WSPR Adventure with a Yaesu Radio (FTDX-3000) – Part 1

This series of Posts will chronicle my efforts to get WSPR working with a Yaesu FTDX-3000 using WSJT-X software. I chose this route because I already have the FT3K setup to use WSJT-X on other Digital Modes including FT8 and it seems like it should be simple to just change the software Mode to WSPR, and go. Well, the first thing I have learned is that it is NOT that simple. Not sure why, but I will dig into that here.

Changing WSJT-X Mode from FT8 to WSPR

WSJT-X by default, sets the Mode on the FTDX-3000 to DATA-USB. That seems to work fine for FT8, For my first attempt at WSPR receiving (RX), I just changed the Mode in WSJT-X to WSPR. Selecting one of the default frequencies (20 meters), the rig retuned and I see signals around 2400 – 2600 HZ in the waterfall. From tuning around and doing some Web research, I believe these are WSPR signals, but nothing is being Decoded at all. You can see the display in the figure below.

I saw a Post from another Ham that suggested there is some sort of frequency-offset issue in DATA-USB Mode. I switched the Radio Mode to USB Mode and set the Bandwidth to 3000. But when I changed Modes, the Radio frequency was automatically retuned from the 20m default of 14095.600 kHz to 14094.900 kHz. That had a noticeable effect on the waterfall display but still nothing was decoding. Looks like the signals have been entirely moved out of my Passband. With WSPR, frequency is critical. Each signal is very narrow and only a 200 Hz wide span is used for receiving.

Leaving the Rig in USB Mode, I manually retuned to 14095.600 kHz. Now I see the WSPR signals in the 1400-1600 Hz range in the WSJT-X waterfall. These signals are now decoding and I am seeing over 20 decoded signals in each 2-minute WSPR session, as you can see in the Figure below

This seems like a good place to stop while I do some more research. RX is now working quite well, but if I try to use automated Band switching in WSJT-X, it returns the FTDX-3000 to DATA-USB Mode and no signals are decoded. I am guessing there is an easy solution to this. Hope I can find it. If you know the answer, please leave a comment and save me some frustration time.

After investigating further, this is not a solution to the problem, but it does get you started. See my next Post for how to quickly get WSPR RX working on the FTDX-3000, and maybe other Yaesu FTxxx-series radios. If this works for you, pleases drop a comment and let me know.