[Dx-qsl] qsling

Sat Jun 1 18:39:00 2002

I do not believe that it is at all unreasonable for a QSL manager for a DX
station to insist on SAE+GS/IRC or SASE for a return QSL card.  In the
overwhelmingly vast majority of cases, the manager is doing this duty out of
the goodness of his/her heart or his/her friendship for the DX station or
for many other reasons.  Key is that the managers should not be expected to
pay for the DX station's expenses out of their own pockets.

But that's not the original issue here in this thread.  The issue here is
that some domestic stations are resistant to responding to QSL cards from
other domestic stations -- certain highly active contest stations in
particular.  So this is not the case of a manager doing a favor for a DX
station, but of an individual, or group of individuals, or contest clubs,
who brag about the thousands of $$$ that they spend on their equipment,
their antennas, their shack decor, and then begrudge spending $25 or $30
post contest for postage to respond to QSL cards.

Now... bottom line  (IMHO, of course):
1.  If you really, really want a QSL card from a station you worked, should
you include an SASE?  Absolutely.    That strikes me as good manners and
common courtesy if nothing else.

2.  Should any station (or their manager) respond to a valid QSL request
when accompanied by an SASE/SAE+GS/IRC?  Absolutely.  That also strikes me
as good manners and good amateur practice.

3.  Should you respond to a QSL request that is not accompanied by an SASE?
Well, that's a good question.  Once upon a time, good amateur practice was
that you did... eventually.  But it seems pretty obvious from the comments
posted that many disagree with this notion -- and with good reasons.  So it
may come down to personal morals & ethics (and in a few cases, pocketbooks).
Me?  I'm old-fashioned.  I get a card & a request, I respond.   The cost of
stamps to me is part of the cost of operating the station.  I do this out of
my personal operating ethics, though (and what I was taught long ago by
Elmers long before W9BRD coined the term), not out of a sense of legal
"obligation."  Your mileage may vary.

4.  Should a contest station respond to QSL requests?  To my thinking, yes.
Again, the relatively small cost of cards and postage compared to the cost
of equipment, antennas, computers, networking software, contesting
software... c'mon, this should be a no-brainer.  But it sure seems that at
least a few Big Guns want us Little Pistols, Squirt Guns, and Super Soakers
around to give them their needed Q and not bother them until the next test.
To me, that is not just unethical but bad amateur practice.

One last comment on that.  When this was kicked around a few months ago,
someone forwarded one of my posts on the subject to the operator of one
famous contest station that shall remain unidentified (and from what I
gathered, "edited" my comments, but that's another story).  I got back a
long tale of woe about the costs of laser printer, how messy toner was, how
the printer jammed all the time, how it didn't handle labels properly, and
the estimates of manpower used to answer the cards -- based on about 50k
contest QSO's per year.   After I was done reading it, I checked the liquor
cabinet to make sure that not all of the whine had been used up.  It came
across as one big self-serving excuse to ignore QSL cards.  Funny thing is,
I remember working this person from Forest County a few years back in the Pa
QSO Party, and I heard from him on a regular basis until I got around to
sending him a card (granted, I  procrastinated, but it still was very
annoying).  I guess he finally got it, though he never told me.  The point?
If you don't want to be bothered with sending QSL cards from YOUR contest
operation, don't harass me about sending QSL cards out from MINE.  Can't
have it both ways!

73, ron wn3vaw

"You are a fluke of the Universe
You have no right to be here
And whether you can hear it or not,
The Universe is laughing behind your back"
-- National Lampoon's Deteriorata

----- Original Message -----
From: Al Bailey <[email protected]>
To: Ray McClure <[email protected]>; DX-QSL <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 01, 2002 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] qsling

OK Ray first and foremost the Wings showed the AV's how to play in a big
way. Poor Roy. HI HI

I agree with you on the QSL issue and as manager for CO2OJ I also have been
instructed NOT to qsl via the buro. Since it would come out of my pocket
you can rest assured I do not.

I still get some domestic cards with now SASE and despite sending them
emails I still get no SASE so they just get no card.

Now to show Carolina what a good Hockey team can do.

At 11:06 AM 6/1/02 -0400, Ray McClure wrote:
>As QSL manager for 9K2ZZ and his contest call 9K9Z, I can tell
>you the QSLs can be a nightmare at times.
>I have been his manager for 30 years now. The time involved
>doesn't enter into the picture. I volunteered to do this. We both use
>the same logging program (his "Logger" of course) so transferring logs
>etc. is a breeze. The QSOs involved are 231,655 and 14,002 for
>the calls mentioned.
>You would not believe the cards that come in asking for a QSL for
>a new country, new band, new mode, etc. that do not include any
>thing. No SAE and postage, no SASE (U.S. stations), sometimes
>just a bare card (21 cent type) and still expect me to furnish a card,
>an envelope and the postage for their DXCC.
>I know someone is already to type out "but what about the bureau".
>Bob does not collect cards as such, so he is not going to pay the
>postage to and from the bureaus.
>So the bottom line is, if you want a card, you pay the postage.
>There is no exception. This is his rule, not mine, so save the flames.
>
>For my own cards, I never ask for anything. You send me one, I send you
>one. I'll send mine first if you want. The bureau is fine, although,
>understandably a lot slower. But those guys don't get paid either
>
>There, I have had my say. I feel better and the Detroit Red Wings
>show Colorado how to play hockey !!
>
>Ray, W8CNL.
>--------------
>
>
>
>Ray McClure - W8CNL
>5 McKenzie Circle
>North Augusta, S.C.
>29841-4319
>[email protected]
>
>
>Please help QSL.NET . Send your donation now.
>
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