Carl - WM3E have done a nice write up of how he travels the US in his motor home with his wife. Like so many of us that comes in and out of this hobby he has recently found his way back to Ham radio and particular to the new digital modes.
Here is his story - Enjoy!
WSPRing on the Go
Hi, my name is Carl Greenbaum WM3E. I am retired and live full time with my XYL of
51 years in a motorhome (aka caravan ). We travel the USA, volunteering in National
Parks and National Wildlife Refuges.
I have been an Extra Class ham since 2003. Back in the condo I had a small shack with a
Yaesu FT-817 and a PSK20 transceiver from Small Wonder Labs. I worked a lot of PSK-
31 with QSOs from all over the States and Europe.
Space is tight, even in a 35 foot (11 meter) motorhome and I fell away from the hobby. In
early October, as we prepared for a 2,500 mile (4,000 km) drive from Wyoming to
Massachusetts, I was looking for some long podcasts to listen to during the long drive. I
remembered enjoying Soldersmoke podcasts by Bill Meara, N2CQR so I downloaded a
few.
What a great way to pass the miles. With a mixture of nostalgia and technical curiosity, I
learned about WSPR, FT8 and other new (at least to me) QRP digital modes. Perhaps I
could do something like that on the road? When I Googled “WSPR Transmitter” I got
numerous hits for kits but building didn’t interest me. Then I found Zachtek and Harry’s
assembled, multiband, GPS synchronized WSPR Desktop Transmitter. In spite of not
having a desk ;-), I ordered the mid band model immediately.
Harry shipped it promptly and, after a six day visit with US Customs in Chicago, I was
on the air.
Here you can see the transmitter propped up on the driver’s side console near the window
where the antenna feeds into the coach. The green power light is visible on the right and
the red transmit glow shows on the left.
I use the rubber bands to hold the power and GPS antenna cables when stowed for travel.
For an antenna I selected a 40 to 10 meter End Fed Half Wave wire. The ad said, “No
tuner required- just throw it up into a tree”! I was skeptical but after hundreds of spots on
17, 20, 30 and 40 meters from Hawaii to Austria I was satisfied with the antenna and
delighted with Harry’s transmitter. Here are the results after four days WSPRing in north
Florida.
Forty US states including Hawaii, five Canadian provinces including Newfoundland and
ten other DXCC entities. The orange line going SSE leads to Rio in Brazil!
I couldn’t be happier and I plan to buy a High Band 17, 15, 12, 10 and 6 meter transmitter
as soon as they are back in stock. I’m also thinking about an auto tuner but have not yet
found one that will initially tune during the 110 second WSPR transmission.
Thanks Bill Meara and Harry for giving me my hobby back.
Thank you for sharing with us Carl!
//Harry