Next week the AMSAT verbose format will no longer be distributed by AMSAT email. This is the element set that looks like the following:

Satellite: AO-07 Catalog number: 07530 Epoch time: 15021.49149419 Element set: 174 Inclination: 101.5028 deg RA of node: 001.3581 deg Eccentricity: 0.0011670 Arg of perigee: 228.2064 deg Mean anomaly: 245.5090 deg Mean motion: 12.53610988 rev/day Decay rate: -1.6e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 83887 Checksum: 279

Please note that the following NASA 2-line (TLE) format will continue to be sent. The NASA 2-line TLE) format looks like this:

AO-07 1 07530U 74089B 15021.49149419 -.00000016 00000-0 17235-3 0 1747 2 07530 101.5028 001.3581 0011670 228.2064 245.5090 12.53610988838873

On January 22, 2015 I requested comments on discontinuing the AMSAT verbose format and the comments that I have received to date indicate that very few people would be affected by this change. The AMSAT verbose format has out lived its usefulness. Those that are affected by this change are considering work-arounds to allow them to use the NASA 2-line (TLE) format. Note that most satellite tracking programs readily accept the NASA 2-line (TLE) format if the correct upload options are chosen.

The NASA 2-line elements will continue being sent each week as they are now. In effect, the weekly email that you now receive will consist only of one email entitled orbYYDDD.2l.amsat (for example). The YY in the email title is the year (15 for 2015) and DDD is the Julian day of the year (022 for January 22nd).

The email entitled orbYYDDD.amsat (for example) will NOT be sent.

One more time, the weekly NASA 2-line element (NASA TLE) format email will continue to be sent each week as usual.

Joe Fitzgerald notes that another source of current Keplerian 2-line data (TLE) is now available. The following URL has current data for the AMSAT satellite list including the ISS and is updated at least daily using the latest ISS elements from Johnson Spaceflight Center.

http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/keps/current/nasabare.txt

New satellites are added as soon as possible - so there is no need to wait for the Thursday bulletin if you need an update right now.

Ray Hoad WA5QGD