NEW PROGRAM TO CONVERT TLEs

JAY RESPLER (JRespler@surfnj.net)
Sun, 13 Sep 1998 00:44:01 -0400

A little while ago, I asked if there was any program that could convert
TLEs to 'regular' values. Mike McCants graciously offered to write one
if I wrote the program specs.  After a couple of refinements, the final
result is available as XLATE.exe at Mike's web site. 

I wrote a batch file to be used with Qsort to sort the XLATE output 
on any of the columns. I'll email it on request.

I offer a big thank you to Mike McCants, John Gardner and Bjoern Gimle
for their help and cooperation in writing the TLE utilities that I
recently asked for.  Aside from the fact that I like observing
satellites, I'm happy to have the many helpful friends that 
share this interest. Thanks to you all.

Here is the XLATE  READ.ME file. The actual Output Line is 80
characters long. I shortened it here to avoid wrapping the line.

--------------------------------

This is a simple program to convert input tles to a single line of
output information.

The input tle:

AMS 1(DMSP F1)
1 09415U 76091A   98219.07937254  .00000090  00000-0  39327-4 0    08
2 09415  98.7550 345.0403 0020000  16.1670 343.8329 14.23788245    03

is converted into the output line:

Cat.# Int.ID Name           YrMoDa Pd.min MM/dot Inc   Ecc Apo-Mi-Peri
 9415 76091A AMS 1(DMSP F1) 980807  101.1 .00000 98.8 .00200 513   496

The program prompts for 4 inputs:

1. The input file name
2. The output file name
3. The letter k or K for output in kilometers (The default is miles.)
4. A selection criterion

There are 8 possible values that can be tested:

1. Period
2. Mean motion
3. Drag
4. Inclination
5. Eccentricity
6. Apogee (miles or kilometers)
7. Perigee (miles or kilometers)
8. NORAD catalog number

The user enters the selection number (1-8), a lower limit, and an upper
limit. Only those objects that meet the criterion will have information
written to the output file.  A blank line or a 0 means "no selection".
But if an 8 is entered and no limits, the user will be prompted to enter
specific NORAD catalog numbers.  Up to 100 ncat numbers can be entered.
When a blank line is entered, the selection of those numbers will be
performed.

Since the input file is processed one line at a time, there is no
limit on how many input tles can be processed.

If there is no "line 0 name line", the name field will be blank.

This program requires a co-processor.
-------------------------------------------

-- 
Jay Respler
--
            JRespler@surfnj.net 
Sky Views:  http://njsurf.com/skyviews/
  Satellite Tracker * Early Typewriter Collector
           Freehold,  New Jersey