Last 24hrs on 472kHz with earth-electrodes and 5mW ERP

In total, 11 different stations have received my 5mW ERP WSPR signals from my earth-electrode "antenna" in the last 24 hours with the best report being from F1AFJ (607km) at 2202z last night at -29dB S/N. In the same period I received 12 unique stations.

472kHz - unique spots in last 24 hours

If I can match the earth-electrode "antenna" I shall be trying 160m for a change this evening and overnight. G8LCO has suggested this. If the earth-electrode "antenna" acts as a loop in the ground, I'd predict poorer results at 160m as the loop would be smaller. On the other hand, the FT817 would be better on RX (greater sensitivity) and my ERP higher (I think). Not sure of the noise floor here on 160m, but it could be poorer on 160m than 630m. Proof will be in the results - that is the fun.

More 160m QRP WSPR with 15m baseline earth-electrodes

Last evening and overnight I left the 160m 2W WSPR system running with the 15m baseline earth-electrode "antenna" to see what happened. The number of UNIQUE station spots of my signal has climbed to 17 in 8 different countries, with the best DX still just over 1000km to Sweden.On RX I have now spotted 11 uniques.

17 unique spots in 8 countries with 2W and 15m earth-electrodes on 160m WSPR

Having more or less completed all the WSPR tests I want to do for now with the present antennas, I shall now concentrate on 2-way modes that don't involve speaking (to save my poor voice) such as CW, PSK31, JT65HF and JT9-1.

Top Band on the 15m baseline earth-electrode "antenna"

Running the 2W  from the PA (ERP not known but mWs likely) I received 12 unique spots overnight of my 160m WSPR signal with best DX report from SM6WZI  (JO67mp) at 1007km, not at all bad going. At my end, I copied just 6 unique stations including SM6WZI as my best DX spot. My reports (of others) are not as good as their spots of me, suggesting my noise floor is higher than theirs?

At this point I am running out of WSPR "experiments" that I can do with the antennas already in place. You may recall my stroke is preventing ladder and antenna work outside presently. I could give 137kHz a go but will need a preamp building first. "Down the road" at the old QTH G8HUH was regularly able to copy me on 137kHz WSPR QRP to my 20m earth-electrode"antenna" at 250km. Main issue on 137kHz is there are few WSPR stations active usually.

Maybe I shall try some 2-way HF QSOs using CW, PSK31, JT65HF or JT9-1 instead? All the while I am trying to avoid speaking to save my poor voice!

My 160m WSPR analysis

Since erecting my tiny 160m loft mounted vertical this last weekend I've used it on WSPR a few evenings with great success. The following tables show the unique reports received and sent on the band using (mostly) 5W. Most stations copying me can be copied here, despite the horrendous noise issues on the band at night.

160m WSPR reports received

160m WSPR reports given

So far, reports have been received from 9 countries with best DX being 1007km. Not bad with an antenna which is essentially a 1m long coil, a couple of top capacity wires and about 3m of feed wire from the loft to the upstairs shack and tuned against my central heating system copper pipes as a ground.