HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 161.02 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD JUNE 11, 1989
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT

The New Version Of Quiktrak 4.0 Is "Knocking The Socks Off" OSCAR Users

Since the release of Bob McGwier's (N4HY) newest version of his very popular
satellite tracking program Quiktrak 4.0 (QT4.0) for IBMs and IBM clones,
several hundred OSCAR enthusiasts have either upgraded from QT3.2 or acquired
a copy of QT4.0.  Almost from the moment it was debuted at the Dayton HAM-
VENTION '89, users have been "awestruck" by the improved graphical tracking
maps that are possible with the upgrade to EGA graphics for QT4.0.  In
addition to the improved graphics, there are numerous enhancements which have
been added.  For instance, many AO-13 users will find the "mutual visibility"
feature very handy when they are planning QSOs to any one of the 100 different
cities which can be stored in the QTH database in QT4.0.  If you are trying to
work that rare "DX" station across the world, QT4.0 will produce a table of
"Acquistion of Window" or "Loss of Window" times which saves the user from
laborious task of running a less sophisticated program  twice, once for each
QTH, and then manually finding the "intersection" of the operating times. 
QT4.0 finds these mutual visibility sessions based either on "minimum range"
or minimum "squint angle."  If you like to visually observe space objects,
QT4.0 will search out possiblities and print a tabular listing of the times,
azimuths, elevations, and even Right Ascension/Declination for your QTH.  You
can track up to 100 satellites now with the enlarged satellite database which
QT4.0 now affords its users.  And for those who HATE to enter Keplerian data,
with each copy of QT4.0, there is a utility which is included that will take
any file that contains the weekly AMSAT-NA "W0RPK ORBS" data or a NASA file
and automatically install the new elements!  As many users of QT4.0 are find-
ing, this newest version of N4HY's famous tracking program is a significant
improvement over his earlier versions.  The new features discussed above only
"scratch the surface" of the capabilities of this new version.  If you would
like to obtain a copy of QT4.0, contact AMSAT-NA HQ [(301) 589-6069] for more
information.