‰  NOW 35 WPM  ‰
THE WORLD ABOVE 50 MHZ WHAT IS A CONTACT?  EXACTLY 50 YEARS AGO ED TILTON,
W1HDQ, ASKED THE SAME QUESTION IN THE WORLD ABOVE 50 MC.  HE HAD TOUCHED
UPON IT NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE PAST IN DISCUSSING MARGINAL TYPES OF VHF
COMMUNICATION SUCH AS METEOR SCATTER AND IONOSCATTER.  IN HIS MARCH 1957
COLUMN HE DEFINES IT AS THE EXCHANGE OF USEFUL INFORMATION STANDARDIZED ON
TWO STAGE PROCEDURE POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF CALLS AT BOTH ENDS, AND THE
COMPLETE EXCHANGE OF SIGNAL REPORTS.  HOW THE QSO IS ARRANGED TEMPORALLY
AND THE NATURE OF THE SIGNAL REPORT CAN VARY BUT IDENTIFICATION AND
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ARE ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENTS.  AS FOR HOW LONG IT
COULD TAKE TO COMPLETE THE QSO HE SAID, SO LONG AS IT IS A CONTINUOUS
EFFORT, ONLY THE ENDURANCE OF THE TWO PARTICIPANTS MATTERS.  ALTHOUGH HE
DID DRAW THE LINE AT CONTACTS COUNTING PART OF AN EXCHANGE FROM ONE DAY AND
ANOTHER PART THE NEXT.  HOW ABOUT USING A TAPE RECORDER INSERT DIGITAL
RECORDER HERE FOR YOU HIGH TECH TYPES?  HE WAS QUITE EMPHATIC HERE
RECORDING FOR DEMONSTRATION LATER, AND FOR POSTERITY, IS FINE.  WERE ALL
FOR IT.  BUT IF YOU HAVE TO PLAY BACK A RECORDING TO SEE IF A CONTACT HAS
‰  FROM PAGE 43  ‰
AC5VN KG6MBA NN7C WB7NQW KI7WK N8KCG KC8UTW W9JBL W0AI W0QT KB5ILY KD5VTV
AD6ME W7CNN N7NVP W7WM K8KDR N8UUI K9JSH K0AMZ KL0QW W5IM KC5WBG WB6MFV
NO7C WB7NXH WA7WNM KB8KET N8UVH WT9J KA0ARS K0RFI N5IPJ KD5WDK AA6MR AC7CP
‰  END OF 35 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