I have just started in VarAC using my IC-7300 and a Windows 10 PC. It is a very interesting concept to have a link which is correcting across the low power links I am licensed to make. I am moving here after trying FT8 and JS8Call.
I contacted a german station for my first QSO using this system yesterday and enjoyed the interaction. I had a problem with how to discern the 'over' and I tried using the 'btu' but with no real success. I like to type several quite long sentences and use CR/LF as the end of each one. I think we clashed at one point and I lost some data. Still it was a good QSO.
At the end it was a bit too abrupt. The other station sent nice comments ending with 73s and goodbye then .... the link just died. I couldn't reply with my end of QSO comments.
VarAC then tidied up and the disconnect was complete. I was left feeling a bit confused.
I'm sure there must be a better way to finish. The software that handshakes could easily have a flag to say first station end, then the second station could see that and have one more message allowed. It would be much more polite.
Or have I missed something ?
Thanks for your help.
Patrick
With VARA being an ARQ mode there is no real need for the operator to send BTU or Over, just let the VARA modem do it's thing. When you said the other station sent a 73 and Goodbye they most likely issues a DISC command from their end and ended the QSO.