Is it that easy? Well, I think it is...
Last week I was monitoring 80m on the "official" WSPR frequency 3.5686MHz dail. I ended in the PE1ITR WSPR challenge list between place 26 and 12 I believe and with approx 70-90 unique stations every day. Then, watching the activity link, it occured to me half of the WSPR stations are still on the old WSPR frequency 3.5927MHz. What would happen if I run 2 WSPR stations on receive, one on the old frequency and the other on the "new" frequency. Well, you can see the result! And I wasn't even on for 24 hours since one station was used for 1 hour running the CQ 160m SSB contest.
Easy as that...
Strange thing 80m WSPR is divided over two frequencies. Why is the old frequency still used by so many users? Haven't they noticed? What are they doing with the data? Did they forget they have a station unattended transmitting on 80m (on the wrong frequency)?
Wake up!
8 comments:
Bas, did you use the same antenna (with a splitter) for both receivers? And how does PE1ITR get the results each day, automatically or do you and the other participants email them to him as a spreadsheet or...? I was not aware of the WSPR Challenge.
The two frequencies in use on 80m keeps me from operating WSPR on that band, as either a TX, RX or TX/RX station since the results will be incomplete.
Congrats on #1 and 73,
John AE5X
Hello John,
I used the inverted-V on one and the shunt fed tower on the other. Yes, PE1ITR does get the results automatically from the WSPRnet.org database every day. This challenge website is around for a few years I believe. See also my WSPR DXCC page with useful links on top of my blog.
The two frequencies on 80m are not ideal. But it seems some operators are just lazy with updating while others are not aware of this problem. Over the years it will get better I guess...
I don't care if I am number one, it shows nothing doing this trick. I only showed it is possible and easy to get on number one this way.
73, Bas
Well done! If you look at the operators who message one another regularly on WSPRNet's, you realise they are all very comfortable with their daily radio routine, interrupted only by fetching milk and bread at 11am, followed by a nice cup of tea. It's not very surprising those kinds stick to the old frequencies.
That said, I think WSPR as deployed by Joe Taylor is a bit of a mess as more modes and updates come out. I suspect some people (like me) don't like marching to Joe Taylor's tune whenever he makes changes. There is a case for stability. If national societies recognised WSPR as the fundamentally useful mode it is for all operators, then we would be better placed to keep everything in line. As it stands, most societies think WSPR is a novelty and only good for an hour or two of antenna testing before abandoning it for 'real' operating.
Thanks for you comment John, I do agree with you completely. 73, Bas
Bas and others,
you may know that the change was made to allow JA ops to tx; they weren't allowed to do so on the old qrg. However you are right that some folks aren't very open for changes.
73
Werner DK8FT
Thanks for the comment Werner. Tell me....are you listening on both frequencies? Since you're most time on top of the challenge! Did not receive Japan yet on 80m WSPR...hopefully that will change. 73, Bas
Yes Bas, listening on both 80m bands; however would prefer just one. Think I will abandon the old qrg once " most " ops have switched. 73, Werner
Tnx Werner, interesting to know. 73, Bas
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