Topband: FW: The USA-CA Awards

[Dave AA6YQ]

+ AA6YQ comments below

You point out what is really an inconsistent CQ rule for USA-CA (not allowing LotW QSOs and requiring paper QSLs).
Of course this was the traditional way to submit when the program began and they had the little blue booklet you filled in the
details, and you get your friends to view your cards and sign saying they've seen them.
Fast forward to now, CQ uses LotW to track and issue the WPX awards simply using the LotW confirmations and you apply directly for
their award via the LotW site.

I mistakenly applied for the initial USA-CA award partially using LotW QSOs (but had 2 friends verify) and was summarily rejected by
CQ.
No big deal, but at this point I doubt I will sort through thousands of old cards to pull out potentials for counties.

So I don't really see the reasoning, but maybe the logistics of doing so are more than I am seeing.

+ There is no "reasoning". There is only the fact that current ARRL management is not interested in further improving the current
implementation of LoTW. No improvements to usability (modern web-based user experience that hides implementation