VK Logger Ham Radio Forum Archive

Conditions seem to be pretty ordinary from Melbourne to Adelaide tonight. I TXed 100w for a while tonight and not much, except via AE. Will see how it goes once the regular flights start heading out to Mid East and Asia in next 1/2 hour or so.

Here are a couple of screen grabs of some of the Doppler effects on VK3XPT (to the east of me). I like the "starburst" pattern.

Hi Alan.

That AE is interesting. I have seen similar from your signal but I have not taken a screen capture as yet... Next time I see it I will and post it up.

Peter, that's a great idea running the multiple instances of WSPR. I look forward to seeing how this goes for you.

Perrin VK3XPT


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I am at times quite amazed at what signals are able to be decoded on 2m WSPR.

Here is one such example which I recently decoded from Keith VK5AKM.
Ive put an arrow in to point out the signal on the Spect Lab graph. If there was no meteor ping along there you would hardly think there was a signal in there at all. For the program to be able to pull the data out of that is very impressive in my opinion, so I thought I'd post this one up

Hello Leigh

Have you considered testing WSPR-X on 2 metres?
I know it was developed for LF MF propagation but from what I understand
it is more sensitive than WSPR.

Cheers
Wayne.... VK2XN

Wayne,

Doesn't it run longer TX periods?

Leigh,

2 options.. 2 minute periods or 15 minute periods

Wayne,
As far as I am aware there was no change to the 2 min version.

Wayne, sorry had visitors before.

I'm not all that interested in the 15 min version because I think on 2m we're really looking for paths to come up workable on SSB voice etc and just general monitoring of the tropospheric conditions. I think if we cant make up a decode from a 2min transmission on 2m then there is not really a path there.
Besides this I dont think im really up to running my rig for a 15 min straight transmission. We could have 7 seperate decodes in that time frame from 2 min transmissions.
Not sure how badly meteors or aircraft doppler patterns go with the 15 min version, but if its anything like the 2 min version there would be 7 times the issues.

I'd be interested to hear of your results though Wayne if your going to test it out with someone.

Hello Leigh,

My question was prompted by your post re the -28dB decode from VK5AKM.

With WSPR-15 having "9dB better sensitivty than the normal 2-minute mode".
(quoted from the WSPR-X users guide)

I wondered if this had been tested at VHF, 9dB would equal a considerable reduction in tx power
for a similar signal result. For example.... 4w reduced to 500mW or 80w reduced to 10w.

Yes I realise my examples were a 10dB reduction, my head hurts to do the math

Tropo is not that common on my side of the divide so the opportunity to test the idea is rare.

Anyway just a thought down a different path.
Thanks for your input.

Cheers

Wayne.... VK2XN

Wayne,

You could try tee a test up with VK5LA or VK5ACY, VK5PJ. I think that Mark VK2EMA has been decoded by them all on normal WSPR at times. They would probably be your best chance at trying a really long path under normalish conditions. At that distance you shouldn't have to worry about AE signals at least.
If I didn't have the hill in the road I could try it with you also but its not good in your direction.

If you do get to try it, I'd probably QSY slightly from the normal freq, as if the guys are trying to hear you at their end the could have other close by 2 min type sigs interfere and they would no doubt need the band as clear as possible to have any chance of hearing you.

Edit- Regarding Keith VK5AKM's -28 signal, its just really a gauge of the band conditions for me. Keith probably averages about -21dB here. So from that I know that the band is going pretty hopeless if he is -28, or if I cant hear him at all its shocking! Likewise with VK5ZD or VK5RM, I dont hear them under average band conditions, but when I do start decoding them, we know the band is starting to pick up

Wow, if you thought the screen shot I posted of VK5AKM's -28 signal was weak, have a look at this screen shot I got this morning of a signal from Andrew VK3BQ and you will see (or not see) what I mean
I've highlighted where the signal is located on the waterfalls.

That's on my verticals at 6m high in the backyard running around ~5watts. I'm happy with that. (And impressed with my new signalink). I've got a number of contacts in a circle from home out to 200km which matches my verticals typical performance from home when conditions are normal.

Hi Andrew, not sure if u searched on the WSPR database to see all your overnight results, but that -30dB report was when I was beaming Adelaide.
Whilst beaming at you I was able to get you at -5dB. Both these were using the vertical array.

2013-05-25 20:48 VK3BQ 144.490516 -5 3 QF22nc 5 VK2KRR QF34mr 338 31

Also, well done, your set up is working really well considering the antenna.

Attaching a screen shot of possible International Space Station doppler reflections of VK1KW signal as circled.

That's very interesting Leigh !

I've been getting some super strange Doppler here, probably AE, of a station that I haven't been able to decode (VK1KW is booming in of course) But there's heaps of AE going on.

Early this morning I had a number of reports from vk5la

2013-05-26 15:48 VK3BQ 144.490461 -25 2 QF22nc 5 VK5LA QF05gq 573 313

Not bad for a vertical in the backyard

Wow well done Andrew! I didn't see those ones so thanks for letting us know. You will have to get horizontal up it may make it more regular.

Lots of steady Doppler from Andrew VK3BQ tonight. Most unusual for my QTH.

Edit: Definitely not Doppler and not apparent on other signals.

Ouch!! Burnt into my screen....

Alan, thats a fault in someones set up rather than doppler, the signals are every 50 Hz. Ive seen it before but not real sure what the cause is or if its the RX or TX station, though I would think the TX station.
Someone may require shutting down their system and re starting, or else I think it has been known to be caused by ??...I cant remember, having noise blanker on? someone else may have to help me out on that one, Ive seen it on HF WSPR before.