Wspr

[2e0sql]

I've been playing with WSPR over the last couple of months with interest, Its unbelievable that on a couple of watts a signal can be heard on the other side of the world my stations been reported in VK/ZL with just 5 watts.

Has anyone else been playing with the tool, and gotten any useful propagation information from it?

[kd0bik]

Hi Peter,

Yes I've been running WSPR for a little over a year I think. I usually run WSPR when I'm in the shack doing other things. I've had the best luck with 30m and in the late afternoon during gray line, my 5w signal coming out of my Hustler 6BTV has been heard in VK/ZL and fairly frequently by JA's. From what I can tell the majority of the stateside ops are running WSPR on 30m. But I do run it on 40 and 80m, but have not had the DX on those bands like I've seen on 30m.

While I use it to "test" the waters so to speak, I've also used this to check my overall stations ability to operate. Like you, I can't have the tall tower and "big iron" hanging from it. Running WSPR gives me confidence that my little pistol of a station can get out.

Jerry

[2e0sql]

Hi Jerry,

I think its a great tool for testing what the band might be able to do, obviously the way the mode works makes it special itself compared to CW/SSB but does give a general idea of what you might be able to work. I've not tried it on 80m yet although I'd like to as I find the short 80m windom preforms badly on that band.

Be interesting to see if anyone includes the data in propagation apps using the old csv data included on wpsr.net.

[AE6ZW]

I went to WSPR web site and click on online map. I think most of the STNs who has those set up has much better antenna than I do, even through they are making cross USA QSO, I can even hear the signal, and can only make 500 miles QSO

[M0VKG]

Don't be disheartened if you don't have a superb antenna - I operate on HF with a piece of wire and I've had great results on WSPR with it! It's definitely, definitely worth a try.

If you've got a multi-band antenna, or a tuner that can automatically retune itself, have a look at the frequency-hopping version that Joe K1JT has done here. If you set it up for the co-ordinated hopping, you'll be on the same bands as others running the frequency-hopping version, ergo some very interesting results!