Using the WSPR Mode for Antenna Performance Evaluation and Propagation Assessment on the 160-m Band

Abstract

In the last couple of years, the use of weak signal propagation reporter (WSPR) has grown significantly in the radio amateur community and beyond. This protocol allows to probe potential propagation paths between radio transceivers, operating at a low-power level. The protocol decodes the received signals and translates them into appropriate signal-to-noise ratio levels, which reveal the possible propagation paths between the transmitter and receiver using ionospheric reflections. In this article, specifically the 160-m radio amateur band is addressed. This band used less intensity for WSPR communication, compared to the other radio amateur bands (80 m and 40 m). Additionally, the 160-m band has specific features such as the link between propagation performance and the Earth’s electron gyro-effect. The aim of this article is to address these features experimentally. First, two identical 160-m band WSPR receiver stations are conditioned to compare the performance of different 160-m band antennas. Each setup, separated by a limited distance, generates almost identical SNR reports, allowing the comparison between the two antennas. Second, a more extended experimental investigation of the propagation path performance on the 160-m band reveals information on the radio wave behaviour between the transmitter and receiver. The first experiment allowed the identification of the most optimal antenna, specifically in the 160-m band. The second experiment shows that the SNR values can vary depending on the polarization shift of the received signal. Possibly, this can be linked to the effect of the magnetic field of the Earth via the electron gyro-frequency.

Fostering Collaborations with the Amateur Radio Community

“…Using amateur radio data, multiple peer-reviewed studies have been published. These include studies of the ionospheric impacts of solar flares and geomagnetic storms [17,13,51], traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) [20], Sporadic E [8,7], near vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) propagation [46,47,48,51,49,50], greyline propagation [31], 160 m band propagation [45], solar eclipses [16], and plasma cutoff and single-mode fading [36]. The current technical capabilities of amateur radio community and future opportunities for scientific and operational advancement are detailed in the companion paper, Frissell et al [19].…”

Amateur Radio: An Integral Tool for Atmospheric, Ionospheric, and Space Physics Research and Operations

“…The use of such data for space weather and space physics research was first demonstrated by Frissell et al [18], who showed a solar flare HF radio blackout observed by the RBN. Subsequent studies have used these systems to study Large Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (LSTIDs) [24], characterization and prediction of Sporadic E [15,14,3], asymmetries in ionospheric greyline propagation [34], 160 m band propagation [47], geomagnetic storm and solar flare ionospheric impacts [21], plasma cutoff and single-mode fading [38], solar eclipse ionospheric impacts [20], and understanding of localized radio propagation anomalies [43].…”

Insights on Polar Day Antarctica Radio Propagation Using Amateur Radio Beacons on Circumnavigating Balloons

“…WSPR rapidly gained popularity among amateur radio operators for its ability to detect very weak signals and report propagation conditions over long distances [2]. Today, WSPR is extensively utilized by amateur radio operators and researchers to study radio propagation and conduct experiments in radio communication, with applications encompassing grayline propagation [3], antenna testing and design [4], and the investigation of solar eclipse effects on radio propagation [5].…”