[CQ-Contest] printing QSO info directly onto QSLs: hw?

[Ron Notarius W3WN]

First, regarding LotW:  What?

What "buggy programming"?  What "inconsiderable expense"?  What
"extortion-grade fees"?  And what "profit motive"?

I for one am sick to death of hearing these types of comments.  I've been
using LotW since it was in beta, and I have never (a) run into buggy
programming, or (b) paid a single penny to use it.  As far as (c) fees,
charging about $.15 per QSO credit is hardly extortion -- especially when
you factor in the $.90 you DIDN'T spend on postage to the USPS, the $2-3 you
DIDN'T spend on IRC's or green stamps to cover the return postage cost, and
the $.10- .50 you DIDN'T spend on envelopes and cards.

Let's deal in facts.

Now regarding the original issue... I've been printing QSL cards on standard
laser and ink jet printers for more years than I can think of... even
further back if you want to go to good old fashioned dot matrix printers.
Right now, I've been using the equivalent of Avery #8387 Ink Jet Postcards,
4 cards to a sheet.  (Sure wish the guy I bought some bundles of those off
of at Dayton a few years back would return, I could use a few more!)  I've
also been fortunate that we've had a commercial printer in our club, who
will occasionally print a black & white design on one side of some 8-1/2 x
11 cardstock for me, and the perforate it so that I can print on the other
side.  (I'm about to lose that option as he's retiring soon, though)

I have been able to print as many sheets as a standard printer tray can
hold, capacity depending on the printer.

For the card itself, I've done a few designs in Microsoft Publisher that
have come out, I hope, fairly decent.  And I use the mail merge feature to
merge in log extracts whenver I'm ready to print.  Piece of cake.

And remember, a QSL card doesn't have to be a "card."  I've received many a
QSL that was done up on a sheet of paper and then cut up.  As long as it
confirms the contact, so what?

73, ron w3wn

-----Original Message-----
Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:29:17 -0400
From: Vic Culver <vic.w4vic at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] printing QSO info directly onto QSLs: hw?
Cc: cq-contest at contesting.com

WISH I could get comfortable with this concept!  I've been hearing
some tales about how expensive it is for the DX stations to feed
cards back to another thousand W4's, etc.  THEY sure don't need
another card!  Word has it that some are refusing Bureau cards.  I
give them credit -- I think there's more at work here than profit
motive.  The DX gets ALL the WORK and all the EXPENSE also.  No
WONDER my return rate is so low!

LoTW seems like such a PROMISING concept -- but with buggy
programming, not inconsiderable expense for the supposedly automated
process, extortion-grade fees to paid members in addition, and
unforgiving and arcane procedures -- it's no wonder that it is a
slow concept to catch hold around the World!  As long as the ARRL
has a profit motive going I don't expect the situation to improve
here and CQ and other contests/award entities will continue to be
shut out.

It's on US, guys.  As long as we value those cards as we do we just
have to be prepared to suffer these consequences, I'm afraid.  ALL
HAIL the DXers, local and abroad, who step up and meet the test of
that old adage:  "The job's not done till the paperwork is done."
Thank you for the cards I do receive, DXers abroad.  Vic, W4VIC



Randy Thompson wrote:
> I bypassed all of this and started using GlobalQSL.  They print the cards
> (full color) and the info all at the same time.  AND they ship it to the
> buro for you.
>
> www.globalqsl.com
>
> Randy
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
>> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
>> kr2q at optonline.net
>> Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 3:45 PM
>> To: CQ-contest at contesting.com
>> Subject: [CQ-Contest] printing QSO info directly onto QSLs: hw?
>>
>> RE:  Printing contest QSO info directly onto QSL cards
>>
>> I can print log/qso info on labels till the cows come home....
>>
>> But I'd like to print the info directly onto the QSLs.
>> Is there some sort of special printer or paper feeder for this?
>> I can't imagine printing 1000's via the "10 at a time" method.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> de Doug KR2Q