WSPR operations on 144 MHz
Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 7:49 am
Hi all.
Been trying K1JTs WSPR program over the past week. WSPR stands for "Weak Signal Propagation Reporter".
Its available here http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wspr.html
WSPR implements a protocol designed for probing potential propagation paths with low-power transmissions. Normal transmissions carry a station's callsign, Maidenhead grid locator, and transmitter power in dBm. The program can decode signals with S/N as low as -28 dB in a 2500 Hz bandwidth. Stations with internet access can automatically upload their reception reports to a central database called WSPRnet, which includes a mapping facility.
The WSPRnet site is located here http://wsprnet.org/drupal/ Spots of reception can be automatically uploaded by the program to the WSPRnet database, where its available for others to see or the person from which the signal originated can see how the signal was recieved at each location.
At the moment, we are testing on 144.144 MHz DIAL frequency. As the nominated WSPR freq 144.489, I saw a complaint somewhere it was to close to Alice Springs beacon.
This is what information you can find in the WSPR database, very interesting to not the difference in signal strength between 5ACY and 5ZK. And also interesting to see the signal strength slowly increase from mid afternoon to after sundown where signal was up to +15dB -
Timestamp Call MHz SNR Drift Grid Pwr Reporter RGrid km az
2011-01-18 21:28 VK2KRR 144.145534 -6 0 QF34mr 20 VK5BC PF95jj 755 273
2011-01-18 21:18 VK2KRR 144.145521 -14 1 QF34mr 20 VK5BC PF95jj 755 273
2011-01-18 11:12 VK2KRR 144.145439 +14 -2 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 11:04 VK2KRR 144.145548 +1 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 11:04 VK2KRR 144.145440 +15 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:54 VK2KRR 144.145546 +5 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:54 VK2KRR 144.145438 +7 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:48 VK2KRR 144.145435 +14 0 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:48 VK2KRR 144.145543 +7 0 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:44 VK2KRR 144.145437 +10 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:44 VK2KRR 144.145545 +7 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:36 VK2KRR 144.145437 +3 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:36 VK2KRR 144.145545 -2 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:28 VK2KRR 144.145545 -14 -2 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:28 VK2KRR 144.145438 +8 -2 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:16 VK2KRR 144.145439 +6 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:16 VK2KRR 144.145545 -2 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:06 VK2KRR 144.145546 -2 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:06 VK2KRR 144.145440 -5 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 09:54 VK2KRR 144.145547 0 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 09:26 VK2KRR 144.145551 -8 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 09:16 VK2KRR 144.145553 -3 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 09:06 VK2KRR 144.145557 -17 -4 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 08:54 VK2KRR 144.145561 -9 -4 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 08:44 VK2KRR 144.145564 -21 -4 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 08:20 VK2KRR 144.145568 -18 -4 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 08:12 VK2KRR 144.145570 -10 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 07:52 VK2KRR 144.145572 -15 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 07:44 VK2KRR 144.145571 -4 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 07:36 VK2KRR 144.145571 -12 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 07:24 VK2KRR 144.145571 -20 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 06:46 VK2KRR 144.145571 -22 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-16 22:52 VK6DZ 144.145571 -25 -2 OF84 10 VK2KRR QF34 2662 270
To have a few more stations transmitting and receiving would make a great difference in the data. I'd consider making a 4 way pwr divider and point an antenna to Melb, Mt Gambier, Adelaide, and Sydney.
Good to make use of otherwise idle equipment and be able to further study propagation paths. All rather automatic too, so u can concentrate on other tasks while the computer does most of the work for you.
Been trying K1JTs WSPR program over the past week. WSPR stands for "Weak Signal Propagation Reporter".
Its available here http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wspr.html
WSPR implements a protocol designed for probing potential propagation paths with low-power transmissions. Normal transmissions carry a station's callsign, Maidenhead grid locator, and transmitter power in dBm. The program can decode signals with S/N as low as -28 dB in a 2500 Hz bandwidth. Stations with internet access can automatically upload their reception reports to a central database called WSPRnet, which includes a mapping facility.
The WSPRnet site is located here http://wsprnet.org/drupal/ Spots of reception can be automatically uploaded by the program to the WSPRnet database, where its available for others to see or the person from which the signal originated can see how the signal was recieved at each location.
At the moment, we are testing on 144.144 MHz DIAL frequency. As the nominated WSPR freq 144.489, I saw a complaint somewhere it was to close to Alice Springs beacon.
This is what information you can find in the WSPR database, very interesting to not the difference in signal strength between 5ACY and 5ZK. And also interesting to see the signal strength slowly increase from mid afternoon to after sundown where signal was up to +15dB -
Timestamp Call MHz SNR Drift Grid Pwr Reporter RGrid km az
2011-01-18 21:28 VK2KRR 144.145534 -6 0 QF34mr 20 VK5BC PF95jj 755 273
2011-01-18 21:18 VK2KRR 144.145521 -14 1 QF34mr 20 VK5BC PF95jj 755 273
2011-01-18 11:12 VK2KRR 144.145439 +14 -2 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 11:04 VK2KRR 144.145548 +1 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 11:04 VK2KRR 144.145440 +15 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:54 VK2KRR 144.145546 +5 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:54 VK2KRR 144.145438 +7 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:48 VK2KRR 144.145435 +14 0 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:48 VK2KRR 144.145543 +7 0 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:44 VK2KRR 144.145437 +10 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:44 VK2KRR 144.145545 +7 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:36 VK2KRR 144.145437 +3 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:36 VK2KRR 144.145545 -2 -1 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:28 VK2KRR 144.145545 -14 -2 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:28 VK2KRR 144.145438 +8 -2 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:16 VK2KRR 144.145439 +6 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 10:16 VK2KRR 144.145545 -2 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:06 VK2KRR 144.145546 -2 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 10:06 VK2KRR 144.145440 -5 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ACY PF95sb 683 271
2011-01-18 09:54 VK2KRR 144.145547 0 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 09:26 VK2KRR 144.145551 -8 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 09:16 VK2KRR 144.145553 -3 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 09:06 VK2KRR 144.145557 -17 -4 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 08:54 VK2KRR 144.145561 -9 -4 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 08:44 VK2KRR 144.145564 -21 -4 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 08:20 VK2KRR 144.145568 -18 -4 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 08:12 VK2KRR 144.145570 -10 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 07:52 VK2KRR 144.145572 -15 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 07:44 VK2KRR 144.145571 -4 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 07:36 VK2KRR 144.145571 -12 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 07:24 VK2KRR 144.145571 -20 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-18 06:46 VK2KRR 144.145571 -22 -3 QF34mr 20 VK5ZK PF94jl 748 265
2011-01-16 22:52 VK6DZ 144.145571 -25 -2 OF84 10 VK2KRR QF34 2662 270
To have a few more stations transmitting and receiving would make a great difference in the data. I'd consider making a 4 way pwr divider and point an antenna to Melb, Mt Gambier, Adelaide, and Sydney.
Good to make use of otherwise idle equipment and be able to further study propagation paths. All rather automatic too, so u can concentrate on other tasks while the computer does most of the work for you.