[CQ-Contest] Contest QSOs: To QSL or not to QSL

[Pete Smith]

Kind of an interesting question.  I've made 45,000 QSOs since moving to WV
in December 1994.  In order to save my time and still QSL everyone who
could want my card, I QSL DX QSOs automatically via bureau, whenever the
QSO is a unique band/mode combination.  As a practical matter, that means
that I may send as many as 18 QSLs to a given station (phone and CW only),
and I also respond to all direct QSLs.  It ain't cheap, maybe $400/year
plus my time, but I regard it as part of the cost of contesting.

I had expected my QSLing load to taper off dramatically after the first few
DX contests, but to my surprise this has not been the case.  I had 2899
QSOs in the last ARRL DX test, for example, of which 1482 were a new
band/mode combination with that station.  This says to me there are an
awful lot of new or casual contesters out there, and if getting a QSL helps
encourage them to continue, I think it's worth it! 

Since I do this automagically, using DX4WIN, I'm also QSLing the genuine
rareties this way.  I'm not sending any QSLs directly, or including green
stamps.  Right now I'm not terribly interested in the Honor Roll or 9-band
DXCC, but the time may come, and so I'm a little reluctant to put at the
bottom of every QSL "please don't QSL."  I'm perfectly content to wait
until (or if) a manager answers bureau cards, but I don't want to foreclose
that XU QSL dropping out of the box from the bureau.  At least if you get a
card from me, you know it's not a dupe.

Once the Logbook of the World project becomes a reality, I'll probably stop
sending "pre-emptive" QSLs, in favor of submitting all my logs to the ARRL
so that people can get DXCC or WAS credit at the drop of an electron. 

73, Pete N4ZR


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