Creating a Standalone WSPR Receiver with an RTL-SDR V3 and Raspberry Pi 3
Thank you to Zoltan for submitting his scripts for installing the rtlsdr-wsprd WSPR decoder onto a Raspberry Pi, and showing us how to configure it for an RTL-SDR V3 dongle running in direct sampling mode. This set up allows users to create an extremely low cost and permanent RX WSPR monitor.
WSPR is an amateur radio digital HF mode designed to be decodable even if the signal is transmitted with very low power and is very weak. It can be used to help determine HF radio propagation conditions as WSPR reception reports are typically automatically uploaded to wsprnet. Direct sampling mode on the RTL-SDR V3 allows you to receive HF signals without the need for an upconverter. For best results it is recommended to use a simple bandpass filter for the band of interest.
Zoltan's tutorial comes with a companion YouTube video where he demonstrates his set up. He uses a random wire antenna on his roof directly connected to an RTL-SDR V3, which is connected to a Raspberry Pi 3. The Pi 3 communicates to his home network via an Ethernet cable.
While 4m isn’t a ham band over here on the west side of the Atlantic, I’m thinking it’d be an interesting (though long, silent term) experiment to set up a 4m WSPR receiver and just see what happens. Any comments, suggestions (other than to have my head examined) would be welcome.
Anthony F4GOH described “How to”. WSPR receiver is possible make for HF bands with RTL-SDR v.3 at direct sampling mode. Is a good reason use low pass filter 30MHz on input “RTL-SDR v.3 dongle”
https://hamprojects.wordpress.com/2020/09/06/raspberry-pi-for-ham-radio/#more-1646
You don’t need an amateur radio license to receive WSPR signals and automatically report them to the wsprnet.org website. Quite a few shortwave listeners and other unlicensed enthusiasts already do. You do need a license to transmit WSPR signals, but reports of “received” WSPR signals are every bit as useful (for signal propagation study) as those for “transmitted” signals.
Hi Ernest,
That’s interesting and good idea! However what’s the call sign used in such cases? I mean what the listeners fill in (in this particular case) into the wsprd command line config?
People usually use “SWL” plus whatever they want, like a 2-letter country code, plus maybe some number. The important part is the QTH locator, to correctly show the receiving station on the map.
I would suggest using your four digit Maidenhead grid square. For example DM13 would indicate you heard the signal from the Inland Empire os Southern California, USA.