Thanks Ron,
I, too, was wondering what on earth Vic was talking about. I think the
software works quite well, the cost of LOTW only comes from the request
made by the user and basically is the same as the cost for cards that
are sent in. Apparently many share our opinion of LOTW, from last count
there were 17,000+ participants and 9.5 million confirmed QSOs. LOTW is
voluntary, so if you don't like it, just don't participate. If so, you
are fast becoming a very small minority. See this non-ARRL webpage
below.
http://www.hb9bza.net/lotw/#howtohelp
Incidentally the support is awesome. I lost my computer to lightning and
had all of the certificates back from ARRL and up and running in one day
on my new computer! (That's right; I had NO Backups like I should have
had!)
Bill, W5VX
-----Original Message-----
From: cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Ron Notarius
W3WN
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2007 12:53 PM
To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] printing QSO info directly onto QSLs: hw?
First, regarding LotW: What?
What "buggy programming"? What "inconsiderable expense"? What
"extortion-grade fees"? And what "profit motive"?
I for one am sick to death of hearing these types of comments. I've
been
using LotW since it was in beta, and I have never (a) run into buggy
programming, or (b) paid a single penny to use it. As far as (c) fees,
charging about $.15 per QSO credit is hardly extortion -- especially
when
you factor in the $.90 you DIDN'T spend on postage to the USPS, the $2-3
you
DIDN'T spend on IRC's or green stamps to cover the return postage cost,
and
the $.10- .50 you DIDN'T spend on envelopes and cards.
Let's deal in facts.
Now regarding the original issue... I've been printing QSL cards on
standard
laser and ink jet printers for more years than I can think of... even
further back if you want to go to good old fashioned dot matrix
printers.
Right now, I've been using the equivalent of Avery #8387 Ink Jet
Postcards,
4 cards to a sheet. (Sure wish the guy I bought some bundles of those
off
of at Dayton a few years back would return, I could use a few more!)
I've
also been fortunate that we've had a commercial printer in our club, who
will occasionally print a black & white design on one side of some 8-1/2
x
11 cardstock for me, and the perforate it so that I can print on the
other
side. (I'm about to lose that option as he's retiring soon, though)
I have been able to print as many sheets as a standard printer tray can
hold, capacity depending on the printer.
For the card itself, I've done a few designs in Microsoft Publisher that
have come out, I hope, fairly decent. And I use the mail merge feature
to
merge in log extracts whenver I'm ready to print. Piece of cake.
And remember, a QSL card doesn't have to be a "card." I've received
many a
QSL that was done up on a sheet of paper and then cut up. As long as it
confirms the contact, so what?
73, ron w3wn
-----Original Message-----
Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:29:17 -0400
From: Vic Culver <vic.w4vic@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] printing QSO info directly onto QSLs: hw?
Cc: cq-contest@contesting.com
WISH I could get comfortable with this concept! I've been hearing
some tales about how expensive it is for the DX stations to feed
cards back to another thousand W4's, etc. THEY sure don't need
another card! Word has it that some are refusing Bureau cards. I
give them credit -- I think there's more at work here than profit
motive. The DX gets ALL the WORK and all the EXPENSE also. No
WONDER my return rate is so low!
LoTW seems like such a PROMISING concept -- but with buggy
programming, not inconsiderable expense for the supposedly automated
process, extortion-grade fees to paid members in addition, and
unforgiving and arcane procedures -- it's no wonder that it is a
slow concept to catch hold around the World! As long as the ARRL
has a profit motive going I don't expect the situation to improve
here and CQ and other contests/award entities will continue to be
shut out.
It's on US, guys. As long as we value those cards as we do we just
have to be prepared to suffer these consequences, I'm afraid. ALL
HAIL the DXers, local and abroad, who step up and meet the test of
that old adage: "The job's not done till the paperwork is done."
Thank you for the cards I do receive, DXers abroad. Vic, W4VIC
Randy Thompson wrote:
> I bypassed all of this and started using GlobalQSL. They print the
cards
> (full color) and the info all at the same time. AND they ship it to
the
> buro for you.
>
> www.globalqsl.com
>
> Randy
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com
>> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
>> kr2q@optonline.net
>> Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 3:45 PM
>> To: CQ-contest@contesting.com
>> Subject: [CQ-Contest] printing QSO info directly onto QSLs: hw?
>>
>> RE: Printing contest QSO info directly onto QSL cards
>>
>> I can print log/qso info on labels till the cows come home....
>>
>> But I'd like to print the info directly onto the QSLs.
>> Is there some sort of special printer or paper feeder for this?
>> I can't imagine printing 1000's via the "10 at a time" method.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> de Doug KR2Q
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