‰  NOW 35 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM SEPTEMBER 2018  QST  PAGE 94 ‰

THE WORLD ABOVE 50 MHZ  MAKING A VALID CONTACT  A NUMBER OF READERS
WONDERED WHETHER A 73 IS REQUIRED FOR A CONTACT, AND WHAT EXACTLY COUNTS AS
A COMPLETE CONTACT FOR AWARDS, CONTESTS, ETC.  ACCORDING TO ARRL LIFE
MEMBER AND AMATEUR EXTRA CLASS LICENSEE ROBERT LOGAN, NZ5A, A VALID RADIO
CONTACT IS A FULL AND COMPLETE EXCHANGE OF REQUIRED INFORMATION BETWEEN TWO
STATIONS.  THE REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR A FULL EXCHANGE USUALLY INCLUDES A
SIGNAL REPORT AND OFTEN GRIDS ON VHF BANDS WITH CALL SIGNS.  ON HF, A
TYPICAL EXCHANGE INVOLVES CALL SIGNS, SIGNAL REPORTS THE UBIQUITOUS 59/599,
AND CONFIRMATIONS, ON CW OFTEN TU.  JOE TAYLOR, K1JT, DEVELOPED FSK441 AND
WSJT X FOR USE IN METEOR SCATTER.  THE EXCHANGES IN FSK441 ARE SIMILAR TO
THOSE USED IN SSB AND CW METEOR SCATTER SCHEDULES.  JOE NOTED, IF YOU HAVE
RECEIVED RRR THAT IS, A DEFINITE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF ALL OF YOUR INFORMATION
YOUR QSO IS OFFICIALLY COMPLETE.  DUE TO THE INTERMITTENT NATURE OF METEOR
SCATTER PINGS AND BURSTS, SOMETIMES STATIONS DIDNT KNOW IF THEY WERE DONE.
JOE WENT ON TO SAY, HOWEVER, THE OTHER STATION MAY NOT KNOW THIS, SO IT IS
CONVENTIONAL TO SEND 73 OR SOME OTHER CONVERSATIONAL INFORMATION TO SIGNIFY
THAT YOU ARE DONE.  FT8 INCORPORATES THE SAME EXCHANGE FORMAT AS ITS
PREDECESSOR.  THUS, SENDING OR RECEIVING A 73 MESSAGE IS NOT REQUIRED FOR A
COMPLETE, VALID CONTACT IN FT8 OR OTHER MODES.  SOME PEOPLE COMBINE THE RRR
‰  END OF 35 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