Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Service Does Not Start

Check service status:

sudo systemctl status pi-sat
journalctl -u pi-sat -f

Common causes:

• invalid config file
• missing Python dependencies
• missing Hamlib utilities
• malformed TLE source configuration

Settings Page Loads Incorrectly

If the browser is showing stale UI assets, force a hard refresh. If caching has been disabled in config, the backend should serve the frontend with no-cache headers.

No Passes Showing

Check the following:

• station coordinates are correct
• tracked satellites are configured
• TLE data exists and is current
• the selected satellites are present in the merged TLE cache

If a TLE source fails, Pi-Sat may still run on an older cache, but missing satellites in the cache will not produce passes.

TLE Download Failures

Common causes:

• remote source unavailable
• source returns HTTP errors
• source blocks access
• malformed source list in config

If one source fails and others succeed, the merge can still complete.

Wrong Time Zone or Pass Time Display

Pi-Sat derives display timezone from the configured station coordinates, not from a hardcoded Eastern time zone assumption or anything like that. If times look wrong, verify the station location first.

SDR or Radio Does Not Track

Check:

• device is enabled in config
• correct connectivity mode is selected
• correct host/port or serial path is configured
• Hamlib can control the device outside Pi-Sat
• write control is enabled where required

Local Serial Device Problems

Check:

• the serial path exists
• the chosen path is stable
• the Pi user has permission to access the device
• the baud rate and model ID are correct

Rotator Does Not Move

Check:

• rotator control is enabled
• rotator writes are enabled
• the pass is actually active
• target elevation is above the configured minimum elevation
• local or network rotctld is reachable and functioning

If pass tracking is inactive, Pi-Sat should not be sending tracking commands.

Frequency Does Not Match Other Software

Possible causes:

• different TLE source quality
• stale TLE data
• different Doppler update timing
• radio readback lag
• manual user offset still applied

Before changing the tracking logic, compare:

• Pi-Sat target frequency
• actual radio readback
• another tracking program
• observed signal location on the waterfall

Browser Looks Wrong After Update

Start with:

• hard refresh
• service restart

Then verify whether browser asset caching is enabled or disabled in config.