WSPR operations on 144 MHz

[VK2KRR]

Just fyi those WSPRers in SE area. My yagi direction is basically governed by the wind direction. If there is no wind I can point anywhere, which will usually be west. But in other cases I need to keep the yagis pointing approx in the same direction as the wind. In most circumstances when there is a low pressure trough close by to my QTH as is currently, the winds generally come from the north and north east, which means I'll usually be pointing toward Melbourne. In any case, in these situations with the low pressure troughs, the conditions west are usually poor and is better toward Melbourne anyway.
Most other times I'll be beaming west at VK5 or VK6.

Current MSLP situation, means pointing to Melb.

MSLP

PS - also if the temp in shack is getting to 30 degC I will probably go to RX only mode during the day

[VK3ZTE]

This is useful info Leigh.

I too have to take wind direction into account, even though my 6/6 'array' is small in comparison. The big wind gusts here tend to come from the west, so for safety, I spend a fair amount of time beaming west or north west.

One of my hobby horses is that it would be useful to somehow incorporate into the WSPR protocol, some antenna info. This probably is more of an issue for VHF/UHF WSPRers than those using HF where antenna gain tends to be a lot less.

cheers Grant

[VK3ZAZ]

[quote="VK2KRR"]Thought I had better save some of the 2m WSPR maps from the weekend for people to reflect back on in the future when there is NO DX for days and days on end. Gotta make the most of these good conditions.
quote]

Thanks
As an old timer if I loaded my 2m logs from my time in Hamilton before and after CH5A
I could show you what times what days and what conditions produce dx especially to VK6 you could draw a graph.
So could a lot of other 2M ops.
Nothing has changed just the generation.
WSPR just adds another dimension.
And its patient it doesn't rely on the social life of amateurs and whether they stay up late or not, which is possibly why we established beacons.
Incidentally the VK5 and VK3 records are now not to VK6 but across the Tasman suggesting we should also be looking that way and not just west.

2 cents

[VK3DXE]

Now to get some ZL's on board with 2m WSPR and I think we'll see that the band is open a whole lot more regularly and at different times than people generally think.

[VK2KRR]

Been some good paths over the past few days.
Great to see Michael VK5ZEA set up and on the map. Michael is only running a folded dipole antenna currently (which may still be vertical but was going to be flipped 90 deg) but is still hearing a few stronger signals. Also good to have Frank VK5KV back in the action.
No paths ran across to Derek VK6DZ during these openings.

2m WSPR 111114

[VK5ACY]

Attention Alan VK3DXE....

YourTS-2000 appears to have less frequency drift than your ICOM IC-7000..here's a screenshot from Sunday morning 18JAN2015.

Bill VK5ACY PF95sb

[VK2KRR]

Well done to Wayne VK2XN, Phil VK5AKK and Peter VK5ZLX for picking up a brief sporadic E opening today on 2m WSPR

At 0320 Waynes signal popped in at Peter VK5ZLX station -

2015-02-05 03:20 VK2XN 144.490533 -18 0 QF59ar 10 VK5ZLX PF95mk 1137 km

Then at 0328, a transmission by Phil VK5AKK beaming west at Derek VK6DZ saw not only a DZ decode but also one from VK2XN -

2015-02-05 03:28 VK5AKK 144.490470 -23 0 PF94ix 20 VK6DZ OF84ux 1909 km
2015-02-05 03:28 VK5AKK 144.490471 +1 0 PF94ix 20 VK2XN QF59ar 1184 km

Then another TX from Wayne at 0332 saw decodes from both Peter and Phil -

2015-02-05 03:32 VK2XN 144.490531 -13 0 QF59ar 10 VK5ZLX PF95mk 1137 km
2015-02-05 03:32 VK2XN 144.490500 -17 0 QF59ar 10 VK5AKK PF94ix 1184 km

[VK2KRR]

Would have been handy to have some VK4 2m WSPR stations this evening to catch this brief hi-MUF path which was seen on 6m WSPR between myself and Wayne VK2XN. Only 623 km means a 2m path was definitely available to somewhere in VK4. Other 6m E paths were running this evening also.

144 MHz E's path missed

[VK2ZIW]

New laptop required.

Go for a Low Power motherboard in a desktop:
AMD: ASRock QC5000/ITX
Intel: ASRock Q1900-ITX

Both in use here to keep the 24x7 power bill down.
(Linux of course)