Quick Start Guide

Get WsprDaemon running in 15 minutes with this streamlined setup guide for experienced users.

Prerequisites Check

Before starting, ensure you have:

  • Debian 12+ (preferred), otherwise Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, 22.04 LTS, or Linux Mint.

  • Sudo privileges configured

  • SDR hardware (KiwiSDR, RX888, RTL-SDR, etc.) connected and accessible

  • GPSDO (e.g., Leo Bodnar)

  • Antenna system with appropriate filtering

  • Stable internet connection

1. System Preparation (2 minutes)

# Update system packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install essential dependencies
sudo apt install -y git build-essential cmake gcc libfftw3-dev \
    libusb-1.0-0-dev portaudio19-dev sox libsox-fmt-all \
    rsync tmux vim net-tools

# Create wsprdaemon user (recommended)
sudo adduser wsprdaemon
sudo usermod -a -G sudo,plugdev wsprdaemon

# Switch to wsprdaemon user
sudo su - wsprdaemon

# Ensure you have moved to the /home/wsprdaemon directory.
cd ~

2. Download and Install (5 minutes)

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/rrobinett/wsprdaemon.git
cd wsprdaemon

# Run initial setup (installs dependencies and compiles components)
./wsprdaemon.sh -h

The setup script will automatically:

  • Install ka9q-radio and other dependencies

  • Compile necessary components

  • Set up directory structure

  • Configure system services

3. Basic Configuration (5 minutes)

Create Configuration File

# Copy template configuration
cp wd_template.conf wsprdaemon.conf

# Edit configuration (use your preferred editor)
vim wsprdaemon.conf

Essential Configuration Settings

Minimum required configuration:

# Your station information
WSPR_CALL="YOUR_CALL"
WSPR_GRID="YOUR_GRID"

# Define at least one receiver
RECEIVER_LIST=(
    "rx1,IP_ADDRESS:PORT"
)

# Define a basic schedule
WSPR_SCHEDULE=(
    "rx1,40m,WSPR,00:00,23:59"
    "rx1,20m,WSPR,06:00,18:00"
)

For KiwiSDR:

RECEIVER_LIST=(
    "kiwi1,192.168.1.100:8073"
)

For RX888 with ka9q-radio:

RECEIVER_LIST=(
    "rx888,239.1.2.3:5004"
)

4. Start WsprDaemon (1 minute)

# Start WsprDaemon
./wsprdaemon.sh -a

# Check status
./wsprdaemon.sh -s

5. Verify Operation (2 minutes)

Check System Status

# View running processes
./wsprdaemon.sh -s

# Monitor logs
tail -f /tmp/wsprdaemon/wsprdaemon.log

Verify Spot Upload

  • Check your callsign appears on wsprnet.org

  • Look for “SUCCESS” messages in upload logs

  • Monitor /tmp/wsprdaemon/uploads.d/ directory

Common Quick Configurations

Single KiwiSDR, Multiple Bands

RECEIVER_LIST=(
    "kiwi1,192.168.1.100:8073"
)

WSPR_SCHEDULE=(
    "kiwi1,160m,WSPR,00:00,06:00"
    "kiwi1,80m,WSPR,06:00,12:00"
    "kiwi1,40m,WSPR,12:00,18:00"
    "kiwi1,20m,WSPR,18:00,24:00"
)

RX888 with Multiple Bands

RECEIVER_LIST=(
    "rx888,239.1.2.3:5004"
)

WSPR_SCHEDULE=(
    "rx888,160m,WSPR,00:00,23:59"
    "rx888,80m,WSPR,00:00,23:59"
    "rx888,40m,WSPR,00:00,23:59"
    "rx888,20m,WSPR,00:00,23:59"
    "rx888,15m,WSPR,00:00,23:59"
    "rx888,10m,WSPR,00:00,23:59"
)

Multiple Receivers with Spot Merging

RECEIVER_LIST=(
    "vertical,192.168.1.100:8073"
    "beverage,192.168.1.101:8073"
)

WSPR_SCHEDULE=(
    "MERGED_RX,40m,WSPR,00:00,23:59,vertical+beverage"
)

Essential Commands

# Start WsprDaemon
./wsprdaemon.sh -a

# Stop WsprDaemon  
./wsprdaemon.sh -z

# Check status
./wsprdaemon.sh -s

# View version
./wsprdaemon.sh -V

# Increase verbosity (for debugging)
./wsprdaemon.sh -v -s

# View help
./wsprdaemon.sh -h

Quick Troubleshooting

WsprDaemon Won’t Start

  1. Check configuration: ./wsprdaemon.sh -s

  2. Verify receiver connectivity: ping RECEIVER_IP

  3. Check permissions: ls -la wsprdaemon.conf

  4. Review logs: tail -f /tmp/wsprdaemon/wsprdaemon.log

No Spots Being Uploaded

  1. Check internet connectivity

  2. Verify wsprnet.org is accessible

  3. Check upload logs: ls -la /tmp/wsprdaemon/uploads.d/

  4. Confirm callsign and grid are set correctly

Poor Decoding Performance

  1. Check audio levels and clipping

  2. Verify time synchronization: timedatectl status

  3. Monitor CPU usage: top

  4. Check for interference sources

Next Steps

Once basic operation is confirmed:

  1. Complete Installation Guide - Detailed setup instructions

  2. Configuration Reference - Advanced configuration options

  3. Operation Guide - Day-to-day operation

  4. Troubleshooting - Detailed problem resolution

Performance Optimization

For high-performance installations:

  • Use tmpfs for /tmp/wsprdaemon/

  • Ensure adequate cooling

  • Monitor system resources

  • Consider dedicated network interface for multicast

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

Success Indicator: Within 15 minutes, you should see your callsign appearing on wsprnet.org with spots from your configured bands.