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Re: [CQ-Contest] Logging question

To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Logging question
From: Oliver Dröse <droese@necg.de>
Date: Sat, 8 Aug 2015 09:43:18 +0200
List-post: <cq-contest@contesting.com">mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Jim,

Back in the day when you and I were first licensed, we mailed QSLs as postcards with 2 cent stamps. I sent you a card, you sent me one. We each paid for our own stamp. A QSL was considered "the final courtesy of a QSO."

60 years later, almost no one sends a card unless requesting one for an award, and the guy who "needs" the card pays for postage both ways. That's just short of a buck for a card within the US, and an average of $3.50 for a DX card.

Com'on, then use the ARRL bureau and DX cards will cost you next to nothing! We have a superb QSL bureau system in most of this world's countries ... Yes, it will not work for all DX and yes it depends on your ARRL membership, not a bad thing.

But anyway, you said in an earlier mail you won't QSL if the contact is not on LotW. So what do you do if somebody sends you a card including return postage and you don't find him on LotW? Through away his card and keep his money? Is that your definition of "final courtesy"? ;-)

A German ham wrote privately to me that

argument against LotW is its requirement to send hardcopies of realworld personal documents for foreign stations

That is NOT true.  Here's a quote from the ARRL FAQ:

"Authentication for non-U.S. calls relies on photocopies of a radio license and an official identification document." <snip>

That sounds pretty simple to me -- the DX station applies online, then mails photocopies of his license and some official identification document.

Ehm, you just confirmed it *IS* true, Jim. ;-) Although I was not the German guy writing to you privately I can confirm it, been there done that myself. But maybe we just have different views about what consitute a "real world personal document" ... after all we should not forget this is just a hobby. ;-)

73 & cuagn in the next contest(s),
Olli - DH8BQA
http://www.dh8bqa.de






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