[ADXA] Fwd: [qslcardcollectors] Romeo

[HamOP]

OH2BH and I were on the Dayton DX forum years ago and Romeo was too, showing about 3 slides, mainly of signs saying Burma along the roadside before crossing the actual border. No photos of antennas or rigs or authorities, etc…  We both raised our eyebrows and looked at each other as Romeo was ‘talking’.. Then he was outside the forum, making out QSLs for $ donations and taking DXers QSLs and putting down that card info on his QSL without checking his logs. Said it would take too long and ‘trusted’ them. Martti and I were shaking our heads again, as were many other ethical DXer types watching the long lines form. I am sure many were in the logs OK, but some, who knew they were not, made up a QSL and got “in line” when the word got out..

I already had Burma from the late 60s but did work him twice anyway. Unfortunately SO many needed Romeo for their LAST DXCC country to put them on TOP of the Honor Roll or getting them on the HR; they tended to overlook the entire situation. Guess they convinced themselves he was legit in all he did, being near the Burma border and giving out QSLs at Dayton. The application and documents Romeo presented were accepted by the ARRL. It sure prevented many from having to wait another few years to get to the Honor Roll Top spot, whether they worked him or not. Later a couple of Russians admitted Romeo was not in Burma but in an adjacent country. 

Time flies by so quickly, but some things stick in one’s mind vividly, as it did mine and OH2BH’s that day in Dayton at Hara arena MANY years ago. JA1BK later backed off being a supporter of Romeo and helping raise money for his future DXpeditions. He and I talked at Dayton after he approached me at a DX hospitality room about my “thoughts” on the Romeo matter. He had heard things before getting to Dayton about Romeo’s strange, quick travel plans to rare places and requesting money on the front end every time. Good ole’ days and “that’s the way it was”, as the old TV show used to say as it closed each week. 

Does this all sound familiar about some DXpeditions in today’s discussions? If one is working on a BIG rare trip and raising money, then why spend months and months in the Pacific area with one or two occasional semi-rare spot being put on the air?  And, only one assistant helping you.. Hmmm
Good day to all and good luck in getting your “fill-ins” on South Orkney thru all the DQRM, local QRM, QRN, QSB and weak signals. Ain’t DXing fun!!!  😊 …. or ☹???
San YY      CU in 9 days at the Russellville fest. VP8PJ is over March 6th, day before the hamfest!

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Rick Harris
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 1:38 PM
To: ADXA List
Subject: [ADXA] Fwd: [qslcardcollectors] Romeo

FYI... maybe a continuing saga hi..
Rick AI5P 
Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:
From: Thomas Roscoe K8CX <k8cx at hamgallery.com>
Date: February 26, 2020 at 12:16:19 PM MST
To: QSL Card Collectors <qslcardcollectors at groups.io>
Subject: [qslcardcollectors] Romeo
Reply-To: qslcardcollectors at groups.io
 Romeo's support team is happy to announce that his Jailpedition is now over after 17 yrs in various prisons.
>From the York County Prison (PA) where he was held from November 2019, Romeo, 3W3RR, was escorted to the airplane jetway at JFK airport and on February 1, 2020 landed in Russia.
73,
K8CX 
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