Posts Tagged ‘WSPR’
Finally some WSPRing with the Alexloop.
January 10th, 2014 | 
Author:  |
| A shot of the loop with the "T" fitting |
I finally set things up to get WSPR up and going, so yesterday during the day and then into the evening I was WSPRing to see how my signal was getting out from the condo. Up to this point I have only used the Reverse Beacon Network or RBN which involved CW at 5 watts. I was not thrilled with the results and was really wanting to give WSPR a go. During the day I tried 10m and 20m I started out with 1 watt and in terms of WSPR that is some pretty high power. The antenna once again was the Alexloop in the horizontal position, at first attempt on both bands the Alexloop was indoors. It was not surprise that there were no spots at all it was time to move the loop out onto the balcony. Once setup I went back to 10m and it was about 2pm local time with no results again. I then jumped over to 20m and it was just U.S stations and very few I might add that received my signal. It was time to pack it in for the afternoon and some chores had to be done and I would get back on in the evening hours.
At 7 pm local time I was up and WSPRing on 40m and with great hopes as the band sounded good and I was decoding some WSPR DX such as EA3NEI. I once again was only heard in the U.S and this time I used up to 5 watts!! Maybe it was that conditions were poor out this way as they have been over the past week. Over the weekend if I get time I am going to give WSPR a go once again and see how it works out.
Whispering with 20mW
Many people who operate the weak signal mode WSPR use too much power. If you don’t use very low power (QRPp) you’ll never find out what this mode is capable of. So to remind myself I thought I’d do some whispering on 10m using 20mW of power. It’s easy to use low power with the Elecraft K3 as the power level is adjustable in 0.01 watt increments.
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| 10m stations hearing or heard by G4ILO on 8 Jan 2015 |
It’s a pity that the WSPRwebsite can’t display a map showing only spots of one callsign. The map shows spots involving one callsign. sent or received. So the map shows WSPR signals I decoded, not only those who heard me. Some of those stations were using as much as 37dBm – whatever that is in watts. Here are the stations that decoded my tiny signal. My 20mW into an attic diopole made it across the pond on several occasions
| Timestamp | Call | MHz | SNR | Drift | Grid | Pwr | Reporter | RGrid | km | az |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-08 15:44 | G4ILO | 28.126104 | -24 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | W9HLY | EN70mt | 5930 | 291 |
| 2014-01-08 15:24 | G4ILO | 28.126112 | -21 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | KZ8C | EM88pm | 5973 | 287 |
| 2014-01-08 15:24 | G4ILO | 28.126104 | -27 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | K4RCG | FM08xl | 5688 | 284 |
| 2014-01-08 15:06 | G4ILO | 28.126103 | -24 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | W8AC | EN91jm | 5649 | 289 |
| 2014-01-08 15:06 | G4ILO | 28.126110 | -18 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | KB9VLR | EN54vj | 5845 | 296 |
| 2014-01-08 15:06 | G4ILO | 28.126144 | -19 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | ND6M | EM55se | 6594 | 289 |
| 2014-01-08 14:56 | G4ILO | 28.126106 | -21 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | KB9AMG | EN52tx | 5964 | 295 |
| 2014-01-08 14:46 | G4ILO | 28.126167 | -22 | -1 | IO84hp | 0.02 | KC9YSR | EM69il | 6175 | 291 |
| 2014-01-08 14:38 | G4ILO | 28.126106 | -18 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | VE3SWS | FN06ge | 5201 | 293 |
| 2014-01-08 14:18 | G4ILO | 28.126098 | -26 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | K9AN | EN50wc | 6175 | 293 |
| 2014-01-08 14:00 | G4ILO | 28.126101 | -28 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | ZR6LU | KG43av | 9468 | 152 |
| 2014-01-08 13:40 | G4ILO | 28.126015 | -7 | 0 | IO84hp | 0.02 | LZ1OI | KN22id | 2470 | 113 |
Watts conversion
The original version of K1JT’s WSPR software had pop-up “tip” windows that showed the power in watts when you hovered the mouse over the dBm setting. Very useful for duffers like me that can’t do a watts to dBm conversion in my head. The new version WSPR-X doesn’t, however.
I found (or more truthfully Google did) an online watts to dBm converter on the web which I have duly bookmarked.
Arduino, WSPR and AD9850 DDS experiments
Happy New Year!
Christmas is thankfully behind us so I can get back to what I enjoy doing once I have reorganised my workshop.
As you know I am currently developing a potential High Altitude Balloon (HAB) project and have been experimenting with the Arduino microprocessor platform and have constructed a basic prototype.
With the arrival of the GPS module(s) I have had it successfully working and even took it out for a test walk in the local area, receiving the data and uploading it to the UKHAS habitat system.
