[Dx-qsl] research issue - Moldova

[Stuart Santelmann KC1F]

> Rich et all,
>
> Regarding your research:
>
> Over the past 20 years I have made 116 qsos into ER.
> Sent 85 qsls, got 49 confirmed (apart from one single card ALL of them via 
> bureau !).
> And yes, also ER1DA cfmd my 2001 qso via bureau......
>
> Note for the US guys (and gals):
>
> My ER bureau returns: 49 out of 85 represents 57 %.
> My USA counts are 1907 out of 3965 sent, which is a mere 48 %....
>
>
> 73, Rob PA0RDY
>

Thanks very much Rob !  Your information adds a lot to our discussion !  Now 
we can probably conclude:

1)  The Moldova QSL bureau works
2)   Moldovan hams are AT LEAST as interested in answering incoming bureau 
cards as USA hams are (yes, I realize the "N" is a lot different...)
3)   If A LOT less than 57 % of US hams' direct requests with $ and IRCs are 
going unanswered, then a reasonable conclusion is that mail theft is a BIG 
factor, which leads to #4..
4)   If mail theft is such a big factor, why do we still try REPEATEDLY to 
mail direct and give your dollars to Moldovan postal workers rather than 
send via the bureau, when we know mailing direct is unlikely to work ?

Yes, I realize that the bureau takes longer.  I make a lot of contest QSOs, 
so I get regular shipments.  But I've gotten bureau QSLs only 3 months after 
the QSO, so if you get a slower response don't necessarily blame it on the 
DX station.

Finally, again my list of Moldova bureau QSL recepients, most unsolicited 
but I think I may have sent for ER3 4 5 6 7 for the prefixes, and some of 
these are contest operations where I answered their CQ - likely ER6A, ER7A, 
ER7HQ, ER7N, ER7Z:

EO5O (1987)
ER1BAF
ER1CW
ER1LW
ER1LZ
ER1OO
ER2GR
ER3CT
ER3KS
ER3R
ER3ZZ
ER4DX (yes, indeed Ron...)
ER5AG
ER5DX
ER5OK
ER6A
ER7A
ER7HQ
ER7N
ER7Z
RO4OE
RO4OW

plus many other UO5s prior to 1993 when I started using a computer logging 
program.

Interestingly, however my only Moldova LoTW confirmation is RO4OE from all 
the way back to 1992

Yes, Peter I do think that it would be nice if an ER agreed to take you up 
on your offer of managing their QSLs.  However I suspect there are few if 
any ERs on this list - you could look at any emails on qrz.com for stations 
that you need and contact them with your offer ?  And let us know their 
response ?  This would be an acknowlegement on their part that their mail 
systems stinks, that they intend to QSL , and that they are not trying to 
selectively QSL like the perception was of a certain FR ham in order to make 
$.  I would particularly be interested in ER1DA's response.

Finally, Rob PA0RDY  - we have one QSO in the ARRL CW 1994 - I received your 
QSL and answered via the bureau OK, yes ?!

Very  73    Stu        KC1F