[Dx-qsl] qsling

[Mike Lazaroff K3AIR]

As Ron said, the original comments were not directed to QSL managers or DX
stations.  That's a whole different case.

My elmers taught me, back in the early 1970's, that "a QSL is the final
courtesy of a QSO" and that all valid requests should be answered.  Back
then, I do not recall ever getting an SASE from a domestic station, and I
didn't send SASE's to domestic stations; yet, I had no problems collecting
lots of domestic cards.  I sent mine as postcards and most were sent to me
the same way.  My domestic return rate in those days was between 80 and 90
percent.  Today, I don't even bother to send domestic cards because of the
abysmal return rates (single digits!); however, I do respond to all cards
received, whether or not postage is included.

Sure, postage has gone up, but not much hasn't.  I made a LOT less money in
1972 as well!  The cost of cards and a few stamps is part of the price of
the hobby, and compared to the equipment and accessories it is very minimal.

It just seems that courtesy and good operating practice has largely
disappeared when it comes to QSLing.  What a damn shame.

Mike K3AIR


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Notarius WN3VAW" <wn3vaw@fyi.net>
To: "DX-QSL" <dx-qsl@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, June 01, 2002 3:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] qsling


> 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.