This project has revitalised my interest in 'hobby electronics' and I have ideas for a number of other Arduino based projects and have been splashing out on components from eBay. Just before Christmas I purchased an Arduino Mega board, this has more I/O pins than the current Uno and specifically some extra hardware serial ports.
Do any internet search for Arduino based amateur radio projects and it will results in numerous mentions of projects using ultra cheap DDS modules based on the Analog Devices AD9850/AD9851 chipsets.
DDS means Direct digital synthesiser and is a type of frequency generation which can be used for creating arbitrary waveforms from a single, fixed-frequency reference clock. Read the Wikipedia page for more details.
In a nutshell the AD9850 is a chip that under microprocessor control can produce a sinusoidal wave from about 1hz to 40mhz. In other words it is an accurate microprocessor controlled VFO (Variable Frequency Oscillator) or signal generator.
VFOs are the main building blocks of radio receivers and transmitters, so not surprisingly a lot of projects have utilised these modules, rather than the traditional means. Intrigued I ordered a couple of these modules for the pricey sum of £3.50 each!
Using information on George Smart's (M1GEO) website and Simon Kennedy's (G0FCU) blog I quickly had a simple WSPR beacon running!
Before anyone panics I know at the moment I only hold a Foundation Amateur Licence so the construction of homebrew transmitters isn't allowed. This 'beacon' has no power amplifier and the antenna consisted of an inch or so of wire on the DDS output. I was able to verify the operation using my SDR receiver in the same room.
Construction of commercial kits is allowed under my licence so I have ordered a Ultimate3 QRSS kit from Hans Summers for the pricely sum of £17.50! This uses the same DDS module and same microcontroller as the Arduino.
In the meantime there is also more information and ideas on Eugenr Marcus' (W3PM) webpage about the use of these DDS modules, including making frequency reference sources and calibration using the GPS module.
My new year resolution is to get my Intermediate Licence as soon as possible.. but it has been great to get down to some proper experimenting...
Christmas is thankfully behind us so I can get back to what I enjoy doing once I have reorganised my workshop.
As you know I am currently developing a potential High Altitude Balloon (HAB) project and have been experimenting with the Arduino microprocessor platform and have constructed a basic prototype.
With the arrival of the GPS module(s) I have had it successfully working and even took it out for a test walk in the local area, receiving the data and uploading it to the UKHAS habitat system.
NERD-1 and Boris have just been for a walk, first time NERD-1 has had proper GPS and running on batteries. #hab pic.twitter.com/RaKsf1rQhr
— Andrew Garratt M6GTG (@nerdsville) November 23, 2013 This project has revitalised my interest in 'hobby electronics' and I have ideas for a number of other Arduino based projects and have been splashing out on components from eBay. Just before Christmas I purchased an Arduino Mega board, this has more I/O pins than the current Uno and specifically some extra hardware serial ports.
Do any internet search for Arduino based amateur radio projects and it will results in numerous mentions of projects using ultra cheap DDS modules based on the Analog Devices AD9850/AD9851 chipsets.
DDS means Direct digital synthesiser and is a type of frequency generation which can be used for creating arbitrary waveforms from a single, fixed-frequency reference clock. Read the Wikipedia page for more details.
In a nutshell the AD9850 is a chip that under microprocessor control can produce a sinusoidal wave from about 1hz to 40mhz. In other words it is an accurate microprocessor controlled VFO (Variable Frequency Oscillator) or signal generator.
VFOs are the main building blocks of radio receivers and transmitters, so not surprisingly a lot of projects have utilised these modules, rather than the traditional means. Intrigued I ordered a couple of these modules for the pricey sum of £3.50 each!
Using information on George Smart's (M1GEO) website and Simon Kennedy's (G0FCU) blog I quickly had a simple WSPR beacon running!
Experimenting with Arduino and AD9850 DDS and GPS unit.. pic.twitter.com/rxDHQQ1aFd
— Andrew Garratt M6GTG (@nerdsville) December 29, 2013 The Arduino uses the GPS module borrowed from NERD-1 for accurate time and then controls the output of the AD9850 DDS to generate the WSPR signal.Before anyone panics I know at the moment I only hold a Foundation Amateur Licence so the construction of homebrew transmitters isn't allowed. This 'beacon' has no power amplifier and the antenna consisted of an inch or so of wire on the DDS output. I was able to verify the operation using my SDR receiver in the same room.
Construction of commercial kits is allowed under my licence so I have ordered a Ultimate3 QRSS kit from Hans Summers for the pricely sum of £17.50! This uses the same DDS module and same microcontroller as the Arduino.
In the meantime there is also more information and ideas on Eugenr Marcus' (W3PM) webpage about the use of these DDS modules, including making frequency reference sources and calibration using the GPS module.
