Hi Ted!
It sounds like you didn't have a complete QSO. From what you wrote, it looks like what shows up in red was transmitted from the ISS digipeater. If you are seeing the packets as they are going from your station and from the ISS, you should see something that includes "Via RS0ISS*" - indicating a packet that was retransmitted by the ISS digipeater. Do you see a screen that looks something like the screenshot at:
https://twitter.com/ai6gs/status/559950544760893440/photo/1
(thanks to Mike AI6GS for posting that screenshot on his Twitter feed)
At a minimum, whatever you transmit needs to be digipeated by the ISS. Then the other station needs to receive what is retransmitted, plus you need to get something from the other station digipeated by the ISS. There needs to be some sort of back-and-forth, just like we do when working other satellites in a voice mode or CW.
As for your other question, yes - you can log ISS packet contacts in the Logbook of the World. You'd set the PROP_MODE field in your QSO records to be SAT, and use ARISS as the SAT_NAME.
If you'd like to try to make a QSO with me, let's chat away from this list and see about making that happen. I've made a few packet QSOs through the ISS digipeater in the past couple of months, and would be happy to give it a try with you. Or, on the weekends in the afternoons, we could also try NO-44.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/
On Wed, Jan 28, 2015 at 3:24 PM, Ted k7trkradio@charter.net wrote:
I guess I'm a little fuzzy about what constitutes a valid contact when using the packet route. I have UISS up and running properly and can get into the ISS repeater and back out ok.
So, last night there was a good pass for me and I throw out my CQ. The repeater heard me and came back in red. Couple of tries later I see, in red "K7TRK N6YG, 599 in Carmichael". I try to respond several times with my return message but never see me come back in red.
So, is this just a partial contact as I did not see a red message from me to N6YG ? (I suspect it is)
Second question: Can ISS contacts via packet be logged in LOTW as SAT contacts?