manager are actually in use, however.
Choose one of the port numbers not actually in use. Ignore the
marking "in use" and the Windows warning. The change might
require you to reboot the PC to take effect.
Choose the new port
number also in SatPC32 and restart the program.
Program
version 12.8c and higher:
The program supports up to 100 COM
ports. The port numbers can be changed as described above.
m. Error messages regarding IOPort.SYS
The
rotor interfaces IF-100, FODTrack, RifPC and KCT require the kernel
driver IOPort.SYS to be installed on the PC. The SatPC32 setup
program installs the driver and adds it to the Windows registry. The
program sets the "Start" value to 2. With this setting the
driver is started automatically when the system boots.
Error
messages may occure if the driver can't be found or if it has been
disabled. To fix such errors start the "reg" file
"IOPort.reg" in the SatPC32 program folder via RIGHT
click on the filename. From the list that opens choose "Open
with". Then choose "Registration Editor" and allow
the changes. The file will then add then driver to the registry
or correct wrong settings.
IOPort.SYS is a 32-bit driver that doesn't work on 64-bit systems. To avoid error messaes the driver should be disabled with 64-bit systems . IOPort.SYS can also be disabled with 32-bit system if no one of the aforementioned rotor interfaces is to be steered. The driver can easily be disabled with the "reg" file IOPortDeActivate.reg in the SatPC32 program folder. Proceed as described above for IOPort.reg. IOPortDeActivate.reg disables the driver by changing the "Start" value to 4.
Attention: The changes require to re-boot the PC to take effect.
n.
Running SatPC32
from a “standard” user account
The SatPC32 setup
program expects the user to be an administrator. So, it installs the
program data into a folder in the administrator account. If you try
to run SatPC32 from a “standard” user account you will
get the error message “File not found”. To
fix that issue do the following:
Start the Windows Explorer and
navigate to the data folder “SatPC32”. The path to that
folder is shown in the footline of menu “Satellites”.
Under Windows XP the path will probably be “C:\Documents and
Settings\Username\Application Data\SatPC32”, under
Windows 7 “C:\User\Username\Application Data\Roaming\SatPC32”.
Copy the complete data folder “SatPC32” and store the
copy under the corresponding data path for the particular user
(that means the pathnames are equal except regarding the usernames).
o.
CAT control of the IC-9100
The
IC-9100 allows CAT steering
aa. via the traditional CI-V jacket.
For detailed instructions read the “Hints[Radio] ..for Icom
users”. The file can be opened from the SatPC32 menu “?”
or with Notepad in the sub folder “Icom” in the SatPC32
program folder..
bb. Via a USB cable that connects the radio
directly to a USB-port of the PC. The IC-9100 contains a built-in
USB-to-Serial converter that generates 2 virtual COM ports. One of
these ports is suitable for CAT control, usually the first one.
If necessary, test which of the two port is the right
one.
Important:
The
USB port must be sufficiently resilient. A user connected the IC-9100
and other devices diretly to the USB ports of his laptop. CAT control
didn't work and in the 'Poperties' window of the Device Manager
Windows marked the ports with a yellow exclamation mark. The
solution: A self powered USB hub between the PC and the USB
cable.
The driver for this adapter can
be downloaded from the ICOM website (see IC-9100 manual, page 12).
The radio must not be connected to the PC via USB before the driver
has been installed (see manual page12).
In the “Radio
Setup” menu select the suitable generated COM
port.
Operation:
Switch
on the radio before you
start SatPC32 or activate it’s CAT functions (C+).
The 2 COM ports of the IC-9100 are only available if the radio is
on.
Close
SatPC32 or disable the CAT control functions (C-) before you switch
off the radio.
Otherwise Windows will repeatedly send the error message: “Internal
error retrieving device control block for the port” (German:
“Interner Fehler beim Abrufen des DCB-Blocks fuer den
Anschluss”).
p. Error while loading file xxxx
This message appears if one the SatPC32 data files could not be opened, for example, if a file is missing or damaged. (If the message relates to the file "Prior.SQF" it could also - and more probably - be the file "SatStart.SQF".)
The SatPC32 program stores data
files for configuration #1 in the program's default data folder.
