WSPR 160m

[VK4KGW]

I have had some success with a sheet of light fishing net with the ballons contained and then the wire secured , the amoung required is small and only a few grams

Great idea! thanks for the input will keep that in mind if I attempt it again.

Been used for decades

and I'm not just a pretty face

[VK2KRR]

160m WSPR came alive last night to the USA, was nothing to Europe early morning.

160m alive

[VK2KRR]

For anyone interested in trying out 160m WSPR for some overseas signals, I have this report from Jim WF7W, off the 160m WSPR Facebook page for tonights activities -

"I have the amp on this evening. I would sure like to see my signal making it to Asia, something that has never happened before. PO reads 400W, tonight only. Hope this doesn't piss off the purists. :=)
There is not enough heat coming out of my amp to heat the shack properly. I will leave it at 500W out, so I won't have to put extra logs in the stove tonight. :=)" Jim.

[VK2KRR]

An email from Denis K7FL I received:

I plan to be QRV on 160M WSPR all of your winter and hopefully collect some data on what the path looks like.
I suspect all the northern hemi people think 160M is a winter only band … but we’re missing the fun of working southern hemi in our summer time.
If VK/ZL blokes must to fight static crashes, etc during your summer to work NA, the least we can do is return the favor by listening during your winter! Having a small network of VK/ZL guys exchanging 160M WSPR reports with NA during your winter would help prove the path and point. So, if you have any friends wishing to be QRV for WSPR on 160M the next 6 months, let’s make it happen together!

Cheers

Dennis, K7FL (ex VK5EQE as a tourist long ago)

[VK2KRR]

This post is mainly for Peter VK5PJ, passing on message for you -

New 160M spot last night: VK5PJ - thanks!
Also, nice spots from Leigh, VK2KRR

Dennis, K7FL

[VK2KRR]

Have had a brilliant and rare EU opening from VK this morning and its still about 2 hours till Derek VK6DZ's grey line!

160m opening

Stations heard by myself (by distance) -
2012-04-12 20:48 ON7KB 1.838097 -25 0 JO21ei 5 VK2KRR QF34mr 16559 74
2012-04-12 20:22 PE1MPX 1.838070 -26 0 JO32gc 5 VK2KRR QF34mr 16392 75
2012-04-12 20:46 PE1MPX 1.838071 -26 0 JO32gc 5 VK2KRR QF34mr 16392 75
2012-04-12 19:36 PA0O 1.838121 -22 0 JO33hg 5 VK2KRR QF34mr 16351 73
2012-04-12 19:24 PA0O 1.838122 -26 0 JO33hg 5 VK2KRR QF34mr 16351 73
2012-04-12 20:00 PA0O 1.838122 -19 0 JO33hg 5 VK2KRR QF34mr 16351 73
2012-04-12 20:12 PA0O 1.838123 -16 0 JO33hg 5 VK2KRR QF34mr 16351 73
2012-04-12 19:48 PA0O 1.838122 -20 0 JO33hg 5 VK2KRR QF34mr 16351 73
2012-04-12 20:00 DF1VB 1.838096 -26 0 JO31sk 20 VK2KRR QF34mr 16344 77
2012-04-12 20:40 DF1VB 1.838098 -16 0 JO31sk 20 VK2KRR QF34mr 16344 77
2012-04-12 20:20 DF1VB 1.838097 -19 0 JO31sk 20 VK2KRR QF34mr 16344 77
2012-04-12 20:52 HB3YAT 1.838047 -19 -1 JN47jm 10 VK2KRR QF34mr 16329 84
2012-04-12 20:28 OZ7IT 1.838133 -24 0 JO65df 20 VK2KRR QF34mr 15938 76
2012-04-12 20:40 OZ7IT 1.838032 -26 0 JO65df 20 VK2KRR QF34mr 15938 76

Stations who heard me (by distance)-
2012-04-12 20:36 VK2KRR 1.838151 -24 0 QF34mr 20 F59706 JN07th 16864 306
2012-04-12 20:30 VK2KRR 1.838152 -27 0 QF34mr 20 PE1MPX JO32gc 16392 313
2012-04-12 20:24 VK2KRR 1.838151 -30 0 QF34mr 20 PE1MPX JO32gc 16392 313
2012-04-12 20:24 VK2KRR 1.838151 -26 0 QF34mr 20 DL1DBC/1 JO31oj 16367 312
2012-04-12 20:36 VK2KRR 1.838152 -26 0 QF34mr 20 DL1DBC/1 JO31oj 16367 312
2012-04-12 20:30 VK2KRR 1.838152 -24 0 QF34mr 20 DL1DBC/1 JO31oj 16367 312
2012-04-12 19:56 VK2KRR 1.838152 -24 0 QF34mr 20 PA0O JO33hg 16351 316
2012-04-12 20:30 VK2KRR 1.838153 -8 0 QF34mr 20 PA0O JO33hg 16351 316
2012-04-12 20:36 VK2KRR 1.838154 -26 0 QF34mr 20 DF1VB JO31sk 16344 312
2012-04-12 20:30 VK2KRR 1.838156 -27 0 QF34mr 20 DG9BEW JO31sk 16344 312
2012-04-12 20:24 VK2KRR 1.838151 -21 0 QF34mr 20 OZ7IT JO65df 15938 317
2012-04-12 20:30 VK2KRR 1.838152 -19 0 QF34mr 20 OZ7IT JO65df 15938 317
2012-04-12 20:36 VK2KRR 1.838152 -21 0 QF34mr 20 OZ7IT JO65df 15938 317

Maybe Derek can let us know how he ended up later after his grey line?

