My next priority is to get a basic 500kHz WSPR TX capability in place, if only a few watts to my very inefficient antenna. Once I get a signal of any kind I can start to improve the antenna and ground system and see how reports develop. The most probable route will be a transverter using the FT817 as the prime mover using an SBL1 mixer and a small IRF5xx FET PA This may take a few weeks, but I hope to have something on the air in October.
7 Sept 2009
500kHz TX activities - closer
In recent days there has been an upsurge in interest in WSPR beaconing on 136 and 500kHz with loggings now running into thousands whereas only 1 month ago there was hardly any WSPR activity on these LF bands. I am now regularly listening on both 136kHz and 500kHz WSPR.
My next priority is to get a basic 500kHz WSPR TX capability in place, if only a few watts to my very inefficient antenna. Once I get a signal of any kind I can start to improve the antenna and ground system and see how reports develop. The most probable route will be a transverter using the FT817 as the prime mover using an SBL1 mixer and a small IRF5xx FET PA This may take a few weeks, but I hope to have something on the air in October.
My next priority is to get a basic 500kHz WSPR TX capability in place, if only a few watts to my very inefficient antenna. Once I get a signal of any kind I can start to improve the antenna and ground system and see how reports develop. The most probable route will be a transverter using the FT817 as the prime mover using an SBL1 mixer and a small IRF5xx FET PA This may take a few weeks, but I hope to have something on the air in October.
2 Sept 2009
6m aircraft scatter
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOP2jyiPioCwUnMkxnmiEQXucgiajeywWRKeK0hnVCtHK60RkMZ4dnjRtCRRHGbPVGB2GxJh-khbPb04YwBOVQd7GN5BrFCAtWY-ggEVRZHr0IxLRrQMhjo8A0ScZ9gwWnMgwJMrc24GM/s200/g3zjo-aircraft2.jpg)
Labels:
aircraft scatter,
g3zjo,
wspr
1 Sept 2009
More on the active LF antenna
In the last few days SM6BHZ has been heard in central Bejing China using a version of this antenna.
Labels:
136khz,
500kHz,
active antenna,
pa0rdt
Guess what? A SUNSPOT!!!!
Hang out the flags - there is a sunspot on the surface today!
Labels:
sunspots
31 Aug 2009
136kHz WSPR on an active antenna
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/Sp0z7_cmUPI/AAAAAAAAAxo/PuNYvy68dL0/s200/active_ant.jpg)
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/Spvjhx2azpI/AAAAAAAAAxg/-IOyyyFwoo8/s200/136m0bmu.jpg)
http://carconline.blogspot.
Labels:
136khz,
active antenna,
m0bmu,
pa0rdt
29 Aug 2009
SM6BHZ on 500kHz WSPR
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SpmCT7sr-yI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/Ry7O6MPxGOc/s200/sm6bhz_wspr_290809.jpg)
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SpmNOl0FywI/AAAAAAAAAxY/6yyOFvPkHQc/s200/500wsprmap290809.jpg)
I also copied another 500kHz WSPR signal, this time from G4WGT who was -23dB S/N with 500mW ERP from IO83 at 248kms. The map shows stations active on TX or listening and shows I've received SM6BHZ and G4WGT. Very clever database this!
Later still copied M0BMU and G4WGT again on 500kHz WSPR.
136kHz Listening
Just heard quite a good signal (RST569) from G3XIZ on 136.5kHz CW. He had just worked G3KEV before 8am but I could not copy G3KEV (Mal). I made a recording which is on my website - quality not good as it was made with my Dell Axim pocket PC held next to the loudspeaker.
27 Aug 2009
Sunspot "Maunder Minimum" continues
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SpZLUFBOa5I/AAAAAAAAAxI/z1q-JFHrhaY/s200/maunder.jpg)
Labels:
maunder minimum,
solar,
sunspots
26 Aug 2009
SSB DX on 500kHz
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SpW0U9wVhPI/AAAAAAAAAww/GQc5eOeaF9o/s200/sm6bhz_500khz_QSL.jpg)
10m PSK31 QSOs
Having found 10m open tonight as a result of some WSPR reports from the Faroe Islands, Italy and Portugal, I went onto 10m PSK31 and had a couple of QSOs with YL3GBF and S56EPX when running about 3W QRP. Solid contacts, but I don't really like PSK31 - the QSOs seem so "artificial" and PC generated. I do try to type as I go though to put some variety into the contact.
