Hi Kevin Thanks for your input. According to the documentation on the Starry Night Pro V6 site only the FIRST 150 satellites from an orbital element set are loaded. Here is a link to this statement - if it can display more then their site is incorrect/outdated http://www.starrynightsupport.com/support_trio/index.php?action=kb&article=171 I agree with your other comments though to a certain extent - the various programs will go to a satellite position but, as I pointed out the programs have the same defect as RTGUI does - the scope wont actually be pointing at the satellite but close to it because the drive has not stopped and the programs work in RA/Dec. NO planetarium type program has the ability yet to track on a satellite , ie LOCK on a satellite shown in the program display and then FOLLOW the satellite - they all insist on tracking at sidereal rate. GUIDE has been used in a similar manner for satellite tracking of geostationary satellites - ie used as a GOTO system but with the same defect as all the other programs . I believe Scott has used GUIDE in this way during the period when he also tried SATELLITE TRACKER and found that ST failed on some geosats ( thats why I refer to ST as being buggy). When I say a program has limited satellite tracking ability what I mean is that one is able to set the program running a minute or two fast, you then click on the satellite and the scope will then slew to that position and you then might have a chance of seeing the satellite go through your field of view- of course the bigger the field of view the better are your chances - I was able to use RTGUI like this- it worked - some of my recent observations were made in this mode - but it required more effort than what is was worth. I use NexRemote to control my scope for satellite tracking by switching OFF the scopes sidereal drive and working only in az/el - in this way the satellite is where its predicted - assuming elements are okay, but then NexRemote cant be called a satellite tracking program - the word satellite isnt even mentioned. Guess there really isnt much more that can be said on the subject - we have still to see THE program being written that will deliver the goods. SATELLITE TRACKER comes close - its a pity further development on it was stopped and the source code is not available for the various bugs to be sorted out. So Im pinning my hopes on HEAVENSAT eventually delivering the goods. Cheers from a very HOT Cape Town - was 35 deg C today and tonight its 24 deg C! Greg _______________________________________________ Seesat-l mailing list http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l
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