WXCorrector: Updating Keplers for Linux users of WXtoIMG
Thank you to Hamdy Abou El Anein for submitting news about the release of his software called "WXCorrector".
WXCorrector is a dedicated solution designed specifically for Linux users who face challenges with the handling of Kepler elements in Wxtoimg. This tool addresses a critical issue where incorrect or outdated Keplerian elements can cause disruptions in tracking software, leading to inaccurate predictions and potential data loss.
It work on Linux, it needs sudo rights and Python3 installed.
WXtoIMG is a commonly used piece of software for decoding images from NOAA APT weather satellites. However, WXtoIMG is now considered abandonware as the original website has gone, and the main author has not updated the program in many years. The latest versions from 2017 can be downloaded from Archive.org. An alternative download site is https://www.wraase.de/wxtoimg, where they also provide a way to update Keplers for Windows machines.
Due to it's abandonment, certain features like Kepler updates from the internet appear to have broken over time with changes to the way Kepler files are served. Up to date Kepler files are required for the software to know exactly where satellites are in the sky for tracking and scheduling.
A modern alternative to WXtoIMG is SatDump, which now supports NOAA APT satellites.