Getting Started¶

This guide walks you through launching FBSAT59 and performing basic setup for the first time.

Launching FBSAT59¶

Linux¶

./FBSAT59-x86_64.AppImage

Windows¶

Click Start Menu → FBSAT59

macOS¶

Open Spotlight (Cmd+Space) → Type "FBSAT59" → Press Enter

First Launch¶

When FBSAT59 starts, you'll see:

Splash Screen — Shows "Initializing database...", "Fetching TLE data...", etc.
Main Window — Dashboard with satellite tracking display
Status Bar — Bottom-right shows "Ready" and LAN access URL with QR code

What Happens Automatically¶

✅ Database initialization (SQLite)
✅ TLE (Two-Line Element) data download from CelesTrak
✅ Transmitter frequency database sync from SATNOGS
✅ Rough location estimate from your IP address (first launch only, until you save a QTH)

Note: First launch may take 10-30 seconds on slower machines. This is normal.

Your First Pass¶

Set your location. File → Set QTH…, fill in the Coordinates or Grid Locator tab, click OK. (On the very first launch FBSAT59 makes a rough guess from your IP address so the map isn't blank; a QTH you save always overrides it.) Full walkthrough: Setup — Step 1.
(optional) Connect a radio or SDR. Radio → Rig Settings…, choose Direct or NET mode, then Connect Rig 1 in the Radio Control tab. Details: Setup — Step 2 and Step 3.
Pick a satellite in the left-hand list.
Watch it. The Dashboard tab shows a zoomed map and radar; the Upcoming Passes panel at the bottom lists AOS/LOS times; the Pass Chart tab graphs elevation over time.
Choose a transponder in Radio Control — Doppler correction then runs automatically while the satellite is above the horizon.

Select Satellites¶

The left sidebar has a filter dropdown, a search box and the satellite list. Click a satellite name to select it — FBSAT59 starts tracking it and, once a transponder is picked, applies Doppler correction.

Right-click a satellite for:

★ Favorite Groups — assign it to a custom group (or Remove from Favorites)
Hide Satellite / Unhide Satellite
Satellite Info… — TLE, orbit and transmitter details
Open in SatNOGS — the SatNOGS DB page in your browser
Deselect Satellite — stop tracking the current satellite

Using favorites¶

Right-click a satellite → ★ Favorite Groups → pick a group
In the filter dropdown above the list, choose that group (shown as ★ <group name>) to see only its members

Favorite groups also drive the Group pass search and the mobile web UI.

The Main Window¶

The window is split into three areas:

Left: the satellite list (filter dropdown + search + list)
Bottom: the Upcoming Passes panel, with Target (selected satellite) and Group (every satellite in the current filter) tabs
Centre: a set of tabs

Tab	Purpose
Dashboard	Zoomed local map that follows the selected satellite, a compact radar, and a one-line readout (EL / AZ / range / DL / UL / mode)
World Map	Full world map with every tracked satellite and, optionally, the selected satellite's ground track
Radar	Full sky view (azimuth/elevation) for the selected satellite
Pass Chart	Elevation-vs-time graph for the selected satellite's upcoming passes
Group Pass Chart	Same, for a whole group (appears after a Group search)
Radio Control	Transponder / frequency / mode, rig + rotator connect buttons, Doppler Lock
SDR Control	Spectrum, waterfall, demodulator and IQ recorder (active once an SDR is connected)

Communications decoders (APRS, Telemetry, SSTV / SSDV, FT4, Q65, CW Decoder, AX100 Digi, METEOR / HRPT) open as extra tabs from the Communications menu; each has a × to close it.

Dashboard tab¶

Left — a map zoomed in on the selected satellite's footprint, updated every second (this is not the full World Map, which is its own tab)
Right — a compact radar (sky view) for the selected satellite
Bottom strip — satellite name, elevation, azimuth, range, visibility, downlink/uplink frequencies and mode

The window's own status bar (very bottom) shows your QTH, TLE age, the active filter and the LAN URL / QR button.

Access from Smartphone¶

FBSAT59 includes a built-in Web server for mobile access.

On Your Mac/Linux/Windows:¶

When FBSAT59 launches, check the Status Bar (bottom-right):

🌐 LAN Access: http://192.168.1.100:8080  [QR Code]

On Your Smartphone:¶

Same WiFi network as your computer
Open browser → Enter the URL or scan the QR code
You'll see satellite list, pass predictions, and radar display

Available on mobile: - Satellite list and favorite groups - Pass predictions (per satellite and per group) - Radar display (can auto-rotate with the phone's compass) - Rig / rotator connect toggle (when a radio is configured)

Working with Passes¶

The Upcoming Passes panel at the bottom of the window has two tabs:

Target — passes for the currently selected satellite
Group — passes for every satellite in the current list filter

Set the From / To dates (or use the quick-range dropdown — +6h, +24h, +3d, +7d, +30d), click Search, and each row shows AOS, LOS, max elevation, duration and a quality rating. Export CSV saves the list.

For a visual view, the Pass Chart tab graphs elevation over time for the selected satellite (Group Pass Chart does the same for a whole group after a Group search).

Next Steps¶

Now that you're up and running:

Setup — QTH, radio (Direct/NET), SDR, rotator
Satellite Tracking — views, pass predictions, TLE
Radio Control — the Radio Control tab in depth
Communications — APRS, FT4, Q65, CW, images
Troubleshooting — when something's off

Keyboard Shortcuts¶

Ctrl+L toggles Doppler Lock from any tab — the only keyboard shortcut. Everything else is on-screen. See Configuration.