WSJT and WSPR

WSPR (pronounced "whisper") stands for "Weak Signal Propagation Reporter." This program implements transmitting and receiving for a digital soundcard mode usable with extremely weak signals. If you are presently using WSPR version 0.7, you should upgrade now to v1.0.

Click here to install WSPR (EXE)  Then run the resulting executable to install the program. A full manual for WSPR has not yet been written, but a Quick Start guide  is available. A basic description of the WSPR protocol can be found at physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/WSPR_Announcement.TXT (off-site)

Please send feedback on WSPR and its use to k1jt@arrl.net (email)

WSJT is a computer program for VHF/UHF communication using state of the art digital techniques. It can decode fraction-of-a-second signals reflected from ionized meteor trails, as well as steady signals more than 10 dB weaker than those required for conventional CW. One of its operating modes, JT65, is particularly optimized for amateur EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) communications. WSJT is open source software and is licensed under the GNU General Public License. It has an active development group: for details see developer.berlios.de/projects/wsjt/ (off-site)

A beta release of WSJT version 7.02 (r1018) is now available for installation here (EXE) . This program implements the WSPR QSO mode, described in a document titled Using WSPR Mode in WSJT (PDF)  Be sure to read this document before trying to make WSPR-mode QSOs! A WSJT6 Users Guide and Reference Manual (PDF)  is also available.

To use WSJT you will need a computer equipped with a sound card and running the Microsoft Windows, Linux, or FreeBSD, or Macintosh OS X operating system. Volunteers capable of making installable binary packages for any of these platforms are solicited!

Ham Radio Deluxe

Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD (off-site)) is a suite of Windows programs providing CAT control for commonly used transceivers and receivers. HRD also includes mapping and PSK31 software. HRD is free for Radio Amateurs, Shortwave Listener (SWLs) and charitable organizations.

Argo 1.134

Argo is a viewer for slow CW, like QRSS and DFCW.
Download: Argo Version 1, Build 134 (EXE) 

Spectran 2.216

Spectran is a program to do real time or deferred spectral analysis and waterfall display, in addition to real time audio filtering (band pass, denoising, band reject and CW peaking) of audio signals, using the PC sound card to digitize the input analog signal, or taking as input a WAV file. Its characteristics are well suited to dig weak signals buried into noise, thanks to a selectable bin size down to 21 millihertz. On the opposite site, it can visualize normal CW signals, resolving individual dots and dashes (with a reasonably fast PC).

The most notable change in Version 2 of Spectran from the previous versions is in the sound card interfacing portion. The new code has a much reduced latency, and this has the very positive consequence that now there is no more need to "talk" to the sound card mixer, with all the problems of incompatibility that this has generated so far. Interfacing the mixer was needed for the passthrough mode, which, being the latency high, had to be implemented in the sound card hardware. With V2 the passthrough is done in software.  This version of Spectran should have hopefully no more problems with any sound card.

The new features of build 213 are:

  • Interoperability with the WSJT program of Joe Taylor, K1JT
  • Display of the Moon AZ - EL
  • New "compact" mode, where just a reduced waterfall is shown, so to minimize the screen area used
  • The main window is now resizable
  • Two new palettes added, together with the option of doing an Absolute or Relative color mapping
  • More varieties of WAV files supported
  • You can now record to the WAV file either the incoming audio or the processed audio
  • The passband filter has now a slightly better ultimate rejection

The new features of build 212 are:

  • No more need to interface with the sound card mixer
  • Record and playback to/from WAV files
  • Possibility to select which sound card to use, if more than one is installed
  • HUMID (HUM Instant Destroyer), for 50 or 60 Hz hum (thanks to Paul Nicholson)
  • Band Reject (in addition to the already implemented Band Pass) filter
  • USB / LSB selectable, for a correct display of the frequency scale when offset is used
  • Possibility to delete a previously saved setting which is no more needed
  • Display of the date in addition to time
  • Display "freezable" to give all the CPU time to audio processing (useful for slow PCs)
  • Buffer size adjustable in function of the PC speed, to avoid "choppy" audio with slow PCs
  • Tag field to add a short description (e.g. the call sign of the received station) on the screen
  • Some cosmetic touches
  • Also, a few bugs have been removed from the code

Here's how to get Spectran:

Radio Mobile Version 9.3.8

Note: You can download the latest version from Radio Mobile, Gratuiciel par VE2DBE (off-site)
As of August 2017, the current version is 11.6.5.

Read: Legal issues regarding the use of MapPoint (off-site)

  1. For old versions of Windows or Linux-Wine:
    Download the Microsoft Visual Basic Runtime (Service pack 6) (off-site) Install it on your PC before executing the next steps.
  2. Create a program directory to place the contents of the following files.
    Example: "C:\Radio_Mobile"
  3. Installation of rmwcore.zip (ZIP)  is required for all languages.
  4. Installation of rmwupdate.zip (ZIP)  is required for all languages.
  5. Install Radio Mobile 9.3.8, English language (ZIP)  by Roger Coudé.
  6. Create a data directory structure.
    Example:
    "C:\Geodata"
    "C:\Geodata\srtm1"
    "C:\Geodata\srtm3"
    "C:\Geodata\GTOPO30"
    "C:\Geodata\Terraserver"
    "C:\Geodata\Landsat"
    "C:\Geodata\OpenStreetMap"
  7. Insure that no other instances of Rmwdlx32.dll exists on your system. If you want to put the program at more than one location, you should put Rmwdlx32.dll (and other DLLs) in c:\Windows\system (c:\Winnt\system32 for NT).
  8. To get a World Map with SRTM continent definition, extract File wmap.zip (ZIP)  in the program directory.
  9. By reading and editing the file Map_Link.txt with Notepad, the program can access various map layers for personal use only.
  10. A sample Cities.dat file with Pacific Northwest radio sites is included on the disk.  Copy this over or merge it with your existing Cities.dat using your favorite text editor.

For assistance join the Yahoo group dedicated to Radio Mbile - Radio Mobile Yahoo Group (off-site)