Can a Raspberry Pi Zero Hit Canary Islands? DIY WSPR Beacon Results
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Can a £10 computer really reach Norway and the Canary Islands on just 10mW? 🚀 In this video, I’m building a low-power WSPR (Weak Signal Propagation Reporter) beacon using a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 and a simple UPS battery hat.
This is a true "tinkerer's" project—I even repurposed a plastic bottle for a quick DIY waterproof enclosure! Despite the low power and the antenna being only at shoulder height in my garden, the results were surprising.
What’s inside:
The Hardware: Setting up the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 with a 3.7V Li-ion UPS hat using Pogo pins.
The Build: Connecting the GPIO pins (4 and 5) to a BNC connector for the antenna.
The "Bottle" Enclosure: A simple, low-cost way to keep the electronics dry outdoors.
The Results: Checking the WSPR map to see where our 10dBm signal landed. We hit Norway, the Canary Islands, and right across Central Europe!
Key Takeaway: You don't need a massive rig or high power to see how your antenna is performing. This Pi Zero setup is a fun, compact, and incredibly efficient way to test propagation.
Next Steps: I’m going to try getting the antenna higher to see if we can cross the Atlantic and hit the States!
If you’ve built a Pi-based beacon or have tips for getting more DX out of a QRP setup, drop a comment below!
73, Lone Wolf Ham Radio
#HamRadio #RaspberryPi #WSPR #QRP #DIYRadio #AmateurRadio #PiZero #RadioBeacon #DXing