I agree with your analysis of the current situation, as dumb as it may be.
He'll have to throw away all those contacts or get paper QSL's from the
other station for them. We've been waiting for VUCC in LoTW for years now.
Hams may one day figure out how to use modern communications technology to
confirm contacts for awards, but until then, we're stuck with paper for the
"best" awards out there in VHF+ land.
Contests, we got that covered... e-mail your logs to a "robot" and you're
done.
Awards from the same entity? Nope...
Whether that's bad or good, is a matter of personal preference.
I had high hopes for LoTW when it came out, but it's mired in its own bad
design, especially for rovers, and I don't see "Version 2.0" coming anytime
soon... ARRL started something good there, but didn't finish.
I don't chase awards for these very same reasons. I'm sure I qualify for
VUCC on multiple bands by now, but don't care. Wake me up when a VUCC award
and $1.00 will buy me a cup of coffee somewhere where there's interesting
people to meet or talk to.
Awards just aren't my thing.
Want to get really "crazy"? How about automatically issuing VUCC from
contest logs if someone qualifies? The data and the contacts are real, and
the robot can even confirm 2-way happened if both stations submitted logs.
And it removes having to have a "card checker" volunteer.
I'd find that pretty cool, to open the mail and "Hey, look... ARRL
recognized what I did." That'd garner a "warm fuzzy" from me about the
organization, and my next year's membership check would be easier to write.
The data's there, why not use it? Because "that's not how it works". They
don't see it as a recruiting/retention tool.
My reply to all of that is: "Inconsistency breeds contempt."
If you want the wallpaper, you jump through the hoops, which in and of
itself doesn't seem like much of a "lofty goal" to aspire to. Yay, I did
paperwork!
(I can do paperwork all day at the office. Why do it at home? I'll be on
the radio instead. Or maybe these days, I won't until contest time, which
seems to be really where I'm "at" mentally right now. If you're interesting
to talk to, give a call on the radio though... that's fun.)
I try to paper QSL a few times a year in batches, for those dying to jump
through the hoops, and I sent out over 500 cards for my 2006 roving
escapades, which cost a fortune, just as "something to do"... but it's a
losing proposition in the end. I know where I worked, and they're in my
log.
My dad likes *interesting* QSL cards, but mostly the ones I receive go into
the ever-growing pile of cards that "needs reply QSL" or "needs to be filed"
and real life keeps me from ever getting to that second pile.
The League needs to treat VHF+ people the same as other awards available via
LoTW before I'll start caring again, if even then.
Nate WY0X
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