HAB and WSPR

HAB stands for a High Altitude Balloon. Amateurs send these up at regular intervals. A growing number manager to circumnavigation the globe, not just once but multiple times.  A few years ago I used to receive signals from them when they were using JT9 on 30m. A few days ago I noticed a balloon about 3000km to the west, using the 'amateur.sondehub.org' website.  And so I undertook some research. It turns out that this particular one was using 20m WSPR, Beaconing every 10 minutes for two consecutive cycles.  The first is in a standard format but the second two minute segment is modified to send GPS status, altitude, speed, temperature and battery voltage.

I tuned to 20m and set WSJT-X  to WSPR mode. And before long I was receiving VE3OCL. (Click on the Callsign to open the Amateur Sondehub site.) You may have decoded a HAB without even knowing as they just show up on WSJT-X looking like a normal station. 

This particular one seems to be using the U4B - Balloon tracker, made by QRP Labs. Not bad for a massive 1.8g!

There is always something more to explore with Amateur Radio.

 

Links:-

 

http://lu7aa.org/wsprx.asp?other=ve3ocl&launch=20230402124700&SSID=34&banda=20m&balloonid=04&timeslot=2&tracker=qrplabs 

https://amateur.sondehub.org/#!mt=Mapnik&mz=5&qm=1d&mc=-11.3508,116.85059&f=VE3OCL-34

 

https://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FVE3OCL-34&timerange=604800&tail=604800

 

Neumayer Station III and my WSPR signal

I think this is a first.  One of my WSPR beacons from Bremer Bay headed south, and was received at the German Antarctic Research Station, Neumayer Station III.  

 

See the following links for more information: -

QRZ page for DP0GVN

Neumayer Station III

Neumayer Station III - Live Webcam

12 Hours of WSPR

Live Image (Updated every 10 min)

WSPR and the hunt for MH370

Who would have thought that WSPR would be explored in the search for Flight MH370's final resting place?

But, yes, that is the case!  

Mr Godfrey, seen as one of the world's leading investigators of the MH 370 disappearance, says applying the WSPR technology to the search for MH370 could provide "credible new evidence that was not available during the previous underwater searches" by the Australian or Malaysian-run searches.

For an interesting read see the links below.

ABC - Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 left 'false trails' before disappearing, new research suggests 

The Search for MH370 

Airline Ratings - MH370 pilot made many turns and speed changes new report reveals 

Southgate Amateur Radio News - Using WSPR data to detect MH370

WSPR from Lajamanu NT

I'm currently in Lajamanu and running the QCX in WSPR beacon mode, into a 1/2 wave end-feed antenna.  Still working on the CW!

QCX+ 5W CW transceiver kit

Hans G0UPL, has been busy.  I've just noticed that he has PRELIMINARY INFORMATION out on the QCX Plus.

I built the original QCX when it first came out and it was one of the best kits that I've ever constructed, this one will be even better, and complete with an enclosure.

 

QCX+: a feature-packed, high performance, single-band 5W CW transceiver kit, with WSPR beacon and built-in alignment/test equipment. Available for 80, 60, 40, 30, 20 or 17m bands. It has rotary encoder synthesised tuning, VFO A/B/Split, Iambic keyer, CW decoder, and more...

For complete details see http://qrp-labs.com/qcxp

Hans is looking to ship the first batch in June.

40m WSPR Overnight

Just ran WSPR RX overnight with the following results: -

This was using the Mag-Loop from the balcony.

WSPR from the Balcony

My AR activity is limited due to living in a flat, but I did run WSPR (rx only) overnight on 40m and some interesting results came in. The antenna was a Mag Loop (not very well tuned, I might add) and the balcony faces Northwest. The following is what we managed to decode: -

The interesting thing is the reception of the VK stations, as this path is blocked. I suspect that these signals are received long-path.  See the table below (click on the image to expand it): -

VK4AQJ came in at a SNR of -6 and -11 respectively, whilst all the other stations were in the -19 to 30 range (similar to the European stations).  This would seem to indicate that the VK4 may have been short-path.  All interesting stuff!  More testing required, I think.

Whilst I have been a licenses Amateur for many years, I have spent little time on the HF bands, so still have much to learn, especially regarding propagation.