[CQ-Contest] LoTW Fee Schedule just released !!!

[Lee Hiers]

On 29 Sep 2003 at 23:26, Pete Smith wrote:

> >Hmm.  Seems like the ARRL will be making money off my data...perhaps they 
> >should pay me
> >to upload my logs.
> >
> 
> And how do they defray the cost of the server, communication lines, and 
> people to develop and maintain the software?

Exactly the way they're doing it - by charging for the product.  They're not getting any 
of those things free (well, I think some of the development work was done on a volunteer 
basis) - why should they expect to get the data for free?

> This looks to me like win-win, Lee.  They don't charge anyone for uploading 
> QSO records, and the cost for confirming a QSO for award purposes is much 
> less than with paper QSLs.

It looks like that's true if you're going for an ARRL award.  But, what if someone wants 
to use the confirmation for other awards?  If every award sponsor comes up with his own 
LoTW concept, you'll end up paying .25 per credit five times for awards from five 
sponsors.  A paper QSL may cost slightly more, but can be reused indefinitely.

I think it is that proprietary nature that bothers me.  It is not a "Logbook Of The 
World".  It is a "Logbook For The ARRL".  And as far as bashing the ARRL goes, I've been 
a Life Member for over twenty-five years - so, I'm entitled.  I agree the ARRL, like most 
things, ain't what it used to be...or doesn't seem to be anyway.

I've operated from a half-dozen Caribbean islands over the years, and have sent out QSLs 
for those operations with never having had to document my license.  I couldn't do it now 
to save my life - I haven't kept copies of those licenses...well, they may be around here 
- somewhere....  Admittedly, I haven't had many requests recently, but I would get QSL 
requests often 10 years after the operations.

And I could have been sending out QSLs for years to buddies of mine for N4ZR contacts, 
"confirming" WV for them, just by printing up the cards.  No one would know - there has 
never been this kind of authorization scrutiny in the past.  It wasn't needed then, and 
isn't needed now.  Yes, there have been certain operations for which proof of 
authorization to operate was required, but those cases were rare, and involved situations 
where there was some question about whether any operations at all were legal or not.

If anyone wants to use the LoTW, that's just fine with me.  But, it's not the end-all 
that some folks seem to think it is.  I may even end up submitting my logs, but I doubt 
it.

This topic should probably not be discussed here...it's more appropriate for one of those 
God-awful rec.radio newsgroups.  

JMO...

73 de Lee

-- 
Lee Hiers, AA4GA
Cornelia, Georgia