Exposure to 9N1 and Tibet conditions for hams tells me now not to judge
foreign hams and their QSL habits too harshly. One must see condx in the
third world to really have the magnitude of their basic problems to come
to full realization. Kathmandu is a huge city, yet it has NO street
names, for example. Let us see anyone reliably deliver mail in such a
situation!
Then, there is the problem of $$$ to pay for all kinds of things: cards,
envelops, "assistance" to someone to carry the mail if it is carried at
all or not stolen, time away from job, etc., on and on.
Americans are so spoiled. We wimper on this reflector (as I have) when we
can not find a grade XXXX bolt; foreign hams in some places can not get
raw metal stock, let along not towers, coax plugs, coax, etc.
And, one can not even send them some of these things from the US because
of restrictive customs, stealing upon entry, etc etc etc. Very
frustrating. de K4VUD
PS: if you are going into any third world country, take along at least
several PL-259s, and maybe a roll of 8X coax and donate it to the hams you
can find there.
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