1. What Astronomy mounts does SkyTrack work with?
2. Why do the satellite locations not agree with other software or sites such as www.heavens-above.com?
3. What is leap frog tracking?
4. Why is the mount unable to keep the satellite in its field of view continuously and track?
5. The software calculations seem correct but why am I unable to see any satellites through my telescope?
6. Why does the mount suddenly stop tracking?
7. Once I purchase SkyTrack, are updates free?
8. I purchased SkyTrack but have not received my registration code.
9. I downloaded the installation and my anti-virus detects a problem.
1.What Astronomy mounts does SkyTrack work with?
SkyTrack uses ASCOM drivers to communicate with the mount and issues commands. See https://https://ascom-standards.org/
for more information. Please test SkyTrack with your mount before purchasing.
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2. Why do the satellite locations not agree with other software or sites such as www.heavens-above.com?
Please ensure your site location and UTC offset is accurate. In North America, your longitude should be a postive value West. UTC offset (time zone) will
be a negative value in North America. Ensure you are using a recently downloaded TLE file. Minor differences in TLE files by different
websites/softwares will yield slightly different results. SkyTrack uses SGP4/SDP4 orbital models. Top
3. What is leap frog tracking?
With leap frog tracking the mount slews ahead of the satellite in its anticipated path. The mount stops and allows the object to drift
through its field of view, it then slews ahead again and repeats. Top
4. Why is the mount unable to keep the satellite in its field of view and continuously track?
In a pass, the satellite movement in degrees/second (from the observer's viewpoint) changes continuously. Not all ASCOM drivers support
variable slew rate commands. Starting with SkyTrack v1.5.1b ASCOM based continuous tracking is available. Top
5. The software calculations seem correct but why am I unable to see any satellites through my telescope?
Your PC time must be set very accurately, within 100ms is desirable. Try a longer leap frog time and longer FOV drift time. Start with the
Celestrak TLE file '100 Brightest Satellites' as some satellites are very dim. Top
6. Why does the mount suddenly stop tracking?
The satellite may be lower than the defined viewing limits in the 'Site' tab or is eclipsed by the earth's shadow. The 'Altitude Limit'
configuration of the mount may also cause tracking to stop. Top
7. Once I purchase SkyTrack, are updates free??
There are no annual fees for SkyTrack. Maintenance and minor updates are free. There may be a small update fee for a major update in the future.
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8. I purchased SkyTrack but have not received my registration code.
Normally, you should receive your registration code by email within 3 business days. Please check your Spam or "Junk" folder in your email. If you have not received your code, please email [email protected]
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9. I downloaded the installation and my anti-virus detects a problem.
I take security very seriously. The website uses SSL and Cloudflare. Install files are scanned for viruses using VirusTotal before uploading to a Google Drive for which I use
two factor authentication. Google Drive also performs a virus scan before the file is downloaded. Some anti-virus programs will produce false positives with unknown or uncommon programs. They can be submitted to the vendor for further analysis and placed on a whitelist to prevent further false detections.
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