[Dx-qsl] Bureau

Wed Feb 26 21:48:09 2003

Carl, I think you're partly correct.  I'm sure many contest stations will
use LotW (not just the big guns) to simplify managing the hundreds or
thousands of contacts made in a weekend of activity -- frankly, I plan to,
once it's on-line.

At first, I only sent cards to stations I wanted a QSL from (usually new
band/mode).  But eventually I'd get a pile of cards through the bureau.  So
I tried the last few years to generate cards for almost everyone I'd worked
(which is why I have a huge pile of cards sitting on the desk waiting for
the next bureau shipment).  That now requires me to update my routines to
remove calls that I have worked in almost every contest, unless it's a new
band/mode combo (I'm sure the managers of calls like P40V/P49V, HC8N, RW2F,
V26B, VP2E, WP2Z, etc. etc. etc. got tired of seeing my call so often!).

LotW will simplify my life in that regards, and let me ask for cards only
from those I really want them from, and answer cards from those who only
really want them.  That should make life a little easier on those QSL
managers and keep some of their costs down.  But, as Steve has pointed out,
this also cuts down on excess postage donations that are funneled to some of
these DX stations and/or DXpeditions.  This will make some changes in the
QSL & DX landscape -- to what extent, I don't know yet.

However, one thing that should be made clear -- and I asked about this -- my
understanding is that LotW will NOT be tied directly to the systems used for
contest log entry.  This has to do with the requirement for a security
certificate, tied to a specific computer system, that will be required for a
LotW entry.  In other words, if you enter the 2004 ARRL DX Contest (or 2005
or whenever LotW comes on line), you'd have to send in tw cabrillo entries,
one to the contest, one to LotW.  (Why?  Because not everyone entering the
contest might want to also be in LotW for one thing, or be signed up for the
LotW security, and I'm sure that there are other good reasons too.)

73, ron wn3vaw

"Igor, would you give me a hand with the bags?"
"Certainly!  You take the blonde, and I'll take the one in the turban!"
-- Young Frankenstein

----- Original Message -----
From: "Carl -K8AV-" <[email protected]>
To: "Ron Notarius WN3VAW" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 9:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] Bureau

I predict the LotW will be used primarily by contest stations who would
rather not
deal with QSL cards in any manner. They have no use for our cards and would
rather not get involved in sending cards out. They are well aware that many
of us
snag " new ones " for DXCC during contests so the LotW will be ideal for
satisfying
that need for QSL credit and in turn lessen the QSL workload for the contest
station.
Their logs, for the most part, get submitted the the ARRL or CQ anyway for
the contest.

Time will tell.
73,
Carl   K8AV

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Notarius WN3VAW" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] Bureau

> Steve's point about the indirect effect of Logbook of the World on major
> DXpeditions is a valid one.
>
> Setting aside for the moment the point of whether or not handling QSL
cards
> should be a revenue source for the DXpedition... the fact remains that if
> the demand for physical QSL cards is reduced by LotW, then yes, I suspect
> that many major DXpeditions of the future will probably decline to
> immediately upload their logs to the LotW system.
>
> Let me be more specific, though:
> If a particular DXpedition, be it a one-man vacation DXpedition or a major
> mulit-person effort to activate a rare or new entitiy, decides or
determines
> that the net amount of money & IRC's taken in by QSL requests is a wash
> (when factoring in QSL printing costs, bureau cards & related handling
fees,
> and other misc. costs related to handling QSL's), or even a net money
loser,
> then I suspect that the on-line logs will be posted to LotW in relatively
> short order.
>
> On the other hand, if a particular DXpedtion determines that there is a
net
> revenue gain, then you may not see those logs posted for months after the
> DXpedition is over -- possibly even a year or two.  Sadly, this will
> partially defeat one of the purposes of LotW, since LotW will depend on
logs
> being uploaded.  But I can understand why a DXpedition, in this case,
would
> hold off on uploading the logs to avoid cutting down the revenue stream.
> The key concept to keep in mind here is that I think that this case would
> only occur IF a DXpedition organizers think that they'll make money on QSL
> handling requests... and this also starts getting into the dangerous
> situation of allegations of "buying" QSL cards without legit contacts, but
> that's another story.
>
> I don't know if there's an easy answer to this one, either.  I don't see
how
> you can arbitrarily compel a DXpedition to upload their logs online
> anywhere.  But you may see some of the organizations that make major
> donations to these DXpeditions insist, as part of their grant, that the
logs
> be uploaded (somewhere) after a reasonable time.
>
> 73, ron wn3vaw