[Dx-qsl] V51AS

[VR2BrettGraham]

KA7KUZ continued:

>Well, this started out as a bit of my venting my frustration at 
>getting a card from V51AS and has turned a bit from where I wanted it to go.
>With that let me be a little more clear about this situation.  I 
>need to use you as a bit of example and I would like to hear your 
>thoughts on a question or two that I would like to pose to you.
>Looking through my logbook, and mind you I'm no big station, I have 
>worked you maybe 6 or 8 times.  Every QSL I've ever sent to you, you 
>have responded to, and, as near as I can tell in a timely 
>fashion.  I appreciate that and thank you for that, Hong Kong is one 
>country that I've gotten confirmed for your efforts.  From this I 
>would conclude that the postal service from my country to your 
>country is reasonably with out corruption (save the few isolated 
>cases) and that based on your response to my QSL requests that it 
>does matter to you that you fulfill my request to you for a QSL card.
>
>But now let me pose a question to you.  What would you do if you 
>knew your mail was being stolen in the postal service of your country?
>
>For me, I would be jumping up and down in my post office demanding 
>answers and may get my senator/representative involved to get to the 
>bottom of it.  But because we are talking about Namibia, corruption 
>probably runs pretty deep, and if you can rip off a few letters to 
>get enough money to feed yourself or your family it is probably 
>hardly given a second thought.  Going to the post office in Namibia 
>at best case probably has net V51AS nothing and who knows it may 
>very well bring harm to him for raising the issue.  But, I do know 
>that V51AS knows his mail is being stolen, by his own testiment and 
>through his actions to have the cards forwarded to a DL location.
>
>If, I were in that situation, and because it does matter to me that 
>others get my QSL card to fulfill their requests, I would be looking 
>for more effective means of receiving and returning QSL 
>requests.  If that means forwarding cards through a DL address I 
>would, but, again by V51AS own testiment this has been less than 
>ideal.  My next option would be to consider a QSL Manager or using 
>LotW, because, as stated earlier that it does matter to me that 
>others get my QSL card to fulfill their requests.  Yes I know, QSL 
>managers cost money, but given that V51AS is one of a very small 
>number of V5 stations, I'm sure there would not be a shortage of QSL 
>managers or people on this list that would not in some way help with 
>this situation.  Look in the corner of the room and you will see me 
>with my hand up to volunteer some time.  Another means is to use 
>LotW; yeah I know there are people who loath LotW claiming it is 
>another way for the ARRL to rip off people or that the process is 
>far to complicated.  All I can do is speak for myself, it has been a 
>little bit of work to get it set up, but, once it is going, it has 
>been far easier than say....ohhh....going to the post office and 
>explaining/purchasing/redeeming IRC's.  I'm certain, especially from 
>those who use LotW, that there would a number of people that would 
>help V51AS set up and use LotW.  I've been through that process 
>several times, I do hold several overseas call in addition to my US call.
>
>So what could I conclude from this?  I would conclude that it does 
>matter to V51AS to a limited degree that others get their QSL 
>requests fulfilled (his stating the mail is being stolen and setting 
>up a DL forward address).  I contend V51AS could be much more 
>effective at QSLing if it really mattered that others get their QSL 
>requests fulfilled.  Why it matters to a certain degree ranges from 
>he doesn't care, family, financial....who knows.  For me at this 
>point I have to take the same position, his QSL matters to me only 
>to a certain degree, and, when I hear him on the again it will 
>matter to me to only a certain degree to work him.
>
>Lastly, Brett, if you can get the $19 out of the USPS more power to 
>you....I think I would rather go buy IRC's...hihi
>
>Okay, bring on the flames

I dumped my original reply when I got down this far - this
is not meant to be flaming or anything untoward, nor am I
ignoring your points - I think it cuts to the root of the issue...

IRCs & compensation for lost registered items are things
that USPS _must_ do per the UPU LM.  You accept your
postal service not doing what it should, yet feel others should
do something because their country's postal service doesn't
do what it should.

The other root issue is the presumption that when a reply
isn't received, that the DX guy is somehow dodgy.  I've been
accused of this many times & have had two solar cycles of
being told what I should do, too.

Being DX increasingly sucks because of this.

73 & HLNY, VR2BrettGraham.