MoonTracker v2.0
================

MoonTracker tracks the Moon (or Sun), and sends tracking data to an
AZ/EL rotator using Hamlib's TCP rotator control daemon.  Its primary
application is in supporting EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) radio communications.
The Sun tracking capability can be used to measure Sun Noise, help
facilitate and assess array alignment, or steer solar panels, even
through the clouds.

MoonTracker reads ground station location information from PREDICT's
predict.qth file.  MoonTracker shares similar command-line options
to specify rotator options with PREDICT.  Invoking Moontracker with
a -v command-line switch lists the application's configurable options
with defaults shown in parentheses:

        --==[ MoonTracker v2.0 ]==--

           ...Available options...

	-h  sets an alternate hostname (localhost)
	-p  sets an alternate network port (4533)
	-q  sets an alternate qth file (predict.qth)
	-u  sets an alternate update interval (5)
	-s  track the Sun instead of the Moon
	-v  displays this information

Since MoonTracker tracks the Moon (or Sun) and sends tracking data to
an AZ/EL rotator using Hamlib's TCP rotator control daemon, you must
have Hamlib installed on your system, and run:

	rotctld

plus options specific to your station in the background or on a separate
terminal, prior to starting MoonTracker.

For testing purposes, running:

	rotctld -T localhost

will allow any user on "localhost" to run the "read_rotor" script included
in this package to observe the rotator's Azimuth and Elevation bearings.
Note that these positions need to be queried periodically before they reflect
the actual Azimuth and Elevation of the object being tracked. This polling
is normally conducted by "rotctl" and its associated rotator hardware.

If the object being tracked is above the horizon when MoonTracker is started,
the rotator will be positioned to the object as quickly as possible.  The
program will also report the current Azimuth and Elevation of the object as
well as a predicted setting date and time of the object.  If the object is below
the horizon at the time MoonTracker is started, the current Azimuth and Elevation
of the object are reported, along with a predicted rise time and a count-down
clock to that event.  The rotators will begin moving toward the target two
minutes before rise time.

After the object sets and moves below the horizon, MoonTracker will end excecution.
MoonTracker can be forced to end execution at any time by pressing the [ESC], Q, or
q keys on the keyboard.

As of version 4.7.1, Hamlib supports the following rotators and interfaces:

	* Easycomm I and II protocols
	* Fodtrack, a parallel port interface designed by XQ2FOD, which handles up to 2 rotators.
	* SARtek
	* Rotor-EZ, RotorCard, DCU-1/DCU-1X, DF9GR's ERC
	* GS-232A, GS-232B, GS-232 (not A or B), and F1TE Tracker
	* PcRotor
	* HD 1780 Intellirotor
	* SPID
	* EA4TX's ARS RCI classic and SE, with or without Elevation unit
	* M2/Orion RC2800
	* ts7400 by LA7LKA
	* Celestron NexStar, e.g. Orion TeleTrack AZ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
	* AMSAT IF-100
	* SkyWatcher AllView using Celestron NexStar backend
	* Ether6
	* CNCTRK
	* Prosistel D Azimuth, D Elevation, Combi-Track (Az+El)
	* Meade LX200/Autostar
	* iOptron
	* SatEL
	* Radant

Further information on Hamlib is available at:

	https://github.com/Hamlib/Hamlib/wiki/Hamlib


73, de John, KD2BD

June 2026

