Joe - I did the implementation described in a professional flight dynamics software program. The convention (as specified by the gov't) is to have an array of 360 azimuthal "obscura" elevations. The first entry defines the minimum elevation for 0 to 1 deg in azimuth, the second entry defines the minimum elevation for 1 to 2 deg in azimuth, up to the 360th entry defining 359 to 0/360 deg in azimuth. The 1-deg wide azimuthal increments are narrow enough that you get an excellent obscura picture even with the elevations being a step function. It provides a great way to anticipate when obstructions may interfere with an RF or visible LOS.
73, Ken N2WWD Sent from my iPad On Mar 26, 2013, at 2:34 PM, Joseph Armbruster <[email protected]> wrote: > Joe, > > What tracking program is that? > > I was thinking of making my satellite icons configurable. This way the > satellite would look like the actual satellite. Even better, I could store > collada models for them and load them in place of the icon. Oh la la, that's > an idea. > > Joseph Armbruster > > > On Mar 26, 2013, at 7:58 AM, Joe Fitzgerald wrote: > >> On 3/25/2013 6:42 PM, Ken Ernandes wrote: >>> 2. If you decide to give the users the ability to input their location, >>> them the option to provide either a single minimum elevation angle or a >>> local map -- i.e., 360 individual minimum elevations as a function of >>> Azimuth. It's much easier to project this and the user is generally >>> interested in an unobstructed LOS with respect to his/her location. >>> >>> >> >> It's not the best resolution but in the image below, you can see how there >> are "cut outs" in the circles surrounding NASA's ground stations - the >> software has clearly implemented the idea Ken outlined above. For example, >> there is apparently some obstruction to the south east of the Hawaiian >> tracking station. If the sub-satelite point is inside the white line it's >> AOS. The surface of the earth visible to the shuttle, on the other hand, is >> simply a red circle, just faintly visible in this image. >> >> http://vault.newsfromspace.com/missions/sts114/STS114_land-5.jpg >> >> -Joe KM1P >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 _______________________________________________ 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
