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.

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

TimestampCallMHzSNRDriftGridPwrReporterRGridkmaz
 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
Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].

2 Responses to “Whispering with 20mW”

  • Kyle N4NSS:

    I should try WSPR since I live in an antenna restricted condo.
    37dbm converts to about 5 watts see: http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/power/Watt_to_dBm.htm

  • WD6GRI:

    well its cold and ex-tra cold where ur at radio is best with nothing better 2 do hihi is bst x cuse qrp was always my favorite it does prove that its the patientce too the opr as well as his rig set up built a SB 101 at 13 yrs and got my ticket in the 80s late 70s wac the whole deal hihi just a punk kid damm fun and one n few times worked kc6 aa if i rite but 500mw from my qth la to south pole 500 mw it was abt 4 mounths till the qsl got here but its one of my favorite awards ive ever receved so 73s too you cul …. ..

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