ZS5SAM's (exZR5FA) Satscape Review

Satscape ver1.84

This is one of those programs where a review cannot suitably do it justice as you just have to see and user it to fully appreciate it. Although you are requested to register as a user, the software is free. There has been 3 updates since version 1.72, version 1.84 being the latest and most impressive update. I have used many Satellite Tracking Programs over the past years and my firm favourite was always Insatrack as it has good features, was accurate and got the Job done. My search for a new program started when I noticed that Insatrack, despite the Y2K fix was not as accurate as it used to be. In all fairness it could have been that I was doing something wrong, but all the same I started looking for something new. I managed to find three new Windows based packages but none of them impressed me very much. It was the tail end of a feature on Satscape, presented by Ken Groom (ZR5AAD) on Mirror International, the weekly Amateur Radio News broadcast aired by the South African Amateur Radio League, that set me on the right track.

I downloaded the Satscape and optional voice software from the Satscape Web Page and proceeded to install it. Installation of the software was a breeze, and the program was launched with out a reboot being required. Set-up requirements, found in the Satscape Control Panel, are basically the same as with most Satellite tracking software namely your location (QTH), Lats and Long Co-ordinates, height above sea level and Time zone. This should not take longer than a few minutes. You may add additional locations if you wish as well as activate Satscape to announce pending satellite passes. The next step is to select the satellites, you wish to track, from a very comprehensive satellite listing. The satellites are grouped into Geostationary, Amateur, New, Weather and Visual and you can add or delete groups at will. To update your keps you need simply go to the Satscape Control Panel and select "Keplerian Element Update and Clock Sync. All the latest elements will be downloaded and automatically updated (and your PC clock will be checked and corrected if you wish). There are a host of other features you can use to customise the application to your personal taste or requirements including features such as the groundtrack length; minimum elevation and the map refresh rate. To track your selected satellites you need now only choose the view you would like, i.e. Whole World, Regional or Panoramic View and you are on your way. The graphical representation of the Earth is very nicely done and each of the Satellites being tracked appear as icons. Your currently selected satellite has a graphical representation of its "footprint". The Panoramic view is a very useful feature for those hoping to make a visual contact with a satellite as it gives you a very nice representation of where the satellite is situated with respect to your horizon.

The tabular screen lists all your selected satellites and indicates data such as range and current status. The Pass prediction screen will show you the predicted passes per selected date or time. Data includes Acquisition, Peak and Loss of signal times, heading and elevation. You have the option to print the results or to save them for future viewing. This is a very useful feature for anyone who has a tight schedule or a short memory.

The ETA screen displays the next ETA for all of your selected satellites, thereby assisting you in organising which satellite to set up for next, i.e. Packsat, Voice, Telemetry, WXSat etc. Another great feature of Satscape is it's ability to automatically record WXsat audio, in your absence, when the selected satellite is in range; thereby enabling you to decode the data at a later stage.

As I mentioned in the preface, you will only truly appreciate the value this feature rich software when you get to use it. So visit the site at http://www.satscape.co.uk and see for yourself.

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