Mike and LF,

What was the QSB like? Period between peaks and troughs? Depth? Regular or random? This information may help explain the propagation mechanism, and may also provide a clue as to how to make a QSO in CW (or other relatively rapid mode). For instance, large but brief peaks may point to trying modified meteor-scatter techniques. Longer, shallower peaks may suggest QRSS3 or even QRSS1 is most suitable.

attached some screenshots made from the audiofile which I recorded
during the reception. The "30sec dot" image shows the first dot of the
"V" after the CW 30sec long at about 05:00 UTC. At that time the
signal was not so strong as 15min earlier, but it shows exactly what I
meant. There are many gaps of rapid fading.
Rx was a Yaesu FRG100 with a 250Hz filter. 3 of the shots show the
full 250Hz range. The sideband-bursts could be seen in the upper parts
of the shot. Antenna was a double wire K9AY loop with a null of about
35dB in the direction of the DCF39.

Is there any support for tests at faster data rates (NA to EU as well as EU to NA)? Would this upset the ongoing gathering of propagation data? I feel that until we learn how to exploit shorter, bigger peaks in propagation, we shall continue beaconing when 2-way QSOs could be possible.

In my earlier receptions of the QRSS3 transmissions from WD2XES and
WD2XKO I noted these type of rapid fadings, too.
Overall reception of these transmission was not very stable. I managed
to copy a few callsign strings and then lost the signal in a longer
fade.

73

Hartmut