VP8PJ

It was nice to see a new 7MHz WSPR station - VP8PJ - active from South Orkney last evening - the result of a vastly expensive DXpedition to the British-held islands.  So far, there are but a handful of 'real' QSO spots on the cluster.

South Orkney.  Remote, and expensive to get to. Image: VP8ORK

Although it's interesting to see such activations, I am not at all sure this kind of thing, which only very rich westerners (most are white US operators) can afford to do, is a particularly good example to set to the amateur radio community.   The team itself estimates the total cost to be around $350,000, of which the team members will, apparently, pay about half out of their own pockets!  

In any event, if you are interested in trying to log VP8PJ as a two-way QSO, the WSPR plot below shows you the best time to try from the UK and adjoining areas.

In essence, we have a long period of about 5 hours, from around 23:00 to 04:00UT, where the propagation is good.  Peak signal, which is quite sharp, is around 00:30UT at the moment - the time when VP8LP transits from late twilight to true darkness. WSPR at VP8PJ seems to be TX-only.

Good luck, if you are trying it!

VP8PJ 2W, 7MHz WSPR signal received at MW1CFN 2020 February 22-23.

Update:

Later in the day, I was very pleased to find that I was pretty unusual in hearing VP8PJ WSPR at 14MHz with my vertical delta loop:

Wow!  I'm doing something right.