The typical path
is:
C:\Users\<yourname>\AppData\Roaming\SatPC32\
Data
files for configurations #2, 3 and 4 are in Roman numeral named
sub-folders below the default data folder.
Typical
paths
are:
C:\Users\<yourname>\AppData\Roaming\SatPC32\CfgII
C:\Users\<yourname>\AppData\Roaming\SatPC32\CfgIII
C:\Users\<yourname>\AppData\Roaming\SatPC32\CfgIV
The
path to the data folder is displayed (if the program works) in the
foot line of the "Satellites" menu.
Note: the path
contains the "Application Data" folder which is usually
hidden. To make it visible, start Windows Explorer and go to menu
Tools->Folder Options->View. Then check the option "Show
hidden files and folders".
All data files are text files
that can be opened and edited with a text editor such as
Notepad.
There are several ways to replace a damaged or
missing data file:
1. Copy the file of the same name from a
different configuration folder.
2. Copy a file of the same
name from the “Data_Repair” sub-folder which contains
copies of the most important files.
3. Use the DataBackup menu
(Programs-> DataBackup) to restore the entire set of SatPC32 data
to a previously saved backup data set.
4. If the program data
is so corrupted that SatPC32 can't function, use Windows Explorer to
manually launch the DataBackup program. Typically: C:\Program
Files\SatPC32\DataBackup.exe or C:\Program Files
(x86)\SatPC32\DataBackup.exe
Once you have a flawlessly
working configuration you should run DataBackup to save a copy the
settings. If problems occur later, you can run DataBackup to easily
restore the working setup.
q. Kenwood TS-2000 CAT problem with SatPC32 vers. 12.8c and later
With SatPC32 and SatPC32ISS version 12.8c I use a new component to manage the serial ports. The old component supported only COM port numbers up to 15. The new USB-to-Serial adapters generate often virtual port numbers > 15, however.
Steering the TS-2000 with SatPC32 and SatPC32ISS vers. 12.8c requires the option "RTS+12V" (SatPC32 menu "Setup" > "Radio Setup") to be checked. That imitates the hardware handshaking the TS-2000 expects.
Another solution is a homemade RS-232 cable with only the 3 lines Ground, RxD, TxD wired and a wire bridge between CTS and RTS (pins 7 and 8 of the DB-9 plug) on the TS-2000 side.
r. Controlling WinRotorPlus by SatPC32ISS
With the WinRotorPlus rotor controller you can choose SatPC32 as the server program, you can not choose SatPC32ISS, however.
To use also SatPC32ISS as server
program do the following:
a. In the SatPC32 program folder make a
new sub folder and name it - for example - SatPC32ISS.
b.
copy the sub folders Maps2D and BM_Maps2D from the SatPC32 program
folder into the sub folder SatPC32ISS.
c. Copy also SatPC32ISS.exe
into that folder and rename it SatPC32.exe.
d. Draw a short cut to
this SatPC32.exe on the desktop and name the shortcut
SatPC32ISS
Start SatPC32ISS with the shortcut, then start
WinRotorPlus. WinRotorPlus will now connect to SatPC32ISS and
receive the DDE string from SatPC32ISS.
If you start the
normal SatPC32 WinRotorPlus will read the string from the normal
SatPC32.
s.
The satellite's frequencies are not displayed, although the source
file contains data.
Check
whether the file Doppler.SQF contains one or more data lines for the
satellite. To do this, open Doppler.SQF (SatPC32 menu '?' >
'Auxiliary Files') and search for the satellite name displayed in the
SatPC32 main window using Notepad's search function.
If
there is no entry,
add a data line for the satellite to Doppler.SQF. Read the
information at the end of the file.
If
there is an entry in Doppler.SQF,
check
whether the name of the satellite used in the file Doppler.SQF
exactly matches the name of the satellite, (also with respect to
upper / lower case) used
a. in the file AmsatNames.txt for those
satellites for which nasa.all contains Keplerian data. This also
applies if you actually use a different source file, e.g. the
Celestrak file amateur.txt, which contains numerous of the satellites
also contained in nasa.all.
b. or in the source file used, for
those satellites for which nasa.all doesn't contain data.
****
DK1TB ****