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Author
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Topic: Satellite Viewing
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Mike
Member Posts: 178
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Registered: May 2001
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posted 07-21-2001 09:52 PM
   
Since I've been visiting here on CS I've taken on a new hobby, viewing satellites and starting a log of those I've seen. I've been using the Heaven's Above site for times. Anyone else out there do this, and what things do you keep in the log? Any help will be appreciated.Thanks,
Mike [This message has been edited by Mike (edited July 21, 2001).] |
zoomeruk
Member Posts: 67
From: England
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 07-22-2001 02:56 AM
I too like to anticipate the the overhead passes of satellites. I use STSPLUS available from http://www.dransom.com/stsplus.html
Its quite cool to be able to know at what time the SHUTTLE, or in its day MIR, was passing and being able to listen to the crews chat on the amateur radio bands, using a multi-band radio scanner.Anyone know what frequencies the ISS use for any 'orbit to ground' or ground to orbit' communications. Alas I'm not as disciplined, and do not keep logs. I'm sure that if you look at some of the free amateur software available on-line, your find something to suit. Keep on tracking! Paul
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Mike
Member Posts: 178
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Registered: May 2001
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posted 07-22-2001 06:25 AM
I wake up this morning, find a note on the kitchen table, and open the noted file. My wife, unable to sleep, had spent a few minutes creating a log foe me using Excel. Is this a great life or what?Mike |
Hawkman
Member Posts: 400
From: Union, New Jersey
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 07-22-2001 06:49 AM
Try this site: http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/RealTime/JPass/20/ It's a GREAT site for seeing WHAT will pass over you and WHEN. I recommend taking a look at the J-Pass 3D when you get there. It pops open another window that gives you a 3D rendering of the earth and ALL satellite positions. It then tracks them in REAL TIME which is very cool. I would set it to update every 1/4 second. You can click on any satellite to see it's ground track. It's automatically set to the ISS. Even cooler is the fact that you can "grab" the earth and move it around to the point of view of your liking, moving the satellite paths along with it. You can zoom in and out also so that you can see satellites all the way out to geosynchronous orbit or get in "close". Also, for those that can, I would recommend a Night Vision scope. Sometimes on a clear night, I will go outside and just look around the sky with mine and will see satellites passing over that you would NEVER see with the naked eye or binoculars. Also the occasional meteor. Good Luck,
Gene |
Hawkman
Member Posts: 400
From: Union, New Jersey
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 07-22-2001 06:57 AM
Whoops! Forgot to tell you, there is also an option in the J-Track 3D that allows you to pick what satellite you want to see AND, if available, you can click on info for that satellite.Nice to see that Vanguard 1 is still up there! :-) Gene [This message has been edited by Hawkman (edited July 22, 2001).] |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 07-22-2001 11:29 AM
I have one of my computers set up to track weather satellites. See here: www.geocities.com/tegwilym
Tom
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Mike
Member Posts: 178
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Registered: May 2001
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posted 07-22-2001 06:36 PM
Gene,
That's a cool site. I think it'll take some playing with to get comfortable using it. Thanks for the suggestionTom,
My wife said, "Oh no you don't," when I looked at your station. Oh, well. Mike |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 07-22-2001 11:00 PM
Heh! I guess that along with my collection of odd space junk is why I'm single? 
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Mike
Member Posts: 178
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Registered: May 2001
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posted 07-23-2001 05:37 AM
Tom,
That is what she told me I would be too! Hmmm....Mike |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 07-23-2001 09:47 AM
How come women never seem to understand the joy in toys like that or strange collections of space stuff? |
Jacqueline
Member Posts: 344
From: UK
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 07-23-2001 10:35 AM
Some of us do!Jacqueline |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 07-23-2001 12:26 PM
Yeah, well you, Kirsten and Cindy are a rare bunch I guess! My pilot friends come over to my place and say "You live in a museum Tom!". I just take that as a compliment. Then they go upstairs and see my room full of computer and radio stuff and they say "Tom, you are a geek!"
Oh well....call me what you want, I just have fun with my toys!
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Ben
Member Posts: 1896
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: May 2000
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posted 07-25-2001 10:19 PM
BACK from Calif!!!!Anyway... How could you guys miss the center of it all?
www.heavens-above.com
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______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
-Ben http://www.geocities.com/ovcolumbia/totaleclipse.html "'Time was invented to keep everything from happening at the same time.
