> Does anyone but me find it annoying that we have to purchase
> software that should be furnished free by the ARRL? The League
> foisted the Cabrillo requirements on us without much input from the
> membership. IMO, the League should buy the tools from WT4I at some
> reasonable price and distribute them free to anyone who wants them.
> If the WT4I tools are not for sale, the League should develop their
> own.
> Am I missing the bigger picture here?
In a word, yes.
Did you find it annoying that back in The Old Days[tm] the ARRL
required you to use offical ARRL contest summary sheets and log sheets
and to submit an Op Aid 6 dupe sheet with your log?
Did you find it annoying that you had to send an SASE to Newington to
request copies of these official forms?
Did you find it annoying that the ARRL didn't provide postage-paid
envelopes for you to submit your contest logs?
Did you find it annoying that the ARRL didn't provide you with a
voucher to use at Kinko's to make copies of your logs?
Did you find it annoying that the post office charged you extra money
if you wanted to send your log via certified mail with return receipt
requested?
Now ask yourself all those same questions and substitute CQ for ARRL.
Now consider a budget for paper log submission, rounding off to whole
dollars to make things easy:
$1 SASE snail mailed to Newington to request forms
$1 Kinko's charge before the contest for copying one blank
summary sheet, the blank Op Aid 6 (two sides), and 10 blank
log sheets
$1 Kinko's charge after the contest for copying one prepared
summary sheet, the used Op Aid 6 (two sides), and 10 used
log sheets
$1 Log packet snail mailed to Newington
$4 Certified mail with return receipt (optional)
$??? Cost of your personal time, wear and tear on your car, etc
So using paper logs it's gonna cost you about $3-4 out of pocket every
time you get on and operate a contest and work 500 guys, unless you
splurge and send it certified USPS. Or you can send it in a FedEx
overnight letter for $10.
You can buy WT4I's Cabrillo Converter for $20, or you can download and
use KA5WSS's LogConv program for FREE.
I didn't include in the budget the cost of radios, amplifiers,
feedlines, antennas, headphones, power strips, ground rods, a desk for
your shack, a chair, a lamp, electricity, logging software, nor the
ISP charges you would spend submitting your log (or writing messages
to cq-contest!) because you have already paid for these things whether
or not your submit a log. You break even on a $20 Cabrillo converter
after about six contests. LogConv is a spectacular deal for the
price.
There is nothing new under the sun. The bottom line is that for
30/40/50? years there have been established procedures for submitting
contest logs. Today in 2002 there are still established procedures
for submitting contest logs -- only the details have changed.
A few years ago I predicted that "10 years from now people will look
back and laugh at all moaning that took place as contest log submittal
procedures were revised to include electronic logs."
Today I have a new prediction: "We will not have to wait 10 years."
--Trey, N5KO
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