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Reviews For: SOTAbeams WSPRlite Flexi Propagation And Antenna Tester

Category: Antenna Analyzers

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Review Summary For : SOTAbeams WSPRlite Flexi Propagation And Antenna Tester
Reviews: 2MSRP: 99.00
Description:
WSPRlite Flexi is a special, low-power test transmitter that sends a signal
on your antenna out to a worldwide network of receiving stations listening
in the WSPR mode. When used with the web-based DXplorer system, it's a
powerful new way to evaluate antenna performance. This unique system
of propagated signal analysis goes beyond antenna modeling or antenna
analyzers. WSPRlite Flexi and DXplorer allow you to see how your antenna
is performing in its actual location and in real-time!
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.sotabeams.co.uk/wsprlite-antenna-tester/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0025
AE7YD Rating: 2018-09-20
extremely useful Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had the Sotabeams WSPRLite for a long time and it work great.
The drawback was the manual time synch needed. I switched to an
Ultimate 3S but that was bulky and needed a sky view for the GPS
antenna,
Also the power consumption is prohibitive for battery use.
I contacted Richard at Sotabeams and he advised to use their USB
'Y' cable and an Android phone or tablet running their app.
After receiving and trying the cable I was sold. It is so much easier
to use now with automatic synch and being able to run from a small
battery.
The reports for my antennas are very helpful. Also I don't waste
my time when there is no propagation and I know how well my
antennas are performing and in which direction.
WA9GVK Rating: 2018-06-11
Effective Tool To Evaluate Antenna Performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.

The SOTAbeams WSPRlite Flexi has been a tremendous value-added tool to evaluate my on-air antenna performance.

Under HOA restrictions I’ve been forced to use only attic antennas. For 13 years I’ve experimented with a wide variety of full-size dipoles and other designs such as loops, end-fed’s, and even a slinky to cover 40 – 10M. I’ve even floored and lighted large parts of the attic to make it easier to swap antennas. But for all this time it was virtually impossible to get a handle on how well the antennas were really performing on transmit. Anecdotal stories of contacts made 5,000 miles away using Brand X antenna are of little value since, when propagation is great, a metal rod with a tuner can conceivably work quite well at HF.

I was excited when I learned about the Remote Beacon Network (RBN) and thought this might be a useful way to see how well I was being received all over the world. The idea here is to call CQ on CW or FT8 and receive S/N reports from receiving stations across the globe. I would then switch antennas and compare performance with the caveat that propagation might change minute to minute. While the concept of RBN for antenna performance seemed appealing, in practice it had limitations. First, I was a bit squeamish calling CQ with no intention of ever answering anyone. Secondly, the gentleman’s agreement for RBC is not to dwell and make repeated CQ transmissions on one frequency.

For quite some time I’ve used WSPRnet transmissions to examine receiving performance of my antennas but I never gave it a thought to consider its use on the transmit side or as a method to compare transmit antenna performance.

The WSPR is a frequency shift protocol 110 seconds in duration containing call letters, location, and transmit power that can be received at levels as low as -28 db S/N. There are WSPR.net stations all over the world that receive WSPR transmissions and report the received signal’s S/N level in dB, call letters, location and transmitted power on the internet. WSPR transmit stations are encouraged to limit power at 5 watts. The WSPR protocol’s main feature is that a very small transmitter power levels can be received at very long distances.

With so many WSPR.net receiving stations, it is relatively simple to determine real-time propagation effects and, by switching antennas, get an approximate handle on relative antenna performance. Rather than tie up an expensive transceiver in performing this function, it makes sense to consider using an inexpensive dedicated WSPR transmitter than can operate on all bands. And that’s what the SOTAbeams WSPRlite Flexi transmitter can do for about $160 including accessories.

The transmitter operates on 160, 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 and 6 meters. Although the device sells fully-built for about $99, a filter board kit is required to transmit on 160, 80 or 40 meters. That adds $32. By the way, you also need a Windows computer to change frequency of the WSPRlite Flexi. I used it successfully with all my available attic antennas for 40, 30, 20, 17, 15 and 10 meters. The transmitter is powered by a 5-volt USB power source commonly used to charge phones or tablets. Listening to my transmitted signal, I felt there was a bit too much AC hum so I decided to get the DC power conditioner and case adding another $30. The power conditioner is used to convert +12 VDC from a popular wall-wart supply down to a nicely filtered 5 volts. It works quite well.

The transmitter uses an SMA female output connector so you will need an adapter connecting to your PL-259 antenna transmission line. When operating at 160, 80, or 40, the filter board is inserted between the transmitter and antenna line.

The Flexi transmitter has only one button, one LED, and a micro USB socket for power and settings control. The transmitter is first connected to the computer using a micro USB to USB cable. Frequency band is set using control software provided by SOTAbeams on the computer. Remove the cable from the computer and plug it into the 5-volt DC supply. The LED will start flashing RED meaning it’s ready to transmit. Go to the Time.Is website. When the time reaches 2 seconds after an even minute, press the button on the transmitter. That synchronizes the transmitter to all the receiving stations. About every 10 minutes a WSPR transmission will be made with data indicating your call, grid location, and 200 mW power level.

SOTAbeams provides you a web address to see all the stations around the world picking up your signal along with your S/N value. It is amazing how many distant stations will receive the 200 mW signal thanks to the WSPR protocol. You can even compare your performance with nearby stations at the very same instance in time. I was able to use this feature to switch between my own antennas and see how each one performed vis-à-vis someone else’s antenna.

The SOTAbeams Flexi proved invaluable in testing out my antennas, optimizing their positioning, and comparing different types. As a result, my attic antennas are now established on multiple bands and working great.

If you are wondering whether or not your antennas are working correctly, this is a great product to have in your shack.

As one who likes to experiment with different types of antennas, I love this product!