Wondering whether your new antenna actually works? WSPR (pronounced “whisper”) lets you see exactly where your signal is being heard, on a map, within minutes.
WSPR stations send a tiny, slow, two-minute beacon containing your callsign, grid square and power. Other WSPR stations around the world decode it, even when it’s far too weak to hear by ear, and report it to an online database. Then you look up your callsign and see every station that heard you, how far away they were, and how strong you were.
Why it’s worth trying
- It’s an honest antenna test. Compare two antennas on the same band and see which one gets heard farther.
- It shows you which bands are open right now, from your own station.
- It works with very low power. A few watts can be heard across the continent.
- You can run it unattended while you do other things.
Getting started
- You need an HF radio, a computer and the free WSJT-X software (the same program many people use for FT8).
- Set your callsign, grid square and power in WSJT-X, pick a band and switch to WSPR mode.
- Let it run for an hour, then look up your callsign on the WSPR map.
Our WSPR page walks through the setup step by step.
Related: WSPR: Watch Your Signal Travel · PropMap: live propagation