QRSS receive is not something I have tried. I am wondering what the best software I should use? Any recommendations would be appreciated.
5 Nov 2023
8 Dec 2022
QRSS or WSPR?
Although WSPR comes in several guises and speeds, I have no idea how QRSS (slow CW) compares with WSPR. Maybe Googling will tell me the answer.
For very low power (QRPP), one of these modes is probably better. WSPR has the advantage of being widely reported via WSPRnet. Certainly very slow WSPR is probably better than QRSS at reasonable speeds.
The answer is probably the same as, "how long is a piece of string?", but any pointers would be appreciated.
22 Feb 2021
136kHz experiments
Other than a brief test with the earth-electrode "antenna" on RX, I have never yet tried 136kHz at this QTH.
My old site (links may not work as this old site is not maintained) has a description of the E-field probe RX antenna and other tests at 136/7kHz.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp/Home/136k .
See also http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/2013/01/137khz-e-field-probe-mag-mount.html for more on the LF EFP.
30 Jul 2018
137kHz E-field probe on the car mag-mount
At some point I should rebuild this and try from the QTH we moved to almost 5 years ago, maybe using the earth-electrode "antenna" on TX. I have felt too unwell since my stroke.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/137efp
15 Dec 2014
QRSS and WSPR frequencies
27 Jun 2013
Ultimate 2 QRSS beacon TX
The Ultimate2 QRSS kit |
See http://www.hanssummers.com/ultimate2.html . At just £17.50 this is a great value kit for those interested in weak signal beaconing.
16 Jan 2013
Back on 137kHz TX
QRSS and CW beacon TX for 137.685 kHz |
Instead, I ended up building a new CW, QRSS3 and QRSS30 8W beacon transmitter using an IRF640 PA device. This evening and overnight the beacon will run QRSS3 on approximately 137.685kHz and I have requested reports and screenshots.
The antenna being used is my 20m spaced earth-electrode pair set-up used very successfully on 472kHz last weekend. On 137kHz signals are much weaker than on 472kHz, so I await reports with interest.
The whole unit runs quite cool when housed in a plastic box. Switches on the front of the boxed unit allow up to 7 pre-programmed messages to be beaconed at varying speeds. As normal, I use the K1EL beacon chip for the beacon message generation. The signal source is a 3.579MHz crystal in a divide by 26 circuit implemented in a PIC like device and kindly supplied to me by a French amateur Francis F6HSI a few years ago.
12 Jan 2013
Thoughts turning to 136kHz again
On 136/137kHz there are fewer stations using WSPR, so I will probably use QRSS more. In the past I have made QRSS crystal controlled beacons for this band, but with a transverter and my FT817 I will be able to generate a QRSS signal wherever I want in the band and also be able to have QRSS QSOs.
Does anyone have recommendations for SIMPLE PC program that will allow me to generate QRSS (various speeds) as an audio tone?
This way I can use my SignaLink USB interface and VOX to send QRSS (or DFCW) using audio tones. Please don't suggest Spectrum Lab unless you can give me a "Noddy guide" on how to use it for QRSS! This is a very good program, but to a simple soul like me it seems like you need a PhD to drive it. In the past I've used it for VLF reception, but it took me weeks to work out how to drive it and every time I go back to it I need to learn it all again. I just want a simple QRSS tone generator.
23 Jun 2012
Ultimate QRSS/WSPR kit from Hans Summers
All,
This is to announce a new standalone QRSS/WSPR kit by Steve G0XAR and Hans G0UPL. The kit supports WSPR, QRSS, DFCW, FSK/CW, CW, Hell (full speed and half-speed), Slow Hell, and customisable FSK patterns. The WSPR encoding is on-chip. It supports the connection of a GPS module for frequency locking, accurate time, and location (for WSPR). Power output is measured at 185mW on the 30m version. We are selling versions for 30/40/80m and perhaps later 20m and 160m. It does not require a PC, it has an LCD and two buttons to control it.
The price is GBP 15.39 (EUR 19 or US $24 approximately) plus shipping.
You can see all the details here: http://www.hanssummers.com/qrsskitmm and order online at http://www.hanssummers.com/shop . We expect to be shipping by 27-29 June.
The kit supports the following modes:
+ QRSS mode (plain on/off keyed slow CW)
+ FSK/CW mode (frequency shift keyed slow CW)
+ DFCW mode (dual frequency CW, dit's and dah's on different frequencies)
+ WSPR mode (Weak Signal Propagation Reporter)
+ Slow-Hellschreiber (frequency shifted slow Hellschreiber)
+ Hellshreiber (full-speed standard Hellschreiber, and half-speed Hellshreiber)
+ CW (plain CW)
+ Customisable FSK patterns
Other features:
+ 24-character LCD + two-button user interface
+ User-programmable (callsign, message, speed, FSK, mode, etc.), settings stored in EEPROM
+ GPS interface, for locking the frequency in slow-speed modes
+ On-chip generation of WSPR encoded message (no PC required)
+ WSPR maidenhead locator can be generated from GPS-derived latitude/longitude
+ Selectable “frame” size, for stacked QRSS reception
+ Plain CW callsign identifier at selectable interval
+ Produces 150mW RF output, or AF output for driving an SSB transceiver
+ Higher output power by additional PA transistor and/or higher PA supply voltage
73 Hans G0UPL and Steve G0XAR
8 Feb 2012
Weak signal modes compared
Amongst his conclusions is that "Opera8, QRSS10 (or DFCW10) and WSPR should have a more or less equal performance." This is very much as I have found from practical experience on 136kHz where QRSS3 does not perform as well as QRSS30 which is somewhat better than WSPR. So, WSPR being much the same as QRSS10 seems spot on. The advantage of WSPR is of course the internet database reporting which allows you to see where you have been received. QRSS reports depend on someone decoding the signals by eye and then manually sending you a report, which rarely happens. So, WSPR remains my favourite weak signal beaconing mode.
ON7YD's graph showing the effectiveness of various weak signal modes |
27 Apr 2011
Mains hum powered beacon
22 Dec 2010
G3XDV on 136kHz QRSS
2 Aug 2010
14.9km on 136kHz QRP (earth electrode antenna)
- At 2.4km good copy by ear (12wpm CW would have been very solid)
- At 8.6km good copy using Spectran
- At 14.9km clear copy of my callsign and locator in QRSS3 with Spectran on the Gog Megog Hills near Cambridge (see screenshot)
- 2W out crystal controlled QRP 136kHz beacon TX on a 5 x 5cm board (see picture)
- Invisible ground "antenna" that can't be seen, even when a few metres away from it.
- No attempt to match the TX to the earth electrodes.
- Simple loop + FET impedance matching circuit and deaf FT817 at the receiver end.
19 Jul 2010
4.6kms with earth electrode "antenna" and 250mW on 136kHz
In the meantime, if anyone near Burwell, Cambs wants to look for the QRSS3 signal near 136.93kHz I'll leave it running until about 8pm tonight when I have to switch off as my grandson is sleeping in the shack bedroom. Any reports would be amazing.
24 Apr 2010
Further 8.97kHz earth-mode tests
23 Jan 2010
G3ZJO in QRSS3 on 500kHz
20 Oct 2009
Simple beacon keyer IC: the K-ID2
See http://k1el.tripod.com/KID.html . At $6 each you can hardly go wrong with this. I shall be ordering a few shortly.