[CQ-Contest] LotW Support by ARRL Officials & Officers

[Dale Putnam]

Understanding the need for WAS, and realizing that after a few years of 
using my radio, developing antennas, and answering the qsl requests after 
verifiying each of them as being in my log, and having aquired a rather 
sizable amount of NIL cards too, and having talked with a number of the 
fellows here, it summerizes easily. Make the contact, insure that you log it 
in your log correctly, send along an SASE, ( with over 10,000 q in the logs 
for a year, the urge to send a qsl without SASE is not doable) and again, 
make mighty sure that the info for the qso is accurate, and give all... not 
just a piece of the information, but all of it, don't just hope that most is 
close, and what you missed is the killer.
  Now, about LOTW, I prefer to answer with the personal touch. I also prefer 
cw, ragchewing, building RC aircraft, and raising and training performance 
quarter horses. I have volunteered for this hobby, and many years in civic 
volunteerism too. I don't prefer LOTW, just like some folks don't like to 
drive SUVs or roller skates, or maybe even a speck. The reason I don't 
prefer LOTW, is not germane to the discussion, it is however not applicable 
at this time either. See W4ZV recent post.
  I also have chased was, and a number of the other pieces of paper for the 
wall. And each has its own desirable nature, and should be and are respected 
for what they stand for. However, after obtaining them, the stories that I 
have heard while looking over someones wallpaper, is not how they uploaded 
and downloaded and instantly got the paper. The stories usually have the 
flavor of the chase, the tracking, the Q, the obtaining the confirmation 
doesn't hold much for the recollection of the magical moment of opening the 
envelope and pulling out the paper.
  And the more prolific qslers, have shown up in my inbox with numerous 
cards, for many bands and modes. No problem, because it takes less time to 
confirm that q than it does to look through 15 contest logs to try to find 
someone that can't seem to provide enough info, like the name of the 
contest, since the date and time are wrong. Clocks and electronic calendars 
can be misread, or just plain wrong, but the name of the contest does 
provide a common ground from whence a q can be found. And that, is what is 
not desirable in my opinion, with LOTW. Just one of the items.
  LOTW is a wonderful oppurtunity for those that want to support it. And is 
a great instant gratification method to prove the qso happened. It will and 
does provide for quicker and more accurate responses. With no other 
reasoning envolved, it is a grand tool to use to obtain WAS, or other 
awards. Should be found to be invaluable. However, it will become better, 
and more accurate, and more,... as we, ourselves, improve.

Dale - WC7S in Wy.


>From: "Ward Silver" <hwardsil at centurytel.net>
>To: "CQ-Contest Reflector" <cq-contest at contesting.com>
>Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] LotW Support by ARRL Officials & Officers
>Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 16:22:23 -0800
>
>Addressing the case of the Directors and Vice Directors listed in the 
>original post - I believe that by volunteering countless hours on behalf of 
>their divisions in particular and amateur radio in general, they are 
>showing more than their share of support for "the product."  I know for a 
>fact that the officers listed are also doing their share of heavy lifting 
>both at HQ and on the road - there are no slackers in the lot. More than 
>one of those folks on the list also volunteers elsewhere in other ways that 
>you might not even be aware of. Whether they do or do not use LOTW is but a 
>single pixel of the Big Picture.  Zoom out, OM.
>
>Now about those those ND and WY logs...I do believe there are plenty of 
>active folks from those states that could be exhorted to LOTW their logs 
>and you are just the guy to do it!
>
>73, Ward N0AX
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: N7MAL
>   To: Ward Silver ; CQ-Contest Reflector
>   Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 2:49 PM
>   Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] LotW Support by ARRL Officials & Officers
>
>
>   Ward this is one of the few times we are in total disagreement: Looking 
>at this from a business point of view, never loose site of the fact the 
>ARRL is a business, the employees and management need to support their 
>employers products. They need not necessarily use the product every day of 
>their lives but they do/must need to support the products. In this case a 
>minimum amount of support would be to at least sign-up/on. Yes it is time 
>consuming and frustrating to sign up but at least it would show they 
>support LOTW. Selfishly if their was total support by the employees and 
>management maybe someone from N. Dakota and Wyoming would upload their 
>contest logs and I would have WAS in addition to DXCC via LOTW.
>   73
>
>
>   MAL
>   N7MAL
>   BULLHEAD CITY, AZ
>   http://www.ctaz.com/~suzyq/N7mal.htm
>   http://geocities.com/n7mal/
>   Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
>   It's already tomorrow in Australia
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     From: Ward Silver
>     To: CQ-Contest Reflector
>     Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 21:15
>     Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] LotW Support by ARRL Officials & Officers
>
>
>     > It is a sad commentary to see several well-known and active amateurs
>     > who can't even support Logbook of the World enough to upload their
>     > own logs.  Perhaps this indicates why LotW has still not received 
>the
>     > resources necessary to properly promote it outside the US and 
>integrate
>     > awards beyond DXCC (and now WAS in part) on a timely basis.
>     >
>     > 73,
>     >
>     > Joe, W4TV
>
>     I suspect that a sizeable portion of ARRL Officialdom is occupied 
>doing
>     other things than operating and enjoying ham radio. Just ask your 
>Director
>     and Vice Director how much time they have for actual operating now - 
>as
>     compared to before they signed up for the job.  It doesn't take too 
>many
>     club meetings and travel hours before your radio (and all that goes 
>with it)
>     starts getting neglected. While not part of officialdom, as an ARES 
>EC, CAC
>     Chair, and generator of various writing products, most of my copious 
>free
>     time these days is occupied with "about" ham radio instead of "doing" 
>ham
>     radio.
>
>     73, Ward N0AX
>
>
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