I am listening on 4m WSPR again today, RX only. Using my old Yaesu Converter and home brew Vertical Dipole antenna.

Results in the evenings last week were encouraging with Spots of G6AVK, 127km, 5Watts to his Vertical only 2.5m off the ground.

On a magic night, January 20th 2010 propagation conditions were just a little better than normal and the QRP stations on 500KHz WSPR were Spotted in the Czech Republic. First G3XBM with 1mW ERP then G3ZJO with 20uW ERP were logged by OK2BVG.
For me this is a distance of 1310Km or 814miles, just out of interest I worked out the Km and Miles per Watt of ERP - 6.55 Million Km or 4.07 Million Miles.

This prompted a comment from someone that his 1924 Admiralty Radio Handbook stated that, using 1KW on 500KHz the maximum range over an ideal salt water path is 1500Km. Well then, I told you WSPR is useful.

Over the next couple of days, something must have bugged us both, without consultation, G3XBM and me went into ERP checking mode, re-calibrating our Antenna Current meters, recalculating, and computer modelling our antennas. We both use small less 'gain' yet efficient antennas.
Exact figures are difficult but we both consider we are accurate to + or - 3dB.

Here is my WSPR Countries List on 500KHz 200 micro-watts or less. England, Scotland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Norway.

Most QRPp'ers will know of my method of timing in my PC-less WSPR Keyers. (look at that I am being PC and saying PC-less).
I had query the other day regarding the XORgan 'have I considered adding GPS timing as a facility on my system'.
Well it has the facility, however my concept back in March 2008 was to abolish such things. Here were my thoughts:-
I smile at the huge power used by PC generated WSPR and a Transceiver to produce the few mW needed to span the globe. Why in a PC-less system then, add GPS timing to put the current consumption back up? Not to mention the complexity, QRPp'ers like to KISS.
Just because a Windows computer is a lousy time keeper why should we consider it impossible to keep time as accurate as the needs of WSPR. Heavens I had a fully mechanical wrist watch 40 odd years ago which kept perfectly adequate time for the purpose. Does the Quartz watch on your wrist deviate more than a second in a Month? We QRPp'ers have got to be able to do better than resorting to GPS, MSF etc.

My KISS approach:-

Many of us have a Multiband TX/RX which can run QRP but for WSPR a computer is needed in TX only mode which makes a mockery of the term QRP as applied to Station power consumption.

We have produced PIC based MEPT’s for Multi Modes and WSPR.

Some have recorded WSPR audio on MP3 and re-played that for Computer-less operation.

I think Computerless is a well understood term in all walks of life. Well this uses a lot less Computer than most. This uses a small PIC processor with no external memory, sound card, hard drive, video card, monitor, keyboard or mouse and has never had relations with Microsoft or Monica Lewinsky.
For the purists I shall say PCless in future, if I remember.

I have now produced the KISS WSPR Organ.

The name stems from my original idea of using a musical tone generator to produce the WSPR tone frequencies. Talking to an Organ engineer yesterday morning soon proved that approach to be far too complex and my simpler KISS idea was implemented.

The Output can be applied to any HF/VHF SSB Transceiver or better, a simple home brew SSB TX.

I have set up my DDS MEPT with WSPR Ident on 50.294395MHz and it is running on test ready for tomorrows 6m activity day.
Despite running just 100mW this MEPT has been copied at C.150Km in the past. It will be interesting to see how it does with the added activity.
Note:- as it runs continuously and with several modes it is just outside (at the bottom) the WSPR slot.

Back at the Home QTH, my MEPT is on 28.125995MHz. Hopefully near enough to the WSPR slot to produce some Spots.

Power out is 350mW Antenna 6m Vertical at ground level with radials.

In the last few weeks I have operated from some places in France using my call and giving the QRA Locator of the spot.
So no I haven't lost my marbles and been giving wrong Locs.
Unfortunately WSPR does not send the full Locator or accept F/G3ZJO so often it appears that I did not move.

Some recent comments have been made regarding false info, I tend to agree that the whole system could be improved, as it is being slowly. At least reports of spots into the future are no longer accepted.

For reference operation was from.

June - Normandy JN091a

July 30 - Montgibaud JN05uu 350m ASL

July 31 - Davignac JN15am 800m ASL and August 1 AM

August 4 - Chastriex JN15im 1065m ASL and August 5 AM

The latter location had a super quiet noise level apart from on the hour when the church bell/clock, obviously solenoid operated, gave an S9 pulse of QRM for each clang of the bell.

UPDATE

August 12 - Nonville near Paris IN18jh 75m ASL and August 13 AM

The results from my Home Brew DDS Multimode test on 28MHz using 300mW have been truly amazing. The time has come for it to be switched off shortly. Many thanks for all those who looked just below the WSPR band for my signal and particularly for the Visual Mode Screen Grabs.

Next test in the future may be with approximately 50mW as 28MHz opens up.

In addition to my MEPT on 10.140073MHz which has 8 Unit, QRSS, Hell and WSPR modulation and a Power Out of 37mW. I have been running a DDS controlled MEPT which can virtually go anywhere, 1.8 to 50MHz.

