SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/ham-satellite-tracking-program-outputs

What does a satellite tracking program provide?

All of it: a live map, pass times and directions, and Doppler-shifted frequency.

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  1. Only the satellite's position on a map
  2. Position map, pass times and directions, and Doppler frequency ✔
  3. Only the time of the next pass

Why: Tracking programs show where the satellite is, when a pass starts, peaks and ends, which way to point, and the frequency you'll actually hear after Doppler shift.

Huh, didn't know that: A pass prediction includes its start, highest point, and end.

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My satellite tracking app is so good, it knows where the satellite is before the satellite does.
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References

Answer: Position map, pass times and directions, and Doppler frequency. Tracking programs show where the satellite is, when a pass starts, peaks and ends, which way to point, and the frequency you'll actually hear after Doppler shift.

  1. NCVEC 2026-2030 Technician Question Pool (February 19, 2026 errata) ncvec.org/downloads/2026-2030%20Technician%20Pool%20and%20Syllabus%20Public%20Release%20Feb%2019%202026.pdf
    A. Maps showing the real-time position of the satellite track over Earth
    Checked 2026-10-09.
  2. NCVEC 2026-2030 Technician Question Pool (February 19, 2026 errata) ncvec.org/downloads/2026-2030%20Technician%20Pool%20and%20Syllabus%20Public%20Release%20Feb%2019%202026.pdf
    B. The time, azimuth, and elevation of the start, maximum altitude, and end of a pass
    Checked 2026-10-09.
  3. NCVEC 2026-2030 Technician Question Pool (February 19, 2026 errata) ncvec.org/downloads/2026-2030%20Technician%20Pool%20and%20Syllabus%20Public%20Release%20Feb%2019%202026.pdf
    C. The apparent frequency of the satellite transmission, including effects of Doppler shift
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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Ham RadioWhat information do you enter into a satellite tracking program?Ham RadioWhat is Doppler shift in satellite communications?Ham RadioWhat does LEO mean for communication satellites?

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