Since the start of 2024, I've been trying to see how many QRSS signals I could capture on the 28 MHz band. The QRSS signals are just below the WSPR frequency so both modes can be monitored at the same time.
On the 20th of July 2025, I managed to get a screen capture of ON4CDJ in Belgium as shown in the above image. It wasn't very strong but enough to get a positive confirmation.
The other three signals are from Essex in the east of England. The map below shows the location of all four signals. ON4CDJ in Belgium is about 850kms from my location and GB3PKT, G0MBA & G0PKT are about 650kms.
During the summer Sporadic-E season, the usual signals that I see on 28 MHz are from Germany at a distance of about 1200-1600 kms. Sometimes, the skip distance gets shorter and I can receive signals in the 500-1000 range. The shorter the distance, the more unusual it is.
I waited for the propagation to change to see if I could get a better screen capture for the signal from ON4CDJ.
From what I understand, both GB3PKT and G0MBA are at the same location whereas G0PKT is situated about 13kms away.
I'd say nearly 95% of the time, the three signals from England behave as one at my location. They are all in the same Sporadic-E footprint, they all appear at the same time, they all fade at the same time and they all disappear at the same time.
In the image above however, you can see some major differences. There is hardly sign of G0PKT even though it is only about 13kms away from GB3PKT and G0MBA.
This can often be a feature in short skip Sporadic-E openings or on the higher VHF bands. You might hear a signal but someone a few kms away from your location might hear nothing.
As I continued to monitor, the signals got more unusual. The image above shows GB3PKT, G0MBA and G0PKT all starting off as reasonable signals but then all three fade.
G0MBA reappears but GB3PKT doesn't even though they're at the same location.
When GB3PKT does reappear, both it and G0MBA have split into two signals. This is most likely due to doppler shift. One part of the signal is being refracted by a reasonably steady Sporadic-E cloud while another part of the signal is being refracted by a Sporadic-E region that is moving at a high speed and is causing doppler.
Eventually the stations from England faded out leaving just the signal from ON4CDJ in Belgium.
According to his QRZ page, ON4CDJ was running just 200-milliwatts into an end fed sloping wire antenna. Getting a strong signal was always going to be a challenge.
As can be seen in the images above, there are periods when dark vertical streaks appear and the QRSS signals get weaker. This is caused by the stronger QRSS signals about 500 Hz higher in frequency.
To get a cleaner image, I finally switched from SSB to CW and narrowed the bandwidth to eliminate the WSPR signals. This resulted in a cleaner QRSS signal from ON4CDJ and the individual characters can be clearly identified.
A nice example of what a unique mode QRSS is in terms of being able to see the propagation change in real time.
In summary... That brings the QRSS tally so far for 28 MHz up to 28-callsigns & 12 DXCC.
1) 8th Jan 2024: VE1VDM - DXCC #1
2) 10th Jan 2024: VA1VM
3) 15th Jan 2024: G0MBA - DXCC #2
4) 15th Jan 2024: G0PKT
5) 15th Jan 2024: AE0V - DXCC #3
6) 16th Jan 2024: RD4HU - DXCC #4
7) 16th Jan 2024: W1BW
8) 17th Jan 2024: OH5KUY - DXCC #5
9) 18th Jan 2024: TF3HZ - DXCC #6
10) 6th Feb 2024: VA3RYV
11) 16th Feb 2024: IK2JET - DXCC #7
12) 16th Feb 2024: N8NJ
13) 21st Feb 2024: PY3FF - DXCC #8
14) 26th Feb 2024: VE6NGK
15) 27th Feb 2024: NM5ER
16) 28th Feb 2024: VK4BAP - DXCC #9
17) 2nd Mar 2024: WA1EDJ
18) 5th Mar 2024: FR1GZ/B - DXCC #10
19) 30th Apr 2024: IK1WVQ
20) 8th May 2024: IW0HK/B
21) 14th May 2024: IZ1KXQ/B
22) 3rd Jun 2024: M0GBZ
23) 3rd Jun 2024: G0FTD
24) 17th Oct 2024: AA7US
25) 19th Oct 2024: DJ5CW - DXCC #11
26) 21st Oct 2024: KC2CHK
27) 16th Jul 2025: GB3PKT
28) 20th Jul 2025: ON4CDJ - DXCC #12
