Favorite Links
The links on this page represent internet sites that I have found to be either useful or interesting (or both) as relating (mostly) to the content of this web site. I have catagorized the links under the major headings of Astronomy Links, Amateur Radio Links, and Miscellaneous Links. Hopefully, you will find them to be equally useful and/or interesting.
Astronomy Links
Free Planetary Software:
The best FREE planetaium software that I've found and use on a regular basis is Cartes du Ciel. I run this software on Windows XP and 98SE operating systems and have experienced no problems. Orbital parameters for newly discovered comets can be downloaded from internet sites and displayed in a matter of minutes.
www.stargazing.net/astropc/Free Lunar Atlas Software:
The best FREE lunar atlas software that I've found and use on a regular basis is Virtual Moon Atlas. I run this software on Windows XP and 98SE operating systems and have experienced no problems. After entering your location data, the phase of the Moon is displayed for any date and time selected. Also, you can zoom in and explore any lunar features with detailed descriptions and optionally view photos taken by various exploration vehicles.
www.astrosurf.com/avl/UK_index.htmlSatellite, ISS, Space Shuttle Viewing Information:
The website heavens-above.com provides real-time satellite, International Space Station, and Space Shuttle orbital pass information, maps, and star charts. I have used this web site often to view passes of the ISS, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Space Shuttle from my house. This site also provides detailed information on the Sun, Moon, and plantes.
www.heavens-above.comAstronomy Picture of the Day:
Each day, this website features a different image of our universe, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/Buy, Sell, Trade Astronomy Equipment:
Astromart.com is the premier web site for buying, selling, and trading of astronomy equipment by the amateur astronomer community. My principal astrophotography cameras were purchased via listings on this web site's classified section. The web site also features news, equipment reviews, auction, and forum sections.
www.astromart.com/classifieds/The New CCD Astronomy:
The New CCD Astronomy by Ron Wodaski is considered by many to be the definitive text on astrophotography with CCD cameras. This link is to the companion web site to the book. Ron is also in final production on a book with companion DVD-ROM that details astrophotography image processing using Photoshop CS. This book, Image Processing: The Zone System for Astro Imaging, can be preordered now with delivery expected in Spring 2006.
www.newastro.com/newastro/www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?pid=7171
CCDWare:
CCDWare is the web site for CCD Autopilot. This Windows software is an executive program and controls and simplifies all aspects of CCD imaging from gathering light, dark, and flat images to setting up focus routines and controlling the telescope and mount. With CCD Autopilot, you can set up the imaging session for the night then do something else or even go to sleep while CCD Autopilot takes care of all the imaging. This web site also has resources such as subexposure calculator and a autoguide parameters calculator.
www.ccdware.comCCD Commander:
CCD Commander is another piece of executive software for controlling all aspects of a CCD imaging session. This software is intended to allow unattended imaging and includes the ability to automatically perform a "meridian flip" for German equatorially mounted scopes.
ccdcommander.astromatt.comRobo-Focus:
Robo-Focus produced by Technical Innovations, Inc. is a remote driver installed on your existing telescope focus mechanism. The mechanism of this device is a stepper motor that is mounted on the rear cell of my SCT and drives the focus knob via a drive belt. Under either software or manual control, the stepper motor can drive the focus knob in either direction by increments of about 0.1 degree per step.
www.homedome.com/robofoc1.htmFocusMax Software:
FocusMax is freeware software created by Larry Weber and Steve Brady that uses a new focus algorithm developed specifically for amateur astronomers. Used in conjunction with CCDSoft camera control software and the Robo-Focus hardware and software, automated and repeatable focusing can be completed in less than a minute. This is particularly useful when imaging through a SCT due to frequent focus shift and changing ambient temperature.
users.bsdwebsolutions.com/~larryweber/Santa Barbara Instrument Group (SBIG):
SBIG astro cameras are generally considered the standard against which all other manufacturers compare their products. Utilizing their patented dual CCD design (one for imaging and one for tracking), SBIG cameras make autoguided imaging within the capability of most amateur astronomers. My major purchases of SBIG products are the ST-7XE camera and the CFW-10 color filter wheel.
www.sbig.comAstrodon Tru-Balance Filters:
Astrodon manufactures filters for CCD imaging and I use their 'E' series (Clear, Red, Green, Blue) filters with my SBIG ST-7XE camera and SBIG CFW-10 color filter wheel. These filters simplify all aspects of tri-color imaging by allowing equal RGB exposure lengths to produce a correctly color balanced image. Astrodon also sells a wide range of filters for narrow-band imaging.
www.astrodon.comSoftware Bisque:
Software Bisque is the developers of The Sky Version 6 that I use to control my Takahashi EM-200 Temma 2 mount. With its planetarium program and extensive guide star catalog, I can choose the framing and guide star selection for any object in advance of the actual imaging session. Software Bisque has also collaborated with SBIG to produce the camera control and image processing software CCDSoft.
www.bisque.comHubble Space Telescope:
News, galleries, and more from the world's greatest space-borne astronomical resource, the Hubble Space Telescope. Extensive collection of images, wall papers, and screen savers available for download.
