[SOC] Is EQSL purposely trying to upset their user base?

[F5PBL - Claude]

Hi,

> Tonight I checked my standings for the eWAS award. Though I almost had
> enough confirmed eQSOs for the award, the web site now was showing that
> all my QSO's that had previously been confirmed now required me to
> reconfirm the QSO's due to Rule 10a that was adopted earlier this year
> and is now taking effect in September.

Sounds strange to me.

Quoting rule 10a (eWAS Award): "The Award Master for this award may determine at his sole discretion whether the eQSLs 
received are adequately matched by OUTGOING eQSLs sent by the applicant to confirm the credits applied for. A large 
number of unconfirmed eQSLs is against the spirit of the eQSL system and should be fixed by uploading your entire log, 
or by carefully confirming each valid incoming eQSL and rejecting each eQSL that does not match your log!"

In the past, it was possible to get credits (via received eQSL) for QSOs which were not in your log (outgoing eQSLs).
I have been in that case (QSO not in my log for whatever reason but received eQSL from the other station nevertheless).
So, my understanding of this new rule is: you will get credit for QSOs if and only if the said QSO is in both logs 
(yours and the other station's).
If the QSO is already in your log and you have already sent an eQSL for it, then credit is granted as soon as you have 
received the other station's eQSL.

You may want to contact the award manager (JI3KDH or VA3KAB as alternate) for your particular situation which looks a 
bit weird if you have indeed lost some credits for already confirmed contacts.

I am not a great fan of eQSL neither since one case I had 2 years ago with G4GVB (main eQSL Awards manager).

My main call is F5PBL. I am also operating from France as TM0SOC and TM1CY. As such, I have 3 French accounts on eQSL, 
linked together. From time to time, when I make a QSO as TM1CY or TM0SOC, I like to contact the same station using my 
primary call (F5PBL), as per official rules (a QSO should be achieved to exist and thus be logged, right?).
So, in my (linked) log, I may have a QSO with W0SOC as TM1CY and 30 seconds later as F5PBL.
When I applied for the eDX100, I got the following email:
"We reviewed your application for eDX100 20m, but we are not able to approve it for the following reason:
One or more QSOs have been uploaded into multiple attached accounts."

That lead to "award application restriction" on my account as I was suspected of cheating for logging forged QSOs. Cheers.

G4GVB's explanation was : "I can't see why you would want to send 2 QSL's for basically the same QSO,"
He did not want to understand that TM1CY and F5PBL were 2 separate calls, despite operated by the same human being.
He asked me to unlink my TM1CY/TM0SOC/F5PBL accounts should I want to apply to any eQSL award.
That was how I stopped worrying about eQSL stuff. I am sticking with CQ Award program, using the eQSL credits, though.
Bronze status is mandatory to be able to apply to awards (CQ Awards in my case). Fees are $12 / year, bearable, 
especially since I only pay every 2 years or so, when I know I will be able to apply for new awards / endorsements for 
any of my calls (French ones + NF5KF) - mainly WPX and US-CA wallpapers.


HTH,

73/2,
Claude, #503