[CQ-Contest] QSLing

[Dan Robbins]

While I admire K3ZO's QSL reply philosophy, I will continue to remain a
cheapskate.  I have replied to about 4000 cards per year on the average.
Most from contests, about half of these are foreign.  My QSL costs if I were
to supply postage for every card, pay for envelopes, etc. would run around
$2500 per year vs the $300-$400 I currently pay.  In addition, if I had to
address every envelope or every card, I would spend at least an extra 30
hours per year on time spent for QSLing.  

I am not willing to pay an extra two grand a year for QSLing chores.  Some
years I have been unemployed for long periods and could absolutely not
afford it.  I already curtail my non-contesting operating to certain areas
of the world to avoid spending more time answering QSLs.  I have allowed my
station to be operated under other calls in contests (NL7G, WL7E, etc.) just
to ease the QSL burden.  The post office knows me so well, that I have
received mail with undecipherable addresses, no city and the wrong zip code.
Wasilla has nearly 10,000 PO boxes, but the postal workers know which one
gets the envelopes with the foreign stamps or those funny radio callsigns.

Fortunately, KL7s can get US cards via the bureau, which is how I reply if
there is insufficient postage.  I won't go into detail about those
contesters who send QSLs for every contact, every contest over and over
again.  Under good conditions, my station can generate over 10,000 QSOs in
one weekend.  You can only take courtesy so far.  It's one thing to carry a
100 lb fashion model across a mud puddle so she doesn't get her feet wet.
That's courteous.  Now a 300 lb hairy woman in bib overalls and combat
boots, that's no longer a courtesy.  So it is with QSLing, I guess.


                                                Dan KL7Y



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