User story from WM3E.

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