Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers)
Here are the answers to some frequently-asked questions about
WinOrbit.
Q: How do I track more than one satellite at a time?
A: At present there is one principal satellite per Map Window.
You need to add additional windows, by using the
Windows:New
command in the Main Window. Once you have maps displayed for more than
1 satellite, you can also choose one of the sats to be a
secondary satellite
for display in any of the other windows.
Q: Why do I get the message "Invalid Keyword" from WinHelp, when I
click "Info" on the Map or Satellite Window ?
A: The Info command asks WinHelp to display the text page from this Help file,
for the currently-displayed
satellite.
If the satellite isn't in the file (or is indexed under a different name), you
will get the message. The satellite name (shown in the title bar of the
tracking window) must match an index entry exactly.
Q: Can I change or add to the
satellite
info file ?
A: Not directly. This is a Windows Help hypertext file and requires a special
compiler. However, you can add your own notations using the
Edit:Annotate menu option in Windows Help. This will put your notes in
a separate file (\WINDOWS\WINORBIT.ANN), and mark the topic with a "paperclip"
icon you can click to recall the notes. Beginning in version 2.7, you can also
access a
second satellite information file
of your choice.
Q: What if the satellite I want isn't in the available data files ?
A: If you have a source of tracking data (Keplerian elements), you can type
them in yourself, in the Satellite window (Choose Satellite... in the
Map window, or File:New in the Main window). Be sure to Setup:Save
Settings after doing this, or you will have to type the information in
again next time you start the program. Refer to the information on the
Satellite Database
for more details.
Q: Why are there duplicate entries in the satellite list?
A: You have probably opened more than one data file. At present, the program
does not overwrite any existing entries when you read a new file. It just
adds them at the end of the list. Thus you could have several entries for one
bird, possibly representing different element sets. Check the Description box
in the Satellite dialog to see which set you have selected. In addition, there
is a separate entry (near the beginning of the list) for each tracking window.
Thus, you can have a modified entry for the tracking window, and keep the
original entry below it in the file list.
Q: What is the future of the program, with Windows 95 and OS/2?
A: For the time being, I'm sticking with Windows 3.1. The program should run
just fine in OS/2. Windows 95 also promises backward compatibility. If you
try it, let me know.
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