Space was invented so that everything doesen't happen to you.' -Anonymous" |
Mike
Member Posts: 178
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Registered: May 2001
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posted 07-25-2001 11:06 PM
Ben,
Welcome back! BTW Heavens Above is what I use mostly. I was seeing a lot of sats that weren't on the schedule for the San Diego area and then I found that radio sat page. My log is growing quickly.Mike |
Kirsten
Member Posts: 536
From: Delft, Netherlands
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-26-2001 02:06 PM
Hi Tom - Maybe I missed something on your homepage. It shows your computer terminal but not the rest of your flat cq your so-called "space museum"... I also enjoyed your pics of your KSC trip. I was there myself 10 years ago now. As far as the space-maniac women on this group are concerned, I can tell you that at least Cindy and I are singles - And I met my by now first and only boy friend via the hobby of space collecting ... What a tremendous hobby I have - men should be queuing at my (at least virtual) door ... <G> - at last this hobby is most densely populated by men ... Best wishes and happy hunting, collecting and dating, Kirsten
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tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 07-27-2001 12:24 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Kirsten:
As far as the space-maniac women on this group are concerned, I can tell you that at least Cindy and I are singles - And I met my by now first and only boy friend via the hobby of space collecting ... What a tremendous hobby I have - men should be queuing at my (at least virtual) door ... <G> - at last this hobby is most densely populated by men ... Best wishes and happy hunting, collecting and dating,
Oh, I don't have a link to the "museum" part yet. But look at this one: www.geocities.com/tegwilym2
I still need to make a better site with my space junk, but this is just a quick start.
A few people are really impressed with my stuff, while others who visit get this nervous look on their face and suddenly have an appointment they are late to and run out the door! I do well with the hunting and collecting, but the dating part never seems to work out very well! Mmmmm...I see there is a new Liberty Bell 7 part for sale now..... Tom |
Kirsten
Member Posts: 536
From: Delft, Netherlands
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-27-2001 01:22 AM
Cool, that link of yours !!!  And I thought I was a space maniac - you are even worse !!! Best wishes, Kirsten
[This message has been edited by Kirsten (edited July 27, 2001).] |
Rick Boos
Member Posts: 851
From: Celina, Ohio
Registered: Feb 2000
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posted 07-27-2001 09:59 AM
Thought you might be interested in knowing that there was a book published called "Observing Earth Satellites" by Desmond King-Hele. It was published in 1983 by Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Inc. It has 184 pages and lots of photos and charts, and is hardback.Also, back in 1987 Anthony R. Curtis editor Of "Space Today" magazine published an annual encylopedia that listed ALL of the man-made objects from spacefaring nations which listed all the data you would ever need. I don't know if if this is still being published and updated or not. The tital for the book that I have is "1987 Space Satellite Handbook, and it is 304 pages long and was published by ARCsoft Publishers P.O. Box 132,Woodsboro,Maryland 21798, ISBN 0-86668-063-2.The book covers satellites that are still in orbit and satellites no longer in orbit, country scoreboard,radio frequencies, international designation, name of object, catalog number, source(country),Launch date,period minutes, inclination, apogee, perigee, decay and so on. Think this would well be worth your time to check into. Hope this helps, and good luck!!!
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tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 07-27-2001 10:37 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Kirsten:
Cool, that link of yours !!! And I thought I was a space maniac - you are even worse !!!
[This message has been edited by Kirsten (edited July 27, 2001).]
Worse eh? Yeah, I know I have a problem, but just won't admit to it. I have a few more goodies arriving in the mail any day also.
T.
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Kirsten
Member Posts: 536
From: Delft, Netherlands
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-27-2001 10:51 AM
Then good luck, Tom! What kind of goodies - hardware or autographs?Best wishes, Kirsten
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Jacqueline
Member Posts: 344
From: UK
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 07-27-2001 02:58 PM
TomEnjoyed the tour of your house. What's with the lizard? Jacqueline |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 07-27-2001 03:57 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Kirsten:
Then good luck, Tom! What kind of goodies - hardware or autographs?Best wishes, Kirsten
A couple of things I got off Ebay. Nothing really historical or anything just some fun stuff. An Alan Shepard statue of him standing on the moon holding the flag, a moon landing tapestry, and I should get the NASA Mission Reports for STS 1-5 any day also!
I still have a large envelope full of flown shuttle stuff from Ken H., that I need to frame somehow and put on my walls. Uh...as for the lizard, I don't have any explanation for that! Next time I'll get pictures of my 2 rabbits in there. (They are the real kind, not plastic like the lizard!). Tom |
Cindys_1
Member Posts: 192
From: Titusville, FL 32796
Registered: May 2001
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posted 07-27-2001 05:48 PM
>>As far as the space-maniac women on this group are concerned, I can tell you that at least Cindy and I are singles - And I met my by now first and only boy friend via the hobby of space collecting ... << SHHHHH!
Don't tell too many men....... I got into space collecting about the early 90's when I met.......him......ya know.....that guy in Merritt Island that's getting married...... ------------------
Cindy [This message has been edited by Cindys_1 (edited July 27, 2001).] |
Mike
Member Posts: 178
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Registered: May 2001
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posted 08-18-2001 08:28 PM
Got my first good look at the ISS/Shuttle last nite. Went up into the hills they call mountains in San Diego to about 6000 ft. The pass took about 3 minutes and was great! The only other way to get a view that great is to go higher or to go out on the open ocean, at least 20 miles offshore. I envy the people living in the Rockies!Mike |
Ben
Member Posts: 1896
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: May 2000
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posted 08-18-2001 09:01 PM
Thats not true....the ISS/Shuttle is very bright, as well as most satellites. Im in New York City, and the views are great, even of the tiny satellites.
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______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
-Ben http://www.geocities.com/ovcolumbia/totaleclipse.html "'Time was invented to keep everything from happening at the same time.
Space was invented so that everything doesen't happen to you.' -Anonymous" |
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