DM780 is an excellent package for this mode and many other digital modes.
DM780 is an excellent package for this mode and many other digital modes.
RoomCap HF antenna?
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SpUyrbERQHI/AAAAAAAAAwo/_oP6_Ujrqgg/s200/abxant40m.jpg)
To get build instructions costs money and, as a born skeptic when it comes to "something for nothing" antennas, I'd like to hear from anyone who has made one and how well it worked.
This is the link http://home.datacomm.ch/hb9abx/ant--abx-e.htm
Labels:
hb9abx,
roomcap antenna
24 Aug 2009
30m WSPR logs
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SpKmzs_z2eI/AAAAAAAAAwg/ohHWG9Sm48s/s200/wspr-DX_aug_30m.jpg)
Clearly, with WSPR, openings are being captured which otherwise would have been missed. This is especially true on the higher HF bands, which I intend to concentrate my efforts on next - bands like 10m.
Update - two more reports tonight - VE1 and 9H1.
Labels:
wspr
23 Aug 2009
Antennas at G3XBM
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SpFMkjLVViI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/Jl9ekRmAHoE/s200/antennas_aug09.jpg)
Click on the image to get a better view.
Labels:
antennas
T61AA on 17m
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmycxGXObP-fJgO8It2illGd7Rq0NORyBmepL3KyaXlBk1ey_EK4iIamuB1i07JR1EPKAwIbQQe2EmU21-z1Bzo-sOvCEUI7MGcAeruLcMNDyBzeDyWyVoYrfiLxJMmXZYJp3LqhOfL4/s200/t61aa17m.jpg)
22 Aug 2009
Sporadic-E ....is it getting better year on year?
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SpBZRgsSaRI/AAAAAAAAAwA/8Plo5fmPgYE/s200/dxtv.jpg)
But have sporadic-E openings changed and become far more intense in recent years? Looking at the reports of summer 6m DX now and you will see DX as far as S.America, The Congo, Japan and Texas to name but a few. Now is this because there are more stations, DX clusters and the like or is the E layer now doing things it wasn't doing (at least not as often) 40 years or more ago? Indeed, are these super so-called multi-hop Es openings really sporadic-E as we understand it? Or is the E layer now more intensely ionised more often?
Incidentally, with WSPR I seem to find 10m open to Europe almost all the time, day and night.
Labels:
sporadic-e
SSTV
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/So_vwO6Yi3I/AAAAAAAAAv4/FTNAQAUH2Sk/s200/JN1vnw.jpg)
Labels:
digital master 780,
jn1vnw,
sstv
19 Aug 2009
2013 for sunspot cycle 24 peak?
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SowCWpB6AjI/AAAAAAAAAvw/vmAyrdWmagk/s200/sunspot_oz.gif)
Labels:
sunspots
17 Aug 2009
Afghanistan on 10m
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SokNjLZsxiI/AAAAAAAAAvg/Yoh_Nn4OeLw/s200/t61aa_log.jpg)
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SomZgpH2rDI/AAAAAAAAAvo/GWUQd-jON6o/s200/t61aa_chat.jpg)
This is the WSPR chat log showing that T61AA was genuine. He has been trying EME and 6m at other times today.
16 Aug 2009
Getting back to homebrew QRP
For the last 10 days I have been "distracted" (by my discovery of WSPR) from my main interest - building simple homebrew QRP gear. In the next few days I hope to have rectified this lapse and got busy in the back of the garage making something new. Not sure what yet but I feel the urge to build again.....
Labels:
qrp
50MHz aircraft scatter
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheCMnV2tFLGhSCK7zMOJ6s9RFrF-SLduO2GeeKGP3oKrELKZyRUdm01jcE4AiX667bKOWI_v5Rz-IwFT_9sIJeID13mnsQzGUp8cfhJiDwjxO-gC5pxndsXqtDQZvfZ5h-XXP0I4ZiDg/s200/g3zjo-aircraft.jpg)
WSPR versus CW - what's the improvement?
