Trials and Errors Issue #48: Guest Article - WSPR, The Mode that Ensures You are Getting Out!

First, note the new QRZ News feature on this fascinating ongoing WSPR experiment - DP0GVN still spotting WB6RER Pico Balloon

Also, static quiet winters bring me to be interested in becoming a "LOWFER" and exploring our newest bands 630 and 2200 meters, at least as a MWL (medium wave listener).

So lately launch WSJT-X, select WSPR mode, and click on 630m which is dial setting 0.474.200 kHz, and let it run all night, just using a marginal non-resonant (used on 160-80m) short Marconi T vertical antenna consisting of a 50ft high pole with 150' top wire in shallow V config & only a few short radials.

Incredible the signals copied this year! Coast to coast.

Even middle of the day high sun, using just a 20m dipole, there is copiable propagation for 672 KM, see screen image below,

 

In general I agree with your comments! I strongly disagree with the section on MH370!

Out of ignorance the Amateur Radio Community might miss a real chance serving the public as well as getting positive public relations at zero cost with regards to this fine hobby attracting young people (not just CW and old white men, but real value, radio, digital processing etc.)

If you don't mind please go to DJ4FF @ QRZ.com and see the latest real world WSPR results in the SIO (Southern Indian Ocean) with HABs and all kinds of aircraft over thousands of km distance.

I assume you will be positively surprised! 73 de DJ4FF

 

I use WSPR to test antennas and to hunt balloons.
Bandwidth issues aside, WSPR can be looked at thus:
100 mw can be spotted 18k kilometers. Compare this with your 100mw wireless mica t church or in your auditorium that becomes intermittent between the front and back of the sanctuary or theater.
Not everyone can have that level of success. Location, antenna, and most importantly S/N are factors.
My ability to be in the top 5 - 10 in the world (whenever I do a 24 hour run) on most bands is due to the above AND to the following:
VK7JJ and KA7OEI are two of the best sources for technical details. WA2TP and EA8BFK are by far the most successful spotters in the world. Balloon hunters will want to use a QRSS viewer to see the balloon pictograms sent by VE3KCL. Resources for balloon tracking include but are not limited to:
https://amateur.sondehub.org/
http://lu7aa.org.ar/wsprcall.asp
https://ham-tv.com/balloon/
Jack, Km4ZIA is scheduled to launch a balloon on Jan 11

All things WSPR can be accessed at https://www.wspr.rocks/

 

I've read through the relevant sections of your page. It does reflect a strong interest in WSPR's potential for detecting the presence of aircraft, however it seems only to be an anecdotal collection of thoughts and conjecture rather than a serious study of the matter. I am not dismissing these thoughts, as they may serve as the basis of future scientific study and analysis. One must study the reception of the same transmissions from many locations and angles, and adequately dismiss the variable effects of propagation on the reception reports, before a convincing argument can be made. Furthermore, as you said, the data within the public database is seriously limited compared to what may be studied within each two-minute transmission. I am simply not at all confident that the database contents can reveal any useful information at the time of MH370's fateful flight. I am somewhat more confident that future WSPR (or similar) signals could be "microanalyzed" to find richer results, but my thoughts on the effort to harness existing WSPR records for information about MH370 remain unchanged.
Don't get me wrong, please. I am grateful for your enthusiasm and desire to see this line of analysis pursued. It is this energy, combined with technical and scientific efforts, that allow for progress - and amateur radio is fertile ground for this to happen!

 

This is ridiculous.

We use WSJT modes on UHF+ bands for "aircraft scatter" QSOs. Works great.

Except, it actually doesn't. The 2 stations need to plan ahead, and both be 90 degrees from the aircraft path, and complete the QSO in a few seconds before the aircraft exits the antenna nodes.

So, um, yeah, but no. WSPR takes 2 minutes. HF is not directional. Signals are weak.

 

K6CLS,

regarding your statement (quote "ridiculous") obviously you join the majority of the amateur radio community. That does not necessarily mean the majority is right in this case.

Regarding the WSPR activity you quote on UHF and your judgement on HF I assume you have not studied my reports regarding simple bistatic Radar WSPR-FT at HF

I mentioned a WSPR-FT (Flight Test) between ZD9SSS as TX and ZD7GB as RX , distance 2.752 km.

At least three spots (equals at least 30 min. at that low duty cycle). Flight path of airliner app. 90 degrees to baseline between TX and RX. Even the gradient in change of frequency complies with the expectations. Details to be found at my QRZ.com page.

This ist only one obvious and easy example out of many WSPR-FT I have conducted.
73!

 

Not WSPR, other WSJT modes, like MSK441.

Please reread what I wrote, carefully.

 

You guys got me hooked on WSPR.
I have used it to (roughly) compare several different antennas. Brilliant.
And to see just how directional my yagi is ....

But the best part is the ability to give back.
I have tried to follow the guideline to receive-and-upload spotting others, 4X the time I spend using it on TX.
Next step, I plan to get a standalone receiver, since I travel a lot, I can leave that baby running 24/7.

But people might be confused -- on receive, you are not limited to six characters.
That means I can leave a standalone receiver running at our New York QTH, with call sign K2WPM-2, and configure that call with the New York Maidenhead square etc.
Right?

And while in Virginia, I can use K2WPM either to receive, or to transmit, right?
Or are we limited to one account/callsign?

David, K2WPM

 

Hi David,

Correct, The callsign on receive is set in WSJT-X software and can have a suffix at the end.
That way you can run multiple Receivers with different suffixes and will be able to separate them on wsprent.org and wspr.rocks
It is a great way to compare your antennas receive ability!

Dave and Marty

 

Yes, this should work okay for comparing antennas. You may have to do some work, like download to a spreadsheet and separate the data and analysis that way.
It would be cool if some guys out there that are good at Python could even write and app to do this by accessing the wsprnet database directly. There is an API.

 

David, I am now evaluating the new WSPR receiver design from ZachTek. I am impressed with it so far. For a modest price you could get that and pair it with a RaspberryPi and have a dedicated WSPR Station.

 

Thanks Dave and Marty.
Marty, yes that receiver will be headed my way shortly!
73

 

Before I got a QDX digital transceiver in the mail today, I had never operated a digital mode before. I thought I'd be on to FT8 and Olivia by now but WSPR has been great fun and very interesting so far. As a new Tech on 10 meters, WSPR was immediately satisfying in a way that my SSB experience has not been.

To emphasize what others have said in this thread, and with the guidance provided in the article, WSPR feels like it is at least as important a tool as an antenna analyzer for the new ham to utilize. The elders insist a nanoVNA must be in your toolbox, but they are mostly silent about the value and fun of WSPR. I've bookmarked this article to share with anyone setting up their first HF station.

 

WSPR rocks!

 

I agree 100%. WSPR is an overlooked tool that can tell you a lot about your ANTENNA and current Propagation. I really enjoy looking at the WSPR data and seeing what is happening with propagation. It is particularly useful for 10 meters.
Look at the Personal Propagation found in the Charts area. When 10 meters is open to say Europe, you can see that in the Spots data.
This graph shows the various bands and the spots data for east coast US to Europe. You can clearly see how 10 meters is in and out over time. Check it out!