New subject: [amsat-bb] PSAT2 simple tracking for wilderness mobiles

27 Jun 2019


      You don't need no stinkin' computer...
I updated my Mobile LEO tracking site to show graphically how PSAT2 orbit
works.
http://aprs.org/MobileLEOtracking.html
Easy to remember.  5 minutes later per day, but a new orbit an hour and a
half earlier every other day.  (This is approximate... time will tell...
might change as we see the effect of the elliptical orbit)
If you are in the wilderness, just monitor 145.825 and when you hear
PSAT2, then you can easily guess all orbits in the future...
Bob, WB4APR
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Bruninga [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2019 12:13 PM
To: 'amsat bb' [email protected]
Cc: Robert Bruninga [email protected]; 'Steve Dimse' [email protected]
Subject: PSAT2 is coming to Northern Latitudes!!
PSAT2 is coming to the Northern hemisphere!
After reviewing the orbit, it is somewhat time synchronous, meaning each
orbit time (at mid northern latitudes) is just 5 minutes later each night.
But then a NEW earlier orbit appears 90 minutes earlier every other day.
So, by the 4th of july, one week from now, PSAT2 first pass will be as
early as 4 PM local time... (in the Northern Hemisphere mid latitudes)
And the Apogee moves rapidly,  In just two weeks, Apogee will be over the
northern hemisphere giving higher latitudes much better access.  At launch
it was the middle of the night and perigee was in the Northern hemisphere
making it only visible for lower latitudes.
So things will improve for Northern Hemisphere .... (and then two weeks
get worse, etc)...
24 Hour telemetry plots (links to FINDU.COM) are now available on the
http://aprs.org/psat2.html page.
Bob, WB4APR