[Dx-qsl] QSL confirmation problems

[Michael G. Carper]

Good points, Tom.

About 12 years ago, I spent a lot of money on really fancy QSL cards with
nice glossy pictures on them.  I was proud to send them out.  It was
expensive.  But that approach is even more expensive now.  But when I want
to purchase QSL cards now, I buy white cards with simple black lettering
from CheapQSLs.com for $16.49 (including shipping) and be done with it.
Frankly, I tried just sending a number of stations a printed letter (and
SASE) confirming our QSO and requesting confirmation - most agreed, though
some refused to confirm without an actual card.

In an effort to gather up DXCC Challenge credits, I recently sent out over
100 cards - mostly to foreign QSL managers.  Each of them wanted $2 to cover
postage.  Each envelope required $0.98 in US postage.  In total (for 100
cards), that's $16.49 for the cards + $98 in postage (to) + $200 postage
(from) + $6 for two boxes of 100-count envelopes = $320.49!!  So 100 QSLs
cost me $320.49??? ...or about $3.21 per card.  Hmm... luckily I've already
got 960 Challenge credits and don't have far to go.

DXpeditions have taken to OQRS to charge us $5 for the card (made painless
and easy by PayPal).  I did this for VP8ORK because I needed the new one
before Dayton.  Then I find that they're posting them on LoTW anyway...
first for those who "donated" (I say, "purchased" the card; seems to be in
violation of DXCC rules which prevent purchasing cards).  I'm sure the
VP8ORK card will be a nice glossy tri-fold card with pictures of the
island... probably will include a picture of a penguin (either real or
inflatable)... small arctic huts and a picture of all the brave souls that
went down there on our behalf... and probably logos from the corporate
donations.  But seriously... just upload ALL the data to LOTW and send
black-n-white cards to people who don't QSL electronically.  Like Tom, I'll
probably still donate.  (Heck, I think a few of us would pay someone to go
to North Korea or Yemen for us - if we received a sked in return.)

Lastly - there's no difference between eQSL and a QSL Manager and/or OQRS.
I'd like to see the DXCC and eQSL get along one day.  But it's just not
going to happen.

73 de Mike, WA9PIE

-----Original Message-----
From: dx-qsl-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:dx-qsl-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of tom wylie
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 9:46 AM
To: dx-qsl at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] QSL confirmation problems

I'm not sure what ken means by "lowering the bar"

There are two distinct issues here.    The exchange of some form of 
confirmation that a QSO took place,  and the application
for an award from the ARRL (DXCC).   Maybe its because I am No 1 HR, but 
I find that I am less and less interested in the exchange of
paper QSL cards nice though they may be to look at.   If you checkout my 
QRZ.COM page it will tell you, that if you email me and ask me for a QSL 
card, I will happily put one into the buro system for you (where there 
is a buro - of course).   I have
more or less given up the use of QSL cards.   Of course, where I have no 
option, I will send for a paper card.

For me and DXCC, this is where LOTW comes into its own and is 
excellent.   No longer do I have to collect useless bits of paper,
which end up in a drawer once I have re-posted them off to America for 
my DXCC confirmation.   But, I have come up with a minor problem.
I am a personal donor for some expeditions.   However, I mystified the 
last one, by asking not for a QSL card, but to upload my QSOs
to LOTW instead.   It seems they had no mechanism for doing that.   On 
their web page, I could ask for a buro card, send
postage to a QSL manager, or complete an OQRS application accompanied by 
a "donation" via paypal.   Having already
sent off my $50 I was loathe to send another donation.   Finally common 
sense prevailed and my QSOs appeared on LOTW.

Having said that I would take umbridge, if I sent somebody $5 for a QSL 
card, and I got an email or a slip stating "QSO(s) confirmed by
LOTW.   Personally, I'd want my $5 back!

We are in an electronic age, spending vast amounts of money on radios, 
amplifiers, antennas, computers and computer doo-dahs, yet
we still exchange useless (most of the time) bits of paper to confirm 
that we had a QSO.   I find it extremely tedious to received
6 seperate QSL cards from the same station after EACH contest confirming 
per band my contest QSOs.   Yes, that does happen, and I think
is caused by some of the big contest stations, just churning out 
computer cards willy nilly.   I believe that some hams also send their
complete logs to Israel when an organisation produces millions of cards 
and floods the buro system with them, most of which
will never be used for any purpose, other than to make money for the 
printer!

de Tom

GM4FDM
GOM

On 16/03/2011 03:23, Ken Scheper wrote:
> I think in the future, we "paper collectors" are going to be SOL with
marginal QSL'ers.  We'll send the $xx needed, or IRC's, to their address and
we'll see a reply on the internet..."All QSO's verified by LOTW only".  If
you don't do LOTW, you're outta luck.  I hope there are some regulations in
LOTW that prohibit participation by $/IRC thieves.  I still feel BOTH
methods need to be mandated for a DXCC counter, paper AND LOTW.  I certainly
understand that LOTW is convenient, and more cost effective, but that lowers
the bar for those that don't really care, when some do.  I suppose I'm just
waiting for my SASE to come back with a slip that says "confirmed via LOTW".
I hope that never happens, or is allowed to.
>
> IMHO guys from a 48 year veteran of the mystic DX pursuits.
> 73
> Ken
> WA8JOC
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> DX-QSL mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/dx-qsl
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:DX-QSL at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

-- 
I am fully aware that my youth has been spent
That my get up and go - has got up and went
But I really dont mind when I think with a grin
of all the great places my "get up" has been!

______________________________________________________________
DX-QSL mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/dx-qsl
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:DX-QSL at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html