It's all about the Software

The satellite Automatic Schedule sometimes does not switch to the frequency for the next satellite on the schedule. Sometimes it switches to the frequency defined for the satellite using Organise but sometimes it does not switch to that frequency. Since I am only recording the three NOAA satellites on 137.1, 137.9125 and 137.62 MHz, the 2 MHz bandwidth of the HackRF is wide enough to record all of them, but it is not switching to the satellite's frequency. So, in real time, you don't see it in the spectrum and in the waterfall unless you manually scroll the display sideways. Likewise later when you Play the recording, you have to search for the signal or move to the frequency, whereas it used to default to display the frequency that was set for the recording of that particular NOAA satellite. So it sometimes seems to be ignoring the satellite frequency that is set using Organise.

The problem of the wrong frequency in the Automatic Schedule occurred again this morning. When I turned on SDR Console, the waterfall and the spectrum came up centred on 137.6200 MHz (NOAA 15). The Automatic Schedule and the Enable Tracking were on by default. The next satellite pass was shown as NOAA 18 which is on 137.6125, but nothing switched over to 137.9125 for the pass. The 2 MHz bandwidth was wide enough to also record 137.9125. As soon as NOAA 18 passed, Automatic Scheduler switched over to NOAA 19 (137.100) and the display and the recording frequency switched over to 137.100, as it should. So it looks like the problem is just with the first pass after SDR Console is turned on. Perhaps, right after SDR Console is started, if the Automatic Schedule and Enable Tracking are disabled and re-enabled, the frequency and the display would switch to the correct frequency for the first available satellite pass. I'll check that out at the next opportunity. I am using Windows 10 and a HackRF.

OK. For the next opportunity, I tuned to a different frequency and then shut down SDR Console. I restarted SDR Console just before the next satellite pass, and this time, it did immediately switch to the correct frequency of the scheduled satellite, and set the display and waterfall correctly. That is different from the previous time I tried the same thing. So it appears to work sometimes but not others.

I'll dig into the code, this could be possible. A lot depends on overlapping passes, so a screenshot showing me the pass data would help.

Here is an example from this morning of SDR Console not changing frequencies. I started with Automatic Schedule off and Enable Tracking off. I tuned to 137.025 MHz with the WFM centred on 137.000. Then I turned on the Automatic Scheduler and the Enable Tracking. The frequency did not change even though it showed that NOAA 18 was scheduled. Its frequency is 137.9125 but the frequency and the display remained centred on 137.025. Then when AOS happened, there was still no frequency change. After that pass, the next pass was also NOAA 18. But again, there was no frequency change. And the I/Q data file that was recorded had the name "17-Nov-2020 093916.548 137.025MHz 000.wav" and not NOAA 18's frequency. Here are the 5 screen shots that show that sequence:

Looking at this now I do possibly see a bug. Will be testing today / tomorrow. Have to take a break later to replace the co-ax on my 80m and 40m antennas.

ETA: Adding extensive logging...

I've created a new kit which adds a lot of diagnostics to the logfile: viewtopic.php?f=63&t=578

So just run it, let me know which satellite and time appears to be wrong.