Well, for what it's worth. Here's one I've written in Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition.
Now be warned! This is the first bit of real programming I have done in a good 25 years or so... Thanks for asking the question, Dennis! It made me download VB and learn to program again! This is only the second program I've ever written in VB (the other one let me enter the radius, and it would calculate the area of a circle!! Woohoo!! )
I expect that when it installs, it will want to download files from Microsoft unless you are running the .NET framework. So unless you want to download those files, or install the .NET framework, I suggest you don't install it!
If anyone can walk me through how to publish the application so it doesn't do this, please let me know!
Solar and Sidereal Time looks good to me at the moment, but no guarantees! Sidereal time should be accurate to plus or minus a second only (I used the short equation! ).
I offer this on a where is as is basis! Feel free to use it if you like, but I can't accept any responsibility!
Thanks to Joe Smith too, for sending me some code and giving me a clue about timers!
Well, for what it's worth. Here's one I've written in Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition.
Now be warned! This is the first bit of real programming I have done in a good 25 years or so... Thanks for asking the question, Dennis! It made me download VB and learn to program again! This is only the second program I've ever written in VB (the other one let me enter the radius, and it would calculate the area of a circle!! Woohoo!! )
I expect that when it installs, it will want to download files from Microsoft unless you are running the .NET framework. So unless you want to download those files, or install the .NET framework, I suggest you don't install it!
If anyone can walk me through how to publish the application so it doesn't do this, please let me know!
Solar and Sidereal Time looks good to me at the moment, but no guarantees! Sidereal time should be accurate to plus or minus a second only (I used the short equation! ).
I offer this on a where is as is basis! Feel free to use it if you like, but I can't accept any responsibility!
Thanks to Joe Smith too, for sending me some code and giving me a clue about timers!
Al.
can you get it to retain the longtitude entered instead of entering the data evertime it starts up? nice what you have done too. Any way of being able to make it full screen, large text?
Undoubtedly yes, HOughy. No doubt if I can't someone can!
As I said I'm 25 years out of practice and new to VB, so I'll have a go but I have no idea how long it will take. I'd like to a breather for a while, it's such hard work!
I want to get rid of the windows border cause I can't figure out how to make that night vision colours (yet? ), but I want to keep it so it can be movable around the screen. Resizable sounds great too, but as for how to do that (i.e. resizing text etc, not just the window size) well... let's just say resizable sounds great shall we???
I've tried to keep the text as large as possible with a small footprint on the screen so it doesn't block other apps.
If there are any other VB programmers out there who would like to collaborate, let me know. I'm happy to share the code!
I'll have to pester mojo into getting LST into the timezones bar on the right column.. It will use your long/lat info in your profile to display it correct for your location.
I'll have to pester mojo into getting LST into the timezones bar on the right column.. It will use your long/lat info in your profile to display it correct for your location.
Hey don't forget Solar for those with PSTs!!! Solar's relatively easy anyway.
Same as before except I've fixed a minor bug that saw the Sidereal Time drop behind gradually. I also fixed up a spelling error or 2!
I've also added a routine so if you double click on the main form outside the GroupBoxes, the border around the application will toggle. So if the border is upsetting your night vision, double click (just inside the border) will get rid of it. Then if you need to move the clock, double click will bring the border back so you can drag and drop via the caption bar, etc.
If someone gives me the definition of Solar Time, you can have that too. I'm a programmer, not an astronomer
Terry,
The guts of Solar time is how the position of the sun deviates from where our clocks say it should be due to the eccentricity of the earth's orbit. The formula for that deviation is called the "Equation of Time" and it can be found here:
If you simply apply the equation of time adjustments to local (standard) time you will get the "rough" solar time based on the central meridian of the time zone.
To make it more accurate, start with UTC, apply the equation of time then adjust for the required longitude (i.e. add 1 hour for each 15 degrees east).
It is also fundamental to calculating the position in the sky of the sun. If you are using a GOTO scope, all that is done for you; if not I guess you push and pull till the suns in view... so in reality it's probably not that important.
But I find it interesting to watch how the sun lags and overtakes us over time - especially in daylight saving time!
Actually there may be some use for solar observers if they want to be able to observe the sun at the same altitude each day, or when directly over head etc.
It may also be of use for some weather related phenomena... sun dogs, etc.
Uses the .NET Framework so it will download additional .NET framework support files if you are not running the .NET framework. If you don't want to, or can't, download these files, I recommend you don't install the program.
Displays local, UTC, Solar and Sidereal Time.
If you don't enter a longitude, it will use the longitude of the central meridian of your time zone (less accurate).
You can enter your longitude, and the Solar and Sidereal time should be accurate to plus or minus 1 second for your longitude.
The longitude and the status of the application is saved to a file called Settings.dat each time the application is shutdown. So next time you run the clock it remembers the longitude, etc.
If the window border is too harsh for your dark adapted eyes, you can switch it off by double clicking just inside the window border (but outside the groupboxes). Double click again will switch the border back on so you can move the clock or shut it down.
The three screen dumps attached show:
The clock when it runs the first time after installation. i.e. no longitude, using time zone only.
I graciously bow to your achievements, but one thing o great programming GOD - can I have it really big, you know like this so it is easily read while a little bit away from the screen
Many, many thanks for this wonderful software utility. Your efforts in pursuing this task and coming up with such a fantastic solution are really, really appreciated - THANKS Big Al, you're the MAN.
(But I got there more...
... creatively!
)
Thanks for asking the question, Dennis! It made me download VB and learn to program again!
This is only the second program I've ever written in VB (the other one let me enter the radius, and it would calculate the area of a circle!! Woohoo!!
)
).
Solar's relatively easy anyway.
