[NLRS] News for SoftRock and WSPR fans

[Bill Davis Jr]

  I don't know how many of you have played with Joe K1JT's WSPR program, but kinda fun. http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wspr.html   It is a digital weak signal decoding and encoding program for propagation testing. Most operation is HF, but not all. STABILITY is REQUIRED a matter of a few cycles will kill it. Hence my VHF stuff has not been stable enough even on 6m. The software allows the posting of reports of heard stations automatically via the web.  http://wsprnet.org/drupal/wsprnet/activity

  I and several other NLRS members have played with it since (or when) it was first introduced. The newer versions of WSJT also include the WSPR mode for 2way QSO's instead of just "path testing". I know that Ed W0OHU has had QSOs using WSPR. WSPR contains CAT control for many popular rigs and can be quite interesting and easy to "operate". WARNING The 2way mode is far from "conversational" with 2m TX and RX sequences.

  The SoftRock connection ... Joe is in developmental stages of a new WSPT version that interfaces more simply to  SDR transceivers using I/Q input/output other than the audio IO used with conventional rigs. If one has a SoftRock 6.3RxTx or a SoftRock Ensemble RxTx  this version of WSPR will, via CAT, control, operate seamlessly. Really slick. I am using a pre-beta version of WSPR 2.1 and my Ensemble SoftRocks on 40,30,20 and 17m  (TX 40 and 20 only). I enjoy WSPRing at 100mw or 200mw. 

  With my 40m dipole in the trees at 15ft I have heard VK land on 40m, he was running 5w.

2010-09-20 14:18  VK5ZAG  7.040159  -24db 
   
 PF84vf  5watts 
 K0AWU  EN37ed  15633km

 I have been heard by many in Europe ta 6-7000km on 20m (dipole antenna) at 100mw and 200mw on 40m with an ocassional report out of Europe.

ie:

 2010-09-23 16:48  K0AWU  14.097082  -22db 
  EN37ed  0.1watt 
 G4APO  IO93ik  6125km 
 

  40m at 200mw

 2010-09-23 01:56  K0AWU  7.040101  -25db 
 - 
 EN37ed  0.2watt 
 G8JNJ/A  IO90hx  6276km 
 
   Not like a good CW QSO, but a nice radio application to be running while one is busy in the shop or working VHF :-)

73 and good DX
Bill  K0AWU  EN37ed