Breakthrough in antenna system performance analysis

Frank Donovan W3LPL has one of the few “super-stations” in the world. While using two WSPRlite antenna testers from SOTABEAMS to compare antenna arrays he noticed that excellent results could be obtained if he filtered the reception data so that he only used truly simultaneous reception reports. Since WSPR transmitters transmit at random time intervals, such simultaneous reports would be relatively rare – unless you are using a “super-station”! SOTABEAMS analysed Frank’s data and agreed that it was an interesting observation. Thus they worked to incorporate this into their antenna analysis system. The first stage was to upgrade their DXplorer.net data analysis system to allow filtering by simultaneous spots and also by range/wave angle. In addition to this enhancement, real-time statistical analysis was incorporated.

Not everyone has a “super-station” so a hardware upgrade was done to the WSPRlite transmitters to allow pairs of transmitters to work synchronously (transmitting at the same time) but also pseudo-randomly so as to correctly share the WSPR frequency slots. This enhancement greatly increases the amount of data and makes simultaneous analysis of even small low-efficiency antennas possible.

Together these changes make real-time performance analysis of antenna systems available in a way that has never before been possible. This exciting new analysis method is now live. Frank will be talking on this system at the Contest University at Dayton 2017.

Details of the system are at www.sotabeams.co.uk/wsprlite

Example test results at: http://www.sotabeams.co.uk/blog/

 

Coo-ool.

 

Neat. I am interested in hearing more about this.

 

What does this breakthrough mean to me ? Small station with wire antennas. Does this apply only to testing two antennas simultaneously ? The "super station" references are confusing. I would be very interested in learning more. Thanks -Joe N3HEE

 

Come to Frank's talk and see

Frank never brags about his station and when he talks, its info we all can use

 

It simply means you will be outside looking in----lol Myself included.

 

I was doing simultaneous WSPR transmitting on two antennas (one reference antenna and one test antenna using two transmitters 100 Hz apart in the WSPR band) for the purposes of antenna comparison testing a couple years back; it truly yields impressive results.

That's not what SOTA beams is doing, are they?

If not, the band can fade, change, etc, *between* any two successive two-minute WSPR transmitting time slots.

After a night of running WSPR, the database is harvested for data (station reports from WSPR spotters) and the data plotted as shown at this link:
http://www.qsl.net/w/wb5wpa/EHantenna/EH_Mark_2_Vert/

Sample data plot from *one* spotting station W4DJV:


The W4DJV station is 1336 km at 77 deg AZ from transmitting station WB5WPA


Jim

 

Hope it comes with an option to eliminate the annoying and usually duplicative skimmer spots on the clusters

 

What is the purpose of having them completely simultaneous ?

 

"If not, the band can fade, change, etc, *between* any two successive two-minute WSPR transmitting time slots."

Look at the data plot above, note how the signal can change between two adjacent data points!

Jim

 

is this an add for sota beams

 

I LOVE the skimmer spots. VERY helpful.

 

It does read like a press release and might very well be, at least it appears to be real news and not all the BS dribble all the YouTube wanna be's are posting. It seemed genuine enough for me to purchase the analyzer from them a couple of hours ago.

 

This way the variations are common to both, so a ratio tells you the exact difference between antennas. Basically the systemics cancel.

 

The question was raised as to what it means to non-superstations. I think it could be as relevant or even more relevant to the typical ham station or even those in compromised operating circumstances. An example is the station with a tribander at 35ft and a 135' wire doublet for use on the low bands. That ham may have suspected that the doublet out performed his yagi to certain locations on 20 and 10 meters. Now he'll be able to definitively prove or disprove that subjective observation. This could be very important information for someone contesting or dxing from a modest station.
It could also be very relevant to the portable operators to determine just what they really need to pack and carry for their operations.
I think it's also worth noting that this is methodology that commercial and even military interests could utilize, once again demonstrating Amateur Radio to be at the forefront of radio, antenna, and propagation technologies.