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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