hubblesite.orgAmateur Radio Links
American Radio Relay League:
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is a noncommercial association of radio amateurs, organized for the promotion of interestin Amateur Radio communications. The ARRL sponsors many contests throughout the year and sponsors the DX Century Club (DXCC) program for promotion of Amateur Radio communications throughout the world. The ARRL web site is very extensive with some areas accessible only to members.
www.arrl.orgN1MM Free Contest Logging Software:
N1MM is a fully featured free contest logging program that supports an extensive and growing list of Amateur Radio contests throughout the year. This software supports all modes of contesting and has more features than can be listed here. I've been using N1MM for several years now and highly recommend it for its value and ease of use. N1MM is unique in that the software is supported, maintained, and updated on a regular basis. This level of support is rarely seen in freeware software.
pages.cthome.net/n1mmMMTTY Freeware RTTY Software:
MMTTY is freeware software used to facilitate Amateur Radio communications using the RTTY (Radioteletype) digital mode of operation. This software utilizes the computer's sound card to collect, sample, and decode incoming RTTY signals from the radio. MMTTY also will use the sound card to generate RTTY characters to be sent to the radio's microphone input to generate AFSK (Audio Frequency Shift Keying) characters. Alternatively, the software can generate digital levels via a com port to key a rig working in true FSK mode. This is how I operate RTTY via MMTTY. Value and ease of use make MMTTY an excellent software package for RTTY communications.
mmhamsoft.ham-radio.ch/mmttyDigiPan Freeware PSK-31 Software:
DigiPan is freeware software used to facilitate Amateur Radio communications using the PSK-31 (Phase Shift Keying) digital mode of operation. This software utilizes the computer's sound card to collect, sample, and decode incoming PSK signals from the radio. DigiPan also uses the sound card to generate PSK-31 characters to be sent to the radio's microphone input. I have used DigiPan extensively for all my PSK-31 operations. Value and ease of use make DigiPanan execellent choice of software for PSK-31 operation.
www.digipan.netCW-Get Shareware CW Decoding Software:
CW-Get is shareware software used to decode CW (Morse Code) characters and display text of the incoming message. This software utilizes the computer's sound card to collect, sample, and decode incoming CW signals from the radio. I use CW-Get to decode the high speed CW messages heard during CW contests. Also, since CW-Get will decode the radio's side tone, I find it an excellent tool for practicing CW transmissions. If CW-Get can clearly decode your "fist", then your characters are being generated with the proper spacing and weighting. CW-Get costs $35 for registration.
www.dxsoft.com/en/products/cwgetGAP Antenna:
GAP Antenna Products, Inc. is the manufacturer of my Titan DX 8-band vertical antenna. This antenna requires no radials and needs no guy wires. I have had my Titan in place since November 2000 and have enjoyed excellent performance. It has been taken town once (now twice) in the five years that I have owned it. This short period of "down time" was during the three weeks between the passage of Hurricanes Francis and Jeanne (now Hurricane Wilma in 2005) in the summer of 2004. More information regarding the GAP Titan DX vertical antenna can be found on my Amateur Radio Equipment web page.
www.gapantenna.comElecraft:
Elecraft is the manufacturer of my K1 four band QRP transceiver. This strictly CW rig was home-built from a kit in approximately 30 hours. Elecraft also offers a K2 rig that is a CW and a SSB QRP transceiver with an option to boost the output power to 100 watts. All elecraft rigs are excellent performers and the detail incorporated in the kit design and instruction/assembly manual make their products perfect for first-time builders.
www.elecraft.comWest Mountain Radio:
West Mountain Radio is the manufacturer of the Rigblaster series of computer-to-radio interface modules. I started out owning a Rigblaster M8 module which allowed me to get a start in RTTY and PSK-31 operation. Later, I upgraded to the Rigblaster Pro to gain the ability to run RTTY using the FSK capability of my rig. This switch from the AFSK to FSK operation allowed the use of extensive filter options built into my Kenwood TS-970D transceiver.
www.westmountainradio.comOther Links:
National Hurricane Center:
This link is to the home page of the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction Center. On these pages, advisories on any active storms in the Atlantic Ocean, Carribean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico (as well as any storms in the eastern Pacific Ocean) are available. Also, recent images and loops from the fixed and floating GEOS satellites can be found. I find the storm Discussions generated every six hours for active storms to be particularly informative. These advisories discuss the current trends of the track and intensity models that are used to generate the official forecast.
www.nhc.noaa.govNational Weather Service:
This link is to the homepage of the National Weather Service. By clicking anywhere on the map, you have access to all the local weather service branches around the nation. These pages contain local forecasts, local forecast discussions, radar imagery, satellite imagery, and climatological information for the coverage watch area served by the local branch.
www.weather.govWorld Time Server:
This link is to the homepage of the World Time Server web site. This site is home to the freeware program Atomic Clock Sync which automatically sets the computer's system time. This program connects to one of the time servers operated by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and will set the time in your computer with the atomic time-scale operated by the NIST usually within +/- one or two seconds.
www.worldtimeserver.com