Guide would use data provided my mike mccants.

Some magnitudes are based on satellite size data, and others on visual observations.
Satellite magnitudes are a guide, they can be brighter are fainter. Look at a flashing satellite,
it changes magnitude:)

Are take the example of milstar, a us military geo sat. Normally you need a telescope to see geo
sat's. But at the right time of night, this one flares up, so you can see it in binoculars:) I
have observed in in my 10*50 binoculars all year long.

What's going on is sunlight is reflecting off the satellite's main body, at a good angle, which
causes it to become brighter for awhile. So the formula used to determing magnitude doesn't work
in this case.

See

http://www.satobs.org/brite.html

For details on how satellite magnitude are determined.

But you can import magnitude data, for use with the data from space track.
The program is called xf6, see

http://users2.ev1.net/~mmccants/programs/index.html

After you add the mag data to the data from spacetrack, you can use it in guide. You can manual
change the data, yourself by opening up the orbital data file. I have done this, as there fuel
tanks from the proton rocket's upper stage, which can be seen with just the eye on a good pass. I
know, as I made that discovery while viewing passes of the fuel tank and getting there approx
magnitude from my observations. Latter I was able to confirm my discovery, when a fuel tank made a
good pass:)

I have also observed another satellite and had to change the mag data, as it show's it fainter
then predicted.

Kevin