Success at last. GPS Discipline was necessary to get decodes.

The other changes I made in the meantime: antenna and ground - appeared to help.
Pretty good results for a compromise antenna in horrible conditions.
I'll take it !

Antenna: Superantenna MP1 parts, mostly from a pre-2010 kit.

Concluded at 3:15 AM UTC 8/7/2022

I left this beacon running for quite a while, and it's just not making it.

I'm now making refinements to cabling, antenna, etc.
Perhaps most importantly, connecting to GPS receiver for time and frequency sync.

This time, I'll make a trial run on 20m CW and have some fun that way before
trying beacon mode again.

I'm thinking the three factors contributing to the failure to make a contact:

• Transceiver alignment
• Timing (manual instead of GPS disciplined)
• Antenna

Beginning test WSPR transmissions at 05:56 UTC 7/12/2022

Notes:

Actual power < 1 watt

Antenna is not well matched and is inefficient

ERP is therefore minuscule