Introduction to OscarWatch Tracker
A plain guide for amateur radio satellite operators using the OscarWatch Tracker desktop app. The Help menu in the app opens these pages.
Who is this for?
OscarWatch is for licensed amateurs who work satellites on VHF and UHF: FM repeaters, SSB transponders, and similar modes. You do not need to be a software expert. If you know what a pass, azimuth, elevation, and Doppler shift are, you are in the right place.
What OscarWatch does
- Shows where satellites are on a world map and a sky plot at your station
- Lists upcoming passes over your location
- Works out uplink and downlink frequencies (including Doppler) from a transponder database
- Can steer your rotator and update your radio on CAT during a pass (optional)
- Can announce when a satellite is rising (optional voice)
- Can record pass audio to WAV or MP3 when a satellite is above a set elevation (optional; ffmpeg install for MP3)
- Can show a remote station on the map and live az/el at their grid for the selected satellite (DX station monitor)
- Can step map time forward or back from the status bar to preview footprints (rotator and CAT stay live)
- Can show a pass elevation timeline below the map: upcoming passes as elevation profiles over time; click to focus; scroll the mouse wheel to zoom the window
- Can list workable hams.at roves in the sidebar and highlight grids you still need via Cloudlog
- Can read an optional NMEA GPS for station position (and optional UTC for tracking) while roving
- Can log satellite QSOs locally with Tools → OscarWatch Logbook and export ADIF
- Can open an in-app OscarWatch FT4 modem window for duplex satellite digital work
- Can receive SSTV pictures from space (for example ISS ARISS events) with Tools → OscarWatch SSTV
- Can broadcast focused satellite data to logging applications via Satellite link (WebSocket)
Five-minute setup
- Open Settings and enter your station position (latitude, longitude, and height if you know it).
- Go to Satellites → Select satellites and tick the spacecraft you want to work.
- Use Satellites → Refresh TLEs so orbital data is up to date.
- Click a satellite on the map or in the pass list to focus on it.
- During a pass, use the frequency panel on the map for modes, offsets, and (if configured) CAT tracking.
See Quick start for a typical field-day workflow.
Tip: Use Standby in the sidebar when you are only browsing the map. It parks the rotator and pauses CAT so you do not send accidental commands to your hardware. While it is on, the heading says Standby instead of Live, and Resume tracking is highlighted. While in Standby, menu Rotator lets you point the beam manually for a quick contact between passes.
Help topics
| Topic | Read when… |
|---|---|
| Map & sidebar | You want to understand the main screen, pass elevation timeline, or DX station monitor |
| Frequencies | You are setting modes, offsets, or CTCSS |
| Satellites & TLEs | You choose satellites or update TLEs |
| Pass planning | You plan ahead or export passes to a calendar |
| Radio & rotator (ICOM, Yaesu, Kenwood, FlexRadio, SDR dual, offsets, Doppler, Linux serial, rotators) | You connect a rig or rotator |
| OscarWatch Logbook | You want fast satellite logging during a pass and ADIF export |
| OscarWatch FT4 | You want the in-app FT4 modem window for duplex satellite digital work, including a video on finding your signal |
| OscarWatch SSTV | You want to receive SSTV pictures from the ISS or other satellites |
| OscarWatch Terminal | You want to make typed packet contacts through the ISS or another satellite digipeater |
| Settings | You configure voice, recording, Cloudlog, appearance, etc. |
| Satellite link | You connect a logging app to OscarWatch over WebSocket |
| Keyboard shortcuts | You want keys for frequency offsets (RX/TX), Voice/CW, and satellite selection |
| macOS install | You are setting up OscarWatch on a Mac for the first time |
| Problems? | Something does not work as expected |
Where files are stored
On Windows, OscarWatch keeps your data under:
%AppData%\OscarWatch\
That folder holds settings, TLE cache, your edited transponder database, pass recordings, and log files. Main app logs under logs\ and optional Doppler CSV logs under doppler-logs\ are kept for 14 days. Pass recordings under recordings\ and SSTV pictures and audio under sstv\ are not auto-deleted. Use Help → Open logs folder or Help → Open recordings folder in the app when support asks for a file or you want to tidy storage.
Doppler pass insights
After you have recorded pass audio, open Passes → Doppler Pass Insights in the app to load a log and get plain-language tuning advice for Adaptive threshold and Lead Doppler CAT settings. See Doppler pass insights for a full walkthrough.