My new year resolution is to get my Intermediate Licence as soon as possible.. but it has been great to get down to some proper experimenting...
Cannot beat a picture of an oscilloscope to look techy.. my DDS experiments continue... pic.twitter.com/T9OLHOdTLW
— Andrew Garratt M6GTG (@nerdsville) January 1, 2014 10m still lively
Still seeing plenty of transatlantic stations on 10m WSPR. I wonder how long it will last?
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| WSPR spots on 10m band at G4ILO |
Interference to 10m WSPR
Take a look at this diabolical interference on the 10m WSPR frequency.
Fortunately it doesn’t seem to affect decoding too much. The PSK31 sub band is free of it too.
At 522,000,000 miles per watt, Voyager 1 might be the ultimate in QRP.
At 522,000,000 miles per watt, Voyager could be the ultimate in QRP … if you have the right antenna.
For most HAMs the experience of seeing sub-one watt WSPR signals decoded from across the globe is enough of a thrill. However, the fine folks at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory have taken this a little further and used the Very Long Baseline Array radio telescope to precisely pinpoint the position of the Voyager 1 space probe.
While the layperson might see detecting the glimmer of 22 watts across the vastness of space miraculous, the amateur radio community can see this feat as the natural evolution and refinement of the technology and medium we know and love.
From nrao.edu:
Earlier this year, the National Science Foundation’s Very Long Baseline Array telescope turned its gaze to NASA’s famed Voyager 1 and captured an image of this iconic spacecraft’s faint radio signal. The Green Bank Telescope also detected Voyager’s signal, picking it out from the background radio noise in less than one second.
Astronomers using the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and Green Bank Telescope (GBT) spotted the faint radio glow from NASA’s famed Voyager 1 spacecraft — the most distant man-made object.
According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the VLBA imaged the signal from Voyager 1’s main transmitter after the spacecraft had already passed beyond the edge of the heliosphere, the bubble of charged particles from the Sun that surrounds our Solar System.
Using NASA’s Deep Space Network, JPL continually tracks Voyager and calculates its position on the sky, which is known as the ephemeris. Since the VLBA has the highest resolution, or ability to see fine detail, of any full-time astronomical instrument, NRAO astronomers believed they could locate Voyager’s ephemeris position with unprecedented precision. This is unrelated to Voyager’s distance from the Sun or position relative to the heliosphere.
The initial observations, which were made on February 21, placed Voyager very near, but not precisely at its predicted location. The difference was a few tenths of an arcsecond. An arcsecond is the apparent size of a penny as seen from 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away. The second observations on June 1 produced similar results.
“It is possible that these observations are at the milliarcsecond [one-thousandth of an arcsecond] level, or better,” said NRAO scientist Walter Brisken, who led the observations with the VLBA. At 11.5 billion miles — Voyager’s approximate distance at the time of the initial observations — one milliarcsecond would be roughly 50 miles across.
Voyager’s main transmitter shines at a feeble 22 watts, which is comparable to a car-mounted police radio or — in visible light — a refrigerator light bulb. Though incredibly weak by the standards of modern wireless communications, Voyager’s signal is astoundingly bright when compared to most natural objects studied by radio telescopes.
“The ability to pinpoint the location of Voyager and other spacecraft is critical as we explore the inner Solar System and beyond,” said Brisken. “The NRAO’s VLBA has the capability to do this vital task with unprecedented precision.”
Voyager 1, which was launched in 1977, is now headed away from the Sun at a speed of about 38,000 miles per hour.
In a remarkably sensitive complementary observation, the NRAO’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT), which is the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope, easily detected Voyager’s signal, picking it out from the background radio noise in less than one second.
“Voyager is the first man-made object to penetrate the interstellar medium, and we really want to be able to receive the data from this new frontier,” said NRAO scientist Toney Minter, who oversaw the Green Bank observations. “This information will provide many clues about how the interstellar medium behaves and how the Sun interacts with it.”
“NRAO’s instruments have the capability to provide the most accurate position information of distant spacecraft like Voyager,” said NRAO Director Tony Beasley. “The remarkable sensitivity of GBT and VLBA’s sharp vision are essential for discovery but also have unique capabilities that have enabled us to make this contact with one of humanity’s most ambitious missions of exploration.”
The VLBA is a system of radio antennas located across the United States from Hawaii to St. Croix. The antennas work together as a single telescope nearly 5,000 miles across, giving the VLBA its ability to see fine details. Only seven of the VLBA’s full complement of 10 antennas were used to make these observations.
The 100-meter GBT is located in the National Radio Quiet Zone and the West Virginia Radio Astronomy Zone, which protect the incredibly sensitive telescope from unwanted radio interference. The GBT observations were made by NRAO scientists Toney Minter and Frank Ghigo, and Green Bank Director Karen O’Neil.
