As part of a challenge for 2024, I've decided to see how many QRSS signals I could capture on the 28 MHz band during the year.
QRSS are very slow morse code transmissions where the dots and dashes are several seconds long and the signals are decoded by looking at a waterfall display on a screen rather than listening to the signal.
The QRSS signals are usually just below the WSPR signals on the amateur radio bands. This means it's possible to have your PC decoding WSPR signals up around 1500 Hz while you look at the QRSS signals about 500 Hz or so lower in the audio spectrum at the same time.
2024 #2 - VA1VM... The first signal I captured in 2024 was from Vernon, VE1VDM in Nova Scotia, Canada back on the 8th of January. This is outlined in this previous post.
Conditions on the 28 MHz band were better on the 10th of January and the 'VDM' QRSS signal was in again but stronger as can be seen above. For this beacon, Vernon was using a QrpLabs U3S with low pass-filter into a QrpLabs power amplifier delivering 1-watt on 10m. The antenna was ground mounted Hustler 6BTV vertical.
In the last 24-hours, Vernon has put a second QRSS transmitter on the air with the callsign VA1VM. You can see this as a weaker signal in the image above.
The VA1VM signal is from a 150 milliwatt transmitter into a Hustler 10m 1/4 wave resonator mounted on a 1.37-metre long Hustler mast extender. It really is amazing that a 0.15 watt signal can make it across the Atlantic.
Both beacons are located in the town of Truro in Nova Scotia and are just a few kms apart. The antenna on my side was a simple CB type half-wave vertical.
The map above shows the location of the transmitter and receiver. The distance is about 4000kms which is ideal for 1-hop of F2 layer propagation.
Even though it's the same person, it's a second QRSS signal. That brings the QRSS tally so far for 2024 up to 2-callsigns & 1 DXCC.
10 Jan 2024: VA1VM
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