[VK5BC]

Hi Leigh

Well done on the EU WSPR. I've been trying JT65HF the last couple of nights from Corny Point using the Squid Pole as antenna. Have been decoded in the USA several times but last night I decoded several stations including the following;

12/04/2012 9:17 1838 -23 CQ VE3ODZ FN03
12/04/2012 9:23 1838 -20 CQ WA1NGH FN31
12/04/2012 9:55 1838 -21 CQ W1UU FN41
12/04/2012 10:09 1838 -27 CQ AB1NJ FN34

Unfortunately I did not make any contacts with these stations as I wasn't watching at the time but I have been decoded several times in the states over the last 3 nights including.

Apr-11 10:47 K9YC United States 1837.95 -18, several decodes each night,
Apr-11 10:14 AB1NJ United States 1837.64 -22.

I've been amased at the performance of the 9m long squid pole mounted on the carport as a ground plane with a large matching coil at bottom of pole, 1:1 swr over about 15KHz so I don't have to use a tuner. I've been running 50w from IC7000.

I should have left it running all night, may have got some EU.

73's Brian
VK5BC

[VK2KRR]

Brian, unfortunately JT65 users are causing come massive interference to people trying to use WSPR on 160m, severe signal degredation and no decodes due to the 50 sec transmissions of JT65 being so close to the WSPR freq.

It has been noted on both the USA and VK sides.

Myself am personally seeing interferring JT65 signals up to 40dB over 9 at times across the WSPR freq, makes it fairly hard to decode 1 Watt stations weak signals. Which makes WSPR virtually unworkable for weak signals as this cuts into every WSPR period of 2 mins.

I have posted a note about the problem to WSPR users group to suggest freq move or something of that nature.

[VK5BC]

Leigh

I have also seen the interferance to WSPR, in fact it was what started me down the JT65HF path which I have found very interesting & successful. It appears there will have to be some frequency rationalisation with one or the other moving because I think there is definately a requirement for both modes and as you can see from my 1.8 success JT65 gives you the ability to work signals from areas which would be very difficult on SSB or even CW. There were several good contacts completed last night between VK3 & 7 to the USA & Canada.

There is probably the same problem on 40m, WSPR 7.0386 MHz, JT65 7.039MHz allthough I note that 7.076MHz is also allocated.

In the short term it is probably going to be difficult because there seems to be an increasing number of VK'S coming up on 1.8 JT65.

Brian

[VK2KRR]

Ive never seen any dramas on other bands, but that may be because of lack of JT65 users? not sure.
Something does need to be done.

Could possibly have a 1 night on 1 night off thing where WSPR is used one night then JT65 the next and so on. That could work if everyone was in on it.
I'd probably even have a look at the JT65 stuff and maybe other would look at WSPR too?

[VK2KRR]

A late update, but on the evening of 18th May 2012, there was some good 160m prop to USA and a great turn out of VK stations! well done folks

160m WSPR 18th May 2012

[VK2KRR]

A bit of a rare one this morning on 160m WSPR.
Signals from Ross 5Z4/VK1UN, in Kenya. Not very strong at all, but just able to be decoded here. First time I have heard Ross from Kenya on 160m. Last time I heard him he was in Afghanistan.

5Z4VK1UN 160m WSPR

[VK5ZRL]

Here is a screenshot of some WSPR signals with auroral spread on 160m.

[VK2KRR]

Some fuzzy signals tonight then suddenly quite a bit of Auroral scattering showing up.

160m with Aurora effects

[VK2XN]

some more of the same from southern stations in VK2,3,5 & 6.

[VK2KRR]

Wow! Brilliant night Saturday night for 160m WSPR activity! Probably one of the best openings to the USA area that many of us have seen.
Interestingly we're finding that most good openings are coinciding with K Index disturbance warnings. Shall keep an eye on this.

Sat Night 160m WSPR!

[VK4FIL]

Hi leigh,

DK8FI recd my 5W 160 meter WSPR the other night.

That was my first into EU on 160. Using only 10 meter squid pole vertical

Phil vk4fil

[VK2KRR]

Phil,

There is something very fishy about this spot and I dont really understand whats happened, but -

-The time was 1212 UTC which is around midday where DK8FT/1 is located
-The signal strength was +2dB
-DK8FT/1 was on 14 MHz from what I can gather

What makes it weirder is that I decoded u on the same timeslot The only thing I can think of, as this appears to be ur last transmission, I wonder if the TX was somehow switched to 20m band midway through the over?

[VK2KRR]

Ross 5Z4/VK1UN in Kenya has advised me that he now has a full length 160m dipole up at 38m.
Ross will be on 160m WSPR tonight if anyone is interested.
I'll be on for a Friday night special.

[VK2KRR]

View of the past 24 hours on 160m WSPR. Its been a while since this thread was updated

160m WSPR past 24 hr

Great amounts of stations on from the northern hemisphere! Im planning on getting active again soon. Not many representing Australia at present.