After reading about WSPR 2.0 getting out, it did grab my attention. I still like the whole WSPR idea so I looked around in the shack to give it a try. The idea was to set-up my blown-final FT-817 and connect it to my Antron 99 vertical for 10m. It wouldn’t be possible to tx with the Yaesu, but at least the WSPRnet would have another listen station on 10m. I already picked up a nice signal from Asia one time, but on average it is really quiet on 10m.

I think I leave the setup running for a few weeks. See what happen when the propagation will be better on 10.

My mind is spinning off, wouldn’t it be nice to have more ‘beacon’-like WSPR kit? Something very small, no interface required, just a little box with an antenna and UTP connection. Dedicated to WSPR 24/7 and just sitting in the corner of the shack. Hmmm, interesting idea. Let me know if someones already come up with this idea!

After being stuck a few days ago with the self compiled wspr.py I was searching the web today to find a breakthrough. I could hit myself for the head when I did see a link to one of my favorite blogs: VK2TPM where I found out that WSJT is just a package in Debian

Of course I installed it right away, but this is WSJT and not WSPR. I don’t now how to create a WSPR-signal from here, but I’ll play around with it.
Then I stumble upon another familiar link: G4ILO created a Asus EEE-PC version of WSPR. Downloaded that binary and it runs almost out of the package right away. Clicking around in this renewed interface I got some new insights. Maybe I didn’t set the right Audio In and Audio Out settings. Maybe that’s why my own compiled version didn’t seem to hear a thing.

Hmmm, let’s get on that horse again tonight when I’ll be home

Not yet where I want to be, but did some work to get things working. I’ve installed the Gnome desktop on my Debian Etch linux server so I can compile WSPR for linux. First I had to struggle with all kinds of packages and then I had to check out an svn for the source code of WSPR. If you want to do the same thing and you are running Debian/ Ubuntu, let me save you a few hours of your time, type as root:

# aptitude install subversion gfortran portaudio19-dev python2.4-dev python-pmw python-numpy python-numpy-dev libsamplerate0-dev

When it’s done you should have the appropriate packages installed to build WSPR from source. To get WSPR from source you have to check out svn:

# mkdir src
# cd src
# svn checkout svn://svn.berlios.de/wsjt
# cd wsjt/branches/wspr
# ./configure
# make

hopefully you have a working WSPR! Run it with: python wspr.py

In my case I think somethings going wrong with the soundcard. There is no waterfall and the applications crashes after a few minutes with all kind of errors. When I listen to the input from the FT-817 on the computer, it sounds horrible. I don’t know if it’s the hardware (it shouldn’t) or maybe the drivers. I hope I’ll figure out sometime

Some interesting links I found on the subject:

Compiling WSRP

Compiling WSPR for linux (on wspr.org)

In the series ‘what is WSPR?’ I did some reading last night. If I understand it correctly WSPR is a little computer program made by K1JT that is used to detect propagation on the amateur bands. It is using a very weak digital signal which is produced by your sound card in your computer and send out thrue your transmitter. Your computer also listens on the frequency to spot other ‘WSPR beacons’ and tells the central WSPR server via internet of the status.

WSPR means: Weak Signal Propagation Reporter. The program uses your sound card in QRSS mode and scans a 200Hz band for a signal of 6Hz wide with a baud rate of 1,46 Baud. 4-FSK modulation. Apparently there is 1 tone from your sound card. The nice thing about it is that you’re be able using mini wattage (a few hundred mW) to make big distances. A transmitting cycle lasts 110 seconds and there is minimal information packed.
The signals are received and decoded and sent to a central server and put on a map and a list.

So far the theory, in part 2 my search for a mac version of the program (as my faithful readers know, I’m a real Mac-lover).

Links: original instructions from K1JT
The program
The website (of the central server)

OZ1PIF manual to WSPR

I read more and more lately about WSPR. For instance, this morning I did see this article from VK2PTM. I getting more curious what this WSPR is and how it’s working. And you radio amateurs out there know what we guys and gals do about curiosity…. we will disappear into our Research & Development department and find out what the fuzz is all about!
So that’s my plan for the coming weeks: let’s find out. I’ll report my findings here on this blog.

A pretty cool article about whispering on 30 meters.

Via: ARRL