Instructions for mkautofile.pl

Note

General

Starting the program

• Run "update_blackstars.pl" to update starfile.txt (see /PRIOSEL command below).
• There are several different user interfaces:
  • Type "mkautofile.pl" or "mkautofile.pl -t" to start the program with text interface.
  • Type "mkautofile.pl -d" to start the program with dialog interface (like ncurses).
  • Type "mkautofile.pl -x" to start the program with Xdialog interface (graphical).

  mkautofile.pl uses dialog and Xdialog programs to create the interfaces (excluding text interface). Note that the mentioned programs are not available on all computers: the use of antimatter is recommended.

• See also "mkautofile -h" for all available parameters.

Using the program

1. Enter the name of the automatic observation list

Enter the date

Text
Enter the date in format day.month.year [dd.mm.yyyy].

Dialog
Use tab to change the field and arrowkeys to change value of the field (there may be a problem with the visibility of the cursor, if dialog-interface is run under X).

Xdialog
Click on the arrows to change the month or the year and then click on the correct day to select it and then ok-button. Double-click also works.

Select UTC or LST

Enter a starting time for your list in the format hours.minutes [hh.mm].

That means UTC or LST time, it depends on what you selected at the step 2.

Select a command

Text
Type the name of the source or one of the commands presented below:

/ADD

Add a source to the autolist

/SELECT

Select a source from the sourcelist and add it to the autolist

/PRIOSEL

Select a source using priority classes and add it to the autolist

/LIST

List sources in the autolist

/REMOVE

Remove the last source from the autolist

/HELP

Command help

/CAL

Add calibration to the autolist (DON'T USE!)

/ABORT

Exit the program without saving

/END

Save the autolist to disk and exit

Dialog, Xdialog
Select one of the commands mentioned above with the arrowkeys or with the mouse.

Repeat 5 or proceed to 7.

Save the list and exit the program

When you are finished and want to save the list, type or select "/END".

About commands

/ADD, /SELECT

The program doesn't let you enter sources, whose elevation is below 2 degrees or above 85 degrees. It warns you and wants a confirmation, if the elevation is below 15 or above 75. It will also warn you, if a target is close to the Sun (15-20 degrees) and won't let you select a target, if it's closer than 15 degrees.

/CAL

If the calibration works automatically someday, this command can be used. Until then, don't touch this.

/END

The program automatically adds calibration to the end of the list (az: 0, el: 30).

/SELECT

First select the type of the source (std, I-G, ...). Then you will see all the sources of that type, which are observable at that moment. Two numbers are printed on the right side of the sourcename: the first is the azimuth and the second is the elevation. POS_WARNING means, that the target's elevation is 2-15 and SUN_WARNING means, that the Sun is close to the target (see above).

/PRIOSEL

This command uses the priority information from the file starfile.txt and red_starfile.txt (created by obs_analysis) located in /home/gix/programs/obs_analysis directory.

Putting the file into Contobs