I loosely go by the same standard as a voice contact on the satellites as you described it, Sean.
If someone sends a packet with CQ I respond. I send a "Hello" greeting with some information, typically my grid square, directed at their callsign.
If they respond to my callsign acknowledging and providing additional information, I usually consider it a contact. I gave him something. He gave me something.
I received 18 different callsigns via the ISS yesterday on a single pass. I tried to respond to several of them, but never saw a response. Only N5LUL (long time ISS digipeater user) was live at the keyboard and receiving/decoding.
73 Clayton W5PFG
On Sat, Jan 3, 2015 at 9:48 AM, Sean K. kx9x@yahoo.com wrote:
Kelley, WØRK, asked the million-dollar question for us ISS newbies: "To achieve an "official" contact, what does one do? Do I just send "Hi JoAnne" and you send "Hi Kelley" back and that's it?"
Is there an official protocol or approach? The meteor-scatter and EME community have had an official format for a "good" QSO for years, which has been made even more official with the introduction of the WSJT software, which has a pre-programmed message sequence that is followed to completion. It's not considered a good QSO until both parties have confirmed reception of the other's info.
Even on the voice sats, you generally exchange grids and get a "Roger" or "QSL, 73" knowing that you have made a good QSO. I haven't seen such a standard on QSOs made through the ISS digi.
Sean Kutzko Amateur Radio KX9X
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