WSPR - Pronounced whisper stands for Weak signal propogation network.
WSPR is basically a propogation network of low power Beacons operated by hams all over the world.
I tried it out for the first time tonight after seeing a posting on a Web page on how easy it was to set-up. As I already had an interface box to connect up my Icom IC-735 to the PC for PSK31 I thought I would give it a try. The software to run WSPR can be found here on K1JT's Website.
After downloading it, you need to configure the Setup - option page at the top of the program. Details can be found on the WSPR program Help page. Next You need to ensure that your computer is correct to within 1 sec for the program to decode the incoming received signals. On Windows XP that is done by clicking the time at the bottom of the desktop and selecting adjust/date time. In the Date and Time properties box click the Internet time tab and then press update to synchronise the clock to one of the universal time standard servers.
The radio receive frequency has to be manually set to the default frequency shown on the WSPR program as there is no CAT control to the transceiver. To select the Transmit frequency just double click on the water fall display, I usaully set the T/R cycle to 20%. Just this evening alone I received a report from VK wow!!. My transmit power was only 1 Watt into a 102ft Doublet 30ft high.
My tribulations in connecting my Laptop upto the Transceiver is another story, and hopefully will document in a further blog entry.
G4ILO has written a very good write up and tutorial on operating WSPR.
This is my signal received by other stations.
| Timestamp | Call | MHz | SNR | Drift | Grid | Pwr | Reporter | RGrid | km | az |
|---|
| 2009-06-17 23:20 | G0BON | 14.097089 | -24 | -1 | IO91qm | 1 | VK8CH | PH57 | 13894 | 63 |
| 2009-06-17 23:20 | G0BON | 14.097088 | -22 | -1 | IO91qm | 1 | DH5RAE | JN68pv | 1031 | 101 |
| 2009-06-17 23:20 | G0BON | 14.097091 | -26 | -1 | IO91qm | 1 | K3SIW | EN52ta | 6357 | 298 |
| 2009-06-17 22:50 | G0BON | 14.097088 | -19 | -1 | IO91qm | 1 | VK8CH | PH57 | 13894 | 63 |
| 2009-06-17 22:50 | G0BON | 14.097085 | -24 | -1 | IO91qm | 1 | DH5RAE | JN68pv | 1031 | 101 |
| 2009-06-17 22:22 | G0BON | 10.140241 | -24 | -1 | IO91qm | 1 | RA1AMO | KO59cw | 2119 | 52 |
| 2009-06-17 22:16 | G0BON | 10.140242 | -28 | -1 | IO91qm | 1 | RA1AMO | KO59cw | 2119 | 52 |
| 2009-06-17 21:52 | G0BON | 10.140237 | -27 | -1 | IO91qm | 1 | RA1AMO | KO59cw | 2119 | 52 |
| 2009-06-17 21:10 | G0BON | 10.140206 | -26 | -1 | IO91 | 5 | W3CSW | FM19kd | 5827 | 288 |
This is my report to other stations| Timestamp | Call | MHz | SNR | Drift | Grid | Pwr | Reporter | RGrid | km | az |
|---|
| 2009-06-17 23:00 | DL8BB | 14.097060 | -10 | 0 | JO41ul | 5 | G0BON | IO91qm | 715 | 274 |
| 2009-06-17 22:56 | AI4RY | 14.097119 | -20 | 1 | EM72go | 5 | G0BON | IO91qm | 6897 | 45 |
| 2009-06-17 22:54 | K3SIW | 14.097198 | -10 | 0 | EN52ta | 1 | G0BON | IO91qm | 6357 | 48 |
| 2009-06-17 22:54 | WB4KLJ | 14.097182 | -25 | 0 | FM18ku | 2 | G0BON | IO91qm | 5874 | 49 |
| 2009-06-17 22:43 | K3SIW | 14.097197 | -14 | 0 | EN52ta | 1 | G0BON | IO91qm | 6357 | 48 |
| 2009-06-17 22:43 | WB4KLJ | 14.097181 | -24 | 0 | FM18ku | 2 | G0BON | IO91qm | 5874 | 49 |
| 2009-06-17 22:41 | UT7UA | 14.097181 | 0 | 0 | KO50ji | 5 | G0BON | IO91qm | 2188 | 286 |
| 2009-06-17 22:35 | UT7UA | 14.097182 | 0 | 0 | KO50ji | 5 | G0BON | IO91qm | 2188 | 286 |
| 2009-06-17 22:35 | AI4RY | 14.097121 | -20 | 1 | EM72go | 5 | G0BON | IO91qm | 6897 | 45 |
| 2009-06-17 22:35 | DF6MK | 14.097105 | -9 | -1 | JN68ik | 5 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1011 | 295 |
| 2009-06-17 22:33 | W3PM | 14.097158 | -20 | 0 | EM64or | 5 | G0BON | IO91qm | 6817 | 45 |
| 2009-06-17 22:25 | IQ4DJ | 14.097085 | -9 | 0 | JN54ks | 0.05 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1134 | 316 |
| 2009-06-17 22:02 | G8IHT | 10.140122 | -19 | -2 | IO94gi | 10 | G0BON | IO91qm | 320 | 170 |
| 2009-06-17 22:00 | IQ4DJ | 10.140186 | +5 | 0 | JN54ks | 1 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1134 | 316 |
| 2009-06-17 21:58 | IQ4DJ | 10.140187 | -4 | 0 | JN54ks | 0.05 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1134 | 316 |
| 2009-06-17 21:56 | IQ4DJ | 10.140188 | +6 | 0 | JN54ks | 1 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1134 | 316 |
| 2009-06-17 21:54 | OE1IFM | 10.140273 | -9 | -1 | JN88df | 1 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1263 | 293 |
| 2009-06-17 21:54 | IQ4DJ | 10.140188 | -3 | -1 | JN54ks | 0.05 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1134 | 316 |
| 2009-06-17 21:38 | OE1IFM | 10.140166 | -6 | 0 | JN88df | 1 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1263 | 293 |
| 2009-06-17 21:18 | IQ4DJ | 10.140206 | -15 | -1 | JN54ks | 0.05 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1134 | 316 |
| 2009-06-17 21:16 | IQ4DJ | 10.140207 | -4 | 0 | JN54ks | 1 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1134 | 316 |
| 2009-06-17 21:16 | G7NKS | 10.140137 | -22 | -1 | IO92ub | 10 | G0BON | IO91qm | 64 | 201 |
| 2009-06-17 21:14 | IQ4DJ | 10.140208 | -14 | 0 | JN54ks | 0.05 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1134 | 316 |
| 2009-06-17 21:12 | IV3DXW | 10.140265 | +1 | -1 | JN65qq | 2 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1214 | 307 |
| 2009-06-17 21:12 | IQ4DJ | 10.140210 | -6 | -1 | JN54ks | 1 | G0BON | IO91qm | 1134 | 316 |
| 2009-06-17 21:12 | G3NIC | 10.140199 | -23 | -1 | IO93rg | 5 | G0BON | IO91qm | 195 | 182 |
The spice model includes a Spice directive that basically switches in each voltage source given by the .param and .step function. The B1 symbol is an arbitary behavioural voltage source symbol and not a voltage source symbol which caught me out.
