Steve,
The subject line of my post was just a "teaser." (I used to be a newspaper
editor and one of my jobs was writing headlines.)
The solution to overloading LotW is for LotW not to store dupes. Same call
sign/same band/same mode = dupe. This purging of dupes would be done at LotW
and participants could opt out of it if they want their LotW log to continue to
show dozens of "QSLs" from the same station on the same band and mode (although
I can't imagine why they would).
My own 25,000 QSLs on LotW are, to make a wild guess, maybe as much as 75 per
cent dupes, since I work the same contests, and the same stations, year after
year. Go ahead LotW, purge away!
I don't know where you got that line about "The responsibility of a QSL ..." It
is not apropos to my proposal. LotW is a "Third Party." Think QSL managers, for
another example of a "Third Party." Or how about using your credit card to
order a QSL, and getting a QSL with a printed sticker and maybe no signature?
How many third party hands (and machines) did that transaction pass through?
Have you noticed how many DXpeditions offer "order-a-QSL" with no desire for a
QSL from you? And how many DXpeditions now will send the QSO info for you to
LotW after you send them a couple of dollars? You can even order an LotW credit
and opt out of receiving a paper QSL (my favorite). These methods seem to have
perfectly adequate safeguards for integrity (checking the log, etc). These are
the waves of the future.
I heard from a couple of people who treasure their collection of 100,000 paper
QSLs filed away in homemade wood cabinets. Nothing will take that away from
them. But not all of us live in the town we were born in.
My proposal in no way would affect hams who want to pay for printed QSLs and
send them through the mail. But ask a young person what they think about
exchanging "post cards" through "the mail" to prove that they talked to
somebody on their radio, and watch their eyes glaze over.
Jim Cain, K1TN
Jim on the surface (first glance) this may seem like an easy answer
However if the sponsors uploaded in bulk to the LOTW server there would be
many crashes of the LOTW site
the band width would be extraordinary
The responsibility of a QSL is still the station operator, not a third party.
I think we see plenty of increased activity in several of the bigger contest
like CQWW and ARRL SS as well as Sweepstakes
cheers!
steve
KG5VK
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