As WSPR is so effective I asked Joe, K1JT, what the difference is between WSPR and "ear-and-brain" CW. This is his very helpful reply:
"For an answer to your question about relative sensitivities of CW, WSPR, and some of the other modes implemented in WSJT, let me suggest going to the "References" link on the WSJT web site, http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/refs.html ,
and select reference #11. Table 3 on page 9 gives the information you asked about. The difference given there is about 11 dB, in favor of WSPR over ear-and-brain CW. For most operators, the difference is more like 15 dB."
15 Aug 2009
OK1IAK's tiny WSPR beacon TX
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SoZeqP8NKCI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/yfEVSNLY_aw/s200/kd1jv.jpg)
14 Aug 2009
Heard in VK on 40m QRP again
At 1834z, 30 mins earlier than last night, VK8CH reported my 5W WSPR signal at SNR -27dB, which is 1dB lower than last night. A few hours later, VK8CH copied my 2W (33dBm) 40m WSPR signal at SNR of -24, -27 and -28dB over a period of some 20 minutes. PY2GN has heard me twice tonight already on 30m WSPR, again using 5W. W1XP was copying my 1W 30m WSPR signal at a SNR of-17dB.
All this on 15m of end-fed wire strung from the gutter to the washing line post at the bottom of the garden!
All this on 15m of end-fed wire strung from the gutter to the washing line post at the bottom of the garden!
13 Aug 2009
40m QRP WSPR signal copied by VK8CH
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SoRl9R024_I/AAAAAAAAAvI/rjyac-A33IA/s200/vk8ch.jpg)
What constitutes a QSO?
For example, this evening on 160m I both sent and received callsigns, locator grids, frequencies, power, date, time and reports with G8IHT and G4BOO using WSPR. You KNOW the other station has received it from the on-line WSPR database. This was in WSPR MEPT (beaconing) mode and not using WSPR QSO mode, which I've yet to try.
Now, is this a QSO formally? My feeling is no, yet all details were exchanged and received by both parties. Certainly as much detail as would be exchanged in an EME or MS QSO using modes like JT6M, although no RRRs were sent.
Views please?
12 Aug 2009
6m WSPR testing overnight (Aug 12/13)
Overnight I'll be repeating my WSPR mode MS/Es testing, this time with transmissions on 50MHz running 5W for 20% of the time from around 2100z to 0800z. If you have WSPR software, please set your RX to 50.2930 USB and let it run through the night to see what propagation exists.
UPDATE: Not a single report received or obtained for anyone else on 6m overnight. Then 4 hours later I realised I been plugged into the 10m halo :-(
UPDATE: Not a single report received or obtained for anyone else on 6m overnight. Then 4 hours later I realised I been plugged into the 10m halo :-(
10m WSPR QRP DX - Perseids MS?
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SoJV3WaT0pI/AAAAAAAAAuw/uMex6HSdYXA/s200/f4vns.jpg)
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SoJV8pUns2I/AAAAAAAAAu4/ZrCDPxTi7qA/s200/wspr_traces.jpg)
11 Aug 2009
JT6m Perseids MS
10/6m WSPR
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SoHFhFkjKGI/AAAAAAAAAuY/SvTz89ON_lc/s200/s51cn.jpg)
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SoHMC7UdilI/AAAAAAAAAug/wwuD8v2Tmt8/s200/g3xbm01%282%29.jpg)
Bojan, S51CN kindly sent me a screenshot of my signals in Slovenia (see left).
10 Aug 2009
Joule Thief circuit
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SoCU4EdPPEI/AAAAAAAAAuA/TAGOYzgDyyk/s200/joule8.jpg)
Labels:
Joule thief,
LED
6m JT6M reception
A year or two back, during the winter months, I listened to European 6m DX via random meteor showers using the digital mode JT6M, listening on 50.230MHz. Even though I only have a V2000 triband vertical, I heard several countries then with the best DX being EA, I and HA listening for about 30 minutes in the evening. This week there is a meteor shower due around Aug 12th (Perseids?) so I will give it another go to see what can be heard with my basic setup and antenna.
At the moment I don't think it is worth trying to TX as the most I can run is 10W.
At the moment I don't think it is worth trying to TX as the most I can run is 10W.
