[CVCC] Richmond Area QSL Card Checker

[Jonathan Payne]

After several conversations with many, I think having a QSL Card Checker in
the Richmond area is a much needed & wanted  resource. That said, I'm
soliciting ideas from the group as to whom you feel would be an appropriate
candidate to nominate for the position. Of course, if one of you is
interested in the position & would like to volunteer, I'd be grateful.

 

The candidate must have at least 300 confirmed DXCC entities & be a member
in good standing with the ARRL. In order to be a Card Checker for the 160M
band, the candidate must have at least 100 confirmed DXCC entities on that
band.

 

In speaking with Don Lynch in Va. Beach (he's been a card checker for
years), it seems the position does not take a huge amount of time & I have
added his last comments below.

 

Please contact me with your suggestions & ideas.

 

73, Jonathan

 

The following from Don/W4ZYT:

 

 

I haven't found the job to be strenuous or burdensome.  I get anywhere from
one to four or five requests a month to check cards - more towards the end
of the year when people are consolidating their totals to be reported for
the ARRLs DX Yearbook.  I have made it known I will check cards at our
monthly Virginia DXCC Club meetings (3d Tuesday at Frankie's Ribs in
Kempsville's Fairfield Shopping Center) and most Saturdays, when we have an
informal breakfast gathering of many of the area DX regulars for breakfast
at the Golden Corral on Independence Blvd (0700 to 0900, just south of
I-264).  On occasion, I have arranged to meet with people - usually from the
Peninsula and on a time crunch for some reason) at the local Barnes and
Noble, and I have made a house call or two when the individual was ill or
had transportation problems.  I have also checked cards at FOC and CWOPs
functions.  In addition, I usually try to be available at both Frostfest and
the Virginia Beach Hamfests.  I've also offered to check at Dayton and at
Manassas in the past, but generally between locals and ARRL officials there,
haven't been needed.  Very occasionally people will arrange to mail me
cards.  In every case I have received an SASE to return them.

I would estimate I spend perhaps 30-45 minutes a month - exclusive of
hamfests - on card checking.  Even when I was practicing full time or
out-of-town on locums duties, it was quite manageable. 


Each checker can pretty much establish his own guidelines, and people have
always been reasonable.  The big thing is making sure that applicants
understand the rules for field checking, which are clearly spelled out on
the ARRL web site, and that they bring the appropriate forms, stamped
envelopes, and signatures where needed.  Again, if you caution folks about
what to do ahead of time, it goes smoothly.  I have rarely had to tell folks
to go back and do something over.

You do become a sort of point man for the DXCC program, which can be a mixed
blessing, but in the event of disagreements or confusion, you always can
refer the individual to the headquarters DXCC desk.  Bill Moore and his
staff are reasonable, helpful, and a pleasure to work with.

As a checker, you can also check cards for the WAC, WAS, and VUCC programs.
This is a very small part of it - maybe one or two WAC applications a year,
2 or 3 WAS applications, and a rare VUCC application or endorsement.  I also
check cards for the CQ awards - WAZ, WPX, and CQDX (not County Hunters,
which have to be submitted directly to the CQ offices).  That's a whole
different program separate from the League's awards.

 

At any rate, I think having a checker in the Richmond area would be
splendid, and I'm sure there are several seasoned DXers who would fit the
bill nicely.

Let me know if I can be of any additional help.  I look forward to seeing
many of you at Frostfest.

Vy 73 and good DX,

Don W4ZYT