‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM SEPTEMBER 2018  QST  PAGE 94 ‰
FLORIDA, BRIAN, WV4V EL88, AND KM4LEW WORKED JR1LZK QM06.  KIRK, N0KK EN35,
WORKED MANY STATIONS IN JAPAN AND ONE IN SOUTH KOREA.  N0AKC LOGGED 34
STATIONS IN JAPAN IN NINE GRIDS, K9MU LOGGED 27 JAPANESE STATIONS, AND
N9ISN LOGGED 21.  STEVE, NN4X, HAD A LONG OPENING TO JAPAN, WITH ONE DECODE
OF DU7/PA0HIP AT 0049Z.  STATIONS IN JAPAN JA8 WORKED INTO FINLAND AND
NORWAY OVER THE NORTH POLE.  WZ1V REPORTED NINE CONTACTS WITH STATIONS IN
JAPAN TO FN31 STARTING AT 2222Z ON JUNE 

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

AND 73 IN FT8, INSTEAD SENDING, RR73.  ON THE BANDS 50 MHZ.  THERE WERE
AMAZING OPENINGS FROM NORTH AMERICA TO EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST DURING
THE FIRST WEEK, AND 3 DAYS OF RECORD SETTING OPENINGS TO ASIA AT THE SUMMER
SOLSTICE.  THERE WAS ALSO A RARE ES OPENING TO JACK HENRY, OA4TT, IN LIMA,
PERU, ON THE GEOMAGNETIC EQUATOR.  STARTING OFF, JOHN, WA1EAZ FN42, WORKED
ZP4KFX ON JUNE 3.  STEVE SACCO, NN4X EL98, AND JOEL, KQ0J, NOTED LONG
LASTING OPENINGS FROM THE EASTERN AND SOUTHEAST US TO ALMOST ALL OF EUROPE
ON JUNE 3 6.  KEN, AC4TO, SAID, I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH PROPAGATION.  ON
JUNE 3, NN4XS FIRST CONTACT WAS AT 1245Z WITH EA3AKY, AND THE LAST WAS AT
0130Z ON JUNE 4 WITH 4O6AH JN92.  STEVES CONTACT WITH DJURO, 4O6AH, MAY BE
A 6 METER FIRST BETWEEN MONTENEGRO AND NORTH AMERICA.  JAY, NY2NY FN24,
PICKED UP LZ2LO FOR A NEW ONE.  JAY, N1RWY DM43, LOGGED EA8DBM AT 1521Z ON
JUNE 3.  STATIONS IN EUROPE HAD GOOD CONDITIONS AS WELL.  ON8DM MADE OVER
600 CONTACTS THAT DAY.  RICH, K1HTV FM28, DECODED 28 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES ON
JUNE 3.  JUNE 4 SEEMED EVEN BETTER.  STEVE, NN4X, MIKE, K4PI ON CW, AND
PAT, W5OZI, PICKED UP ZA/OG2M, AND STEVE ADDED A45XR FOR NEW ONES.  K1HTV
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