Resend: PPASINP v2.0 for Windows

Jim Varney (jvarney@mail2.quiknet.com)
Sun, 22 Dec 1996 10:28:25 -0800 

My apologies for the previous version of this message, which was
nearly unreadable.  I'll learn word wrap some day :) Let's try 
again:

Leo Barhorst wrote:

>These observation were processed using PPASINP V2.0; a PPAS and DRA
>input program

Actually Leo used a beta version of the new PPASINP.  That beta 
seems to be working fine, so it's now no longer a beta and can be 
downloaded from my website at

  www.quiknet.com/~jvarney

PPASINP V2.0 is a Windows program that takes your raw stopwatch 
readings of flashing satellites and converts them into the standard 
PPAS format.  Changes from V1.0 include:

  - Now supports the Determination of Rotation Axis Project (DRA) 
    format. 
  - DRA-style timings of every flash can be input in the DRA form,
    and the user has the option of creating DRA-format output,
    exporting the results to average flash period PPAS-format,
    or both. 
  - Calculation of start or end of flash period observations can now 
    be made from a time synchronization 'mark.' Calculation of times 
    relative to date and time of synchronization are rigorously 
    converted to Julian date and time, so the users need not worry 
    about pre- and post-midnight, change of year, year 2000, etc.
  - Recognizing that some users may be using Windows 3.1 with 
    relatively small amounts of RAM, the coding was changed to use 
    memory more sparingly.

I want to express my thanks to Leo Barhorst for agreeing to test 
the beta.  He was very patient, even after enduring four or five 
different builds of the beta!

Please note that PPASINP is strictly a data-input interface.  If you 
would like to analyze groups of PPAS data, including plotting graphs 
of flash behavior versus time, then the program of choice is 
SatFlash v6.2 by Jean De Weerdt and Bart De Pontieu.  That program
is available at the Oxford FTP site.

Hope you find the program useful and, as always, I welcome your 
comments.

 -- Jim


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Jim Varney       | 121^ 23' 54" W,  38^ 27' 28" N   |           Sacramento, CA
Member, SeeSat-L |           Elev. 31 ft.           |                         
Member, Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society      |jvarney@mail2.quiknet.com
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