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RADIO WAVES

From Observatories: Installing SkyPipe

  1. Go to: http://www.radiosky.com/skypipeishere.html
  2. Please make sure to check your computer system properties so that your machine fulfills the requirements on this page. Radio-SkyPipe may also work on a Mac with Virtual PC emulator.
  3. Click on the jove button picture icon for the full install of latest version.
  4. Depending on the configuration of your browser, you will either be asked to:
    1) save (download) the executable install file (skypipe1.exe) to your computer or 2) be given the option to save the executable install file or open it from itÍs current location. If you are given the option to save the executable or open it from it's current location, we recommend you save it, this way, in case Radio-SkyPipe fails at some point during use, you can re-install it using the saved executable file.
    5. jove picture
    "option to open or save the file"
  5. When you save skypipe1.exe, decide on an appropriate directory to save it in. The default location is "My Download Files", which is on the C drive. To check where it will be saved, click on the drop down menu button in the "Save in:" box. If you want to choose a different location to save the file, you can do that from the drop down menu as well.
    6. jove picture
    "save window with pull down menu"
  6. Once you have the appropriate location to save the file (skypipe1.exe), click save to begin the download process.
  7. Once the download is complete, you might get a window popup asking if you would like to install. You can go ahead and select to do so. If you do not get an install window popup, then you must go to the directory where the saved file (skypipe1.exe) is located and double-click the file to begin installation.
  8. The first window asks you to close any running applications. If you have other applications running, click the "exit setup" button, close any open applications and double click skypipe1.exe again to re-start installation. If all applications are closed, click the "ok" button.
  9. The next screen asks for the directory in which to install Radio-SkyPipe. The default directory is C:\Program Files\Skypipe1. This default is a good location to install. To choose this default location, just click the computer/install icon button. If you want to install Radio-SkyPipe in a different directory, click the "change directory" button and choose a different location, then click the computer/install icon button in the upper left of the window.
    10. jove picture
    "computer/install icon button in upper left-hand corner"
  10. The next screen asks you to choose a program group name. We recommend choosing the default name, "Radio-SkyPipe", and clicking "continue".
  11. At this point, the installation process begins and a status bar appears.
  12. Once installation is complete, you should get a "SkyPipe (version #) setup was completed successfully" message. Click the "ok" button and you are done.
  13. If you installed Radio-SkyPipe in the default Program Files directory, you should be able to open Radio-SkyPipe under Programs in the Start menu by clicking on the Radio-SkyPipe icon.
  14. If this is your first time opening the software, then you are prompted to input your sound format (follow the suggested default) and identity before you begin using the software.
  15. Online help is available under Help in the menu bar once the software is opened.

Directions for Opening an On-Line Radio Signal through Radio-SkyPipe

  1. You must have Radio-SkyPipe installed on your computer and a direct internet or dial-up connection in order to view an on-line signal.
  2. Open Radio-SkyPipe on your machine.
  3. On the menu bar, click on "Mode".
    4. jove picture
    "Mode is in between View and Option in the upper left-hand corner of Radio-SkyPipe"
  4. Under "Mode" you should see 3 options, "Stand Alone", "Client", and "Server".
    1. "Stand Alone" mode allows you to start displaying and recording your own data being sent to the computer through your sound card and requires no internet connection.
    2. "Server" mode allows you to make your data public and observable by others who are using Radio-SkyPipe.
    3. "Client" mode allows you to view other Radio-SkyPipe servers that have made their data public (by selecting "Server").
  5. Click on "Client" mode. You should see a list in a yellow box below your chart with available servers that you can connect to. All the servers which start with the word, "Private", should be ignored.
  6. Double-click on one of the available servers which are not listed as private, we recommend WCCRO (Windward Community College Radio Observatory, in Honolulu, Hawai'i) or UFRO (University of Florida Radio Observatory).
  7. Once you double-click on an available server, you should see a red trace begin from left to right, this is real-time data you are seeing from a remote radio telescope.
  8. Explore the buttons to the left of your chart to get the chart view to look the way you want it to, or use the help option on the menu bar for details about each button. If you click on "Data File Info" which is under "View" in the menu bar, you will get more information about the server that you are connected to.
  9. If you would like to save the data, just click the "Disconnect" button and you will be prompted to save the data. Clicking "Cancel" in the Save Data File window box will stop the chart and the data will not be saved.

Extra: How to listen to the live audio signal for WCCRO along with the Radio-SkyPipe chart.

  1. To see the signal as well as listen to the signal have Radio-SkyPipe running in "Client" mode connected to the WCCRO signal.
  2. Go to http://jupiter.wcc.hawaii.edu/streamingaudio.htm for instructions and connection to the audio signal from WCCRO. You may also get to this page from the home page of Radio JOVE (http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov) by clicking the drop down menu under "Quick Menu". Make sure you have Windows Media Player (most computers running Windows have this) and speakers.
  3. There is about a 15 second delay in the audio signal due to buffering.
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