[OKDXA] Charge for LoTW Upload ??

[Peter Laws]

On Fri, Mar 24, 2023 at 3:57 PM Jeff Martin <jeffk5we at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Good Afternoon OKDXA...
>
> In light of the recent trend of DXpeditions holding back LoTW
> confirmations in an effort to gain more contributions, or even charging
> a fee for LoTW upload of your QSO info, I ask your opinion:
>
> Are you in favor of charging for a LoTW upload?
>
> Was this the original intent of ARRL when LoTW was created, that you
> would have to pay for an upload?


You are conflating two different things.  For all that I think is
wrong with LOTW (and I've expressed them ALL to the current and
immediate past Div Dirs) allowing unlimited uploads of signed log data
was NOT a mistake.

If an operator chooses not to upload his signed log because you didn't
contribute to the operator's  (sometimes very expensive) operations
has nothing to do with ARRL - that's between you and that op.

I think DXpeditions need to rethink their funding.  A couple bucks in
the envelope x 10000 envelopes was a lot of money back in the day.
Now paper confirmations are a "legacy" thing - in 10 years, maybe
less, I doubt there will be buros in each area - one national one
could handle all incoming cards.  So there is no envelope to stick a
couple bucks in.  I get them not wanting to give you the "match" in
the database unless you pay up but that's the part that needs to be
re-thought.

And since we aren't all individually "sticking a couple bucks in an
envelope" for ever expedition *we* need to re-think how we as an
association view funding those juicy DX QSOs.  We (OKDXA) do a good
job now, but maybe we should step back and think about that some and
see if there is a better way to fund those crazy people that hire
boats and helicopters and survival suits to give us the QSOs ...




You have 19,168 QSO records
You have 12,243 QSL records






--
Peter Laws | N5UWY / VE2UWY | plaws0 gmail com | Travel by Train!