8 Aug 2009
WSPR Success
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/Sn2dovpsRqI/AAAAAAAAAto/5sir1weKX3c/s200/wspry.jpg)
LATER: In three sessions of "30m WSPR beacon
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/Sn54RexsWMI/AAAAAAAAAt4/sV-_Umf7200/s200/wsprlogs2.jpg)
More WSPRing
Well, thanks to some help from others I've figured out how to TX a WSPR signal.
For use with a SignaLink USB interface and VOXing TX you need 0, 2, 4 as the settings for PTT, RX and TX and you need to restart the WSPR program for the changes to take effect (this was my problem).
For use with a SignaLink USB interface and VOXing TX you need 0, 2, 4 as the settings for PTT, RX and TX and you need to restart the WSPR program for the changes to take effect (this was my problem).
Labels:
wspr
7 Aug 2009
WSPR DXing
My best WSPR report tonight was of DL6NL who was running just 50mW on 7MHz. I could receive him OK at 733kms when using my 10m band halo antenna.
WSPRing
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgzvziroYe6IJVqg7DMV3W8orU7tIDIO0XLgajou_Gp_RFthseHArUX5albN6v918jY0l7s7g980l9gXfnyOrPSVrjLgQXEe5Tjr3gJBzlnmLJrW6fs-y8fdS1YVlo6eOMfEkzUy3XI0/s200/wspr.jpg)
I've managed to decode WSPR signals on 30m and 40m OK, but every time I tried to TX with the program it bombs out and wants to send Microsoft an error message. I'm using a SignaLink USB interface (working fine on PSK31) and have set the WSPR PTT option to "0", which should allow VOX operation on TX via the SignaLink USB interface rather than via a COM port. Anyone know why this fails to work and crashes the program?
WSPR is a mode which allows specially encoded very weak signals to be decoded and then the resulting report uploaded to a central database. So, for example, you TX with a QRP mW signal on 10MHz and someone receives the WSPR message. Using the software, a report appears on the internet, so you know how far the signal reached.
See http://www.g4ilo.com/wspr.html for a good introduction to WSPR. Spots (uploaded by the program or manually to the internet) can be seen at http://wsprnet.org/meptspots.php
Labels:
SignaLink USB,
wspr
5 Aug 2009
6m CW
Last night I heard TF2JB weakly calling CQ on 6m CW on an otherwise empty band, but I did not work him. This afternoon at 5pm I called CQ on 6m CW having heard the SK3SIX beacon pop up out of the noise and was answered by SM2GCQ. So, even with 5W, a CQ can get a QSO on 6m in an almost empty band. Spor-E is still around folks, if less frequent than a month or so ago.
3 Aug 2009
LY3LP's blogsite
This is a very interesting blogsite with lots to interest QRPers. I like the tunnel diode TX and the 6m projects. Some of the wind turbine blades are unusual. See http://sa555.blogspot.com/
Labels:
ly3lp
2 Aug 2009
1860 voice recordings
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SnWmrO3Q35I/AAAAAAAAAtY/jogVFeOScDA/s200/Phonautograph.jpg)
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/audiosrc/arts/1860v2.mp3
Edison's recording of himself reciting 'Mary had a little lamb' were many years LATER than these very early recordings. Totally fascinating!
Labels:
old voice recording,
phonautograph
1 Aug 2009
Pye PF1 and PF8 handhelds
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/SnS9c7wNpeI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/GuUKJ8s46DI/s200/pf8.jpg)
See Pye Telecom PF1 Handhelds and Pye Telecom PF8 Handheld
For far more information on Pye Telecom see the website http://www.pyetelecomhistory.org/
Incidentally there is a drive to set up a permanent museum of radio history in the Cambridge area in which Pye Telecom products would be featured. £30k is needed to get this project off the ground. See the Pye Telecom History pages for more information on this project.
Labels:
pf1,
pf8,
pye telecom
28 Jul 2009
Sunspots and solar flux
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ot1q36B9jzs/Sm8Ruhi-pVI/AAAAAAAAAtE/Xfa-XxIKKqY/s200/sunspot.gif)
However, 6m is still lively with sporadic-E and continues to liven up this magic band.
See http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/
Labels:
sunspots
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