Hi Burns,
There are two issues here, groups and source files. In this case, the groups are a part of SatPC32. They have names like Standard, Diverse, NOAA, etc. The newest version of SatPC32 allows you to create your own group names.
Then there are the source files from CelesTrak which group satellites by function. The CelesTrak groupings are things like amateur.txt, cubesat.txt, noaa.txt, and tle-new.txt for launches in the preceding 30 days. For instance, after launch AO-73 was in the tle-new file at first, and either has or will soon be moved to the amateur.txt file. Note the amsat.all file is created by merging the data from several source into ones which are of interest specifically to hams. In one sense, that is the most convenient, but unlike the Trak files it is only updated weekly.
Now, in SatPC32 you can assign a source file to a group. For instance, amateur.txt to Standard, tle-new.txt to Diverse, etc. One and only one source, though there are manual ways to merge them. You only need to do this assignment once. So assume you have assigned the tle-new.txt to Diverse, and then selected the satellites you want, including AO-73. To get AO-73 you select Satellites, then Groups, then Diverse and OK it, and you will then have AO-73 and whatever other new satellites displayed. Since Diverse is not the default group, you will need to select the group once each time you start SatPC32, but not the source file. Note that when AO-73 moves to amateur.txt, it will autmatically become available in the Standard list, assuming you have assigned amateur.txt as the Standard source file.
73s,
Alan WA4SCA
<-----Original Message----- <From: [email protected] <[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Burns Fisher <Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2013 5:08 PM <To: AMSAT BB <Subject: [amsat-bb] Help with SATPC32 (maybe groups) please < <Hi Everyone, < <I've used SatPC32 for a number of years, but I have been using it in <"simpleton" mode, it would seem. Now that AO-73 is in the <"cubesat.txt" <keps file rather than amateur, I apparently have to take the <next step in <my education about this program. < <Here the current general question: How do "groups" work. I <have googled, <and the term seems to be used both for Celestrak groups and <for the groups <in SatPC32 (e.g. Diverse, Standard, etc). I mean the SatPC32 <groups. What <I want to do is to have a number of satellites selectable with <the A,B,C... <buttons in the lower right. But right now, I have to pull down the <satellites menu and select "cubesat.txt" to get AO-73 and <"amateur.txt" to <get, say, VO-52 and SO-50. And whenever I switch to a new <keps file, all <the satellites I have selected as current for the previous <file disappear <from the right column. < <Somehow, I suspect that 'groups' are the answer to this, but I <can never <get the "edit" function under groups to do anything terribly <useful. It <looks like I can edit "standard", for example, so that if <selected, it uses <the satellites selected from amateur.txt or cubesat.txt but not both. < <Ok, so when I get into a pickle like this, it is usually <because I don't <understand the concept or the model that the program is using. < So rather <than (or as well as) "click x, select y, edit xxx.txt" the <kind of help I <hope I can get would be include "how are groups supposed to be <used?" And <by the way, I have read the manual, and it again seems to assume that I <know what groups are supposed to be. < <Thanks in advance, < <Burns, W2BFJ <_______________________________________________ <Sent via [email protected]. 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 <