Currently this TX is just below the 28MHz WSPR Window on 28.125995MHz, Power Out 300mW. It uses 5 Unit modulation to produce QRSS, Hell and WSPR. Even the better commercial rigs can easily be almost 100Hz out on the dial reading, consequently I am decoded by some stations as I appear in their passband and missed by others who are out in the other direction.

The frequency is accurate as far as I can measure but I do not put it up as a calibration aid. If you see my signal I would be pleased if you could bring it into the passband and try a de-code of the WSPR or a Grab of the Visual modes all reports are welcome.

I have run this set up on 18MHz 24MHz and 50MHz in each case I shall try 5Hz below the WSPR Window edge.

Power output is variable and the WSPR hard coded so the reported 17dBm may not apply, sorry for this.

I am currently testing on 1.843130MHz with a 2 transistor transmitter and PIC modulator, QRSS signal with WSPR every 10 minutes. Power levels from 1mW to 750mW. ** The indicated Power Level will always show 50mW **

Looking at the Activity page on here I see I am listed as active together with G8JNJ. How does the site know that I thought as I have had no Spot reports or reported any. Of course, I am checking my own signal and WSPR is uploading, no magic involved at all.

If any station would like to try a Spot the Radio USB Dial Frequency is 1.84160MHz, no need to alter WSPR Software settings unless you wish to. The frequency reported will merely be wrong I can cope with that. Finally please set WSPR to RX only, when the rig is tuned to 1.84160MHz so as not to transmit in the Visual QRSS band.

'Beacon' ON 24/7 18 March 18.00 Reports welcome.

My MEPT with WSPR is off air from 11.00GMT today. My current MEPT on the frequency uses a simple 'G' ident.

Has anyone tried Debian 5.0 I wonder.

I find :-

WSJT from the repository does not run - complains of python numpy errors.

WSJT / WSPR previous compiles on Debian 4.0 do not run on Debian 5.0.

WSPR does not run when compiled on Debian 5.0 - a whole catalogue of errors not previously seen.

Just prior to 11.00Z my Multimode MEPT was off air for a few minutes for an Antenna change from the 6m Vertical whip to the low, sloping 10MHz 1/2Wave Dipole.

With apologies to DG0OPK if you were doing any tests.

I have changed my current set up for WSPR (other than my Multimode on 10.140073 MHz) in order to reduce power consumption, noise and to utilise Solar Power as much as possible. This will of course help considerably with Portable operation.

The Radio in use is the Yaesu FT-897. The computer the Samsung NC10 Netbook.

Running from 12 Volts DC the Computer takes under 2 Amps, this will possibly reduce when the battery is fully charged. Currently TX'ing 1 Watt on 18MHz the total current consumed is around 5 Amps. Hmm 69 Watts to comunicate at 1 Watt levels, still a terrible waste.

Following the low-down on compiling WSPR1.1 on Ubuntu 8.10 I can confirm that WSPR7 compiles and runs stable locally at least with:- numpy 1.1.1. Fortran compiler:- g95.

It still needs to undergo overseas trials. The GUI is fine on default Ubuntu display and font settings. From previous experience I am pretty sure it will do large high definition monitors.

QSO's have been made on WSPR QSO mode and many of the other mode available. I have even had a JT65 6m Meteor Scatter contact with my own compile at both ends of the link.

WSPR 1.1 is now into r1045.
Someone said they thought they had r1045 but the Version displayed was WSPR1.1 r1042. I also could have sworn I saw r1043 and have been calling my compile which I try on multi distro's r1042/3.

The current source code WSPR 1.1 r1045 compiles and runs on Ubuntu8.10.
As promised here is the definitive list of dependencies. If you install Ubuntu 8.10 afresh all you need is.

python2.5-dev
python-numpy 1.1.1 (no problems with this version here yet)
python-imaging tk
python-pmw
libportaudio2
libportaudio-dev
portaudio19-dev
libsamplerate0-dev
subversion

When is it too soon to say ? Well I have had no crashes yet.
I am living the Linux dream. I no longer need to change computers to change to WSJT7 WSPR QSO mode and WSPR1.1
I have not run Windows in the shack for a couple weeks, all mode operation on Linux is a possibility.
Apart form a few GUI issues which I have cured on WSPR, all is great. My compiles can be sent to OZ1PIF for test and they are stable.

A few tips for those running Ubuntu 8.10 and compiling. In addition to the instructions from oh2gqc.wippiespace.com/WSPR_on_Ubuntu.html

Well it is not many from the whole world.

Seven stations would like to run WSPR on Linux. Of course like all surveys the number is only representative of the users who looked on this site at the Blog pages over the last two days.

I did also dangle a carrot on QRSS Knights and got a response from a N8 station. Then there is Google which has brought forth nothing.

The whole circle is self defeating, an O/S with no software applications for Ham Radio will not take off. If there are only seven people interested then who is going to package software for the O/S?

I am personally interested to know how many people run WSPR on Linux and what Release, lets include WSJT.

1) I run Linux XXXXX but use Windows for WSJT/WSPR

2) I run WSJT on Linux XXXXX

3) I run WSPR on Linux XXXXX

4) I would like to run WSJT and WSPR on Linux

Are you a 1, 2, 3, or 4.
Are the number of replies going to be tiny and insignificant.