[CQ-Contest] Growing New Contesters with LOTW - suddenly it's 1977again

[Robert Naumann]

Pete,

Nothing needs to change for what you say to happen aside from all contest
participants submitting their logs to LOTW. 

The question is: How does one encourage that?

I doubt that contest sponsors will want the extra burden of submitting
cross-checked qsos to LOTW for the participants in their contests.

LOTW already does a cross-check and credit is given for those qsos for DXCC,
WAS etc. As far as driving other organization's awards and "sharing", I
suspect that is not very likely given the history.

Some analysis of why people don't submit their logs to LOTW should be in
order. I think the security that the league has put on LOTW is prohibitive
and unnecessary. Perhaps cutting back to a level of security used commonly
by the IRS, banks and other financial institutions to guard really important
data would be sufficient. As a suggestion, let people set up a username and
password, and once logged in, allow uploads of Cabrillo or ADIF files
without any of the other file processing that LOTW now requires. 

Or, how about just emailing Cabrillo logs to LOTW at arrl.org (as an example)
just like we do for contests? Why not let a robot process the logs into
LOTW? Why not? Since the contest is identified in each Cabrillo file, the
robot can be set up to process any legit Cabrillo file.

I bet contest entrants would CC: that address when they send their Cabrillo
logs to contest sponsors since it presents no barrier at all. This would
really drive LOTW qso submission.

The upload process is so complex I forget how to do it between my
approximately semi-annual uploads. I think removing the burden imposed on
the person submitting a log to LOTW is where any effort should be directed.

73,

Bob W5OV

-----Original Message-----
From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Pete Smith
Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 7:05 AM
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Growing New Contesters with LOTW - suddenly it's
1977again

It's time for ARRL to take the next big step to increase the value of 
LOTW.  Done properly, it could increase ARRL's revenue from LOTW 
substantially, while encouraging a lot of new hams and DXers to become 
contesters.

The idea is simple, and in fact ARRL used to do this, back in the days of 
manual log-checking -- I'm talking about giving DXCC and WAS credit for 
contest contacts.  The difference is that now, with CQWW making all logs 
available on the internet,  LOTW could function as a single source for ARRL 
award credit for *both* CQWW and ARRL contests.  As more CQ and other 
contests came on board, the idea could be expanded world-wide.

It would be relatively simple to implement - QSOs from the participating 
contests (those verified by cross-check of submitted logs) would be fed 
into LOTW and made available for award credit.  Organizationally, a sharing 
arrangement could be worked out, so that contest organizers could recover 
the cost of preparing their data for submission to LOTW, plus a reasonable 
profit.  ARRL, meanwhile, would benefit from the increased revenue through 
use of LOTW for award credit.

It's not really even necessary to stop here.  LOTW could service other 
award sponsors, too - so that you could get credit toward your WPX or DOK 
award for those contest QSOs, as well.

Probably more important (at least to me), contesting would benefit from an 
infusion of new blood.  More DXers and new hams would be motivated to 
operate in contests if they knew that verified contest QSOs would 
automatically count toward the next award.  Many of us got our start in 
contesting for exactly this reason - why not do it all over again?

73, Pete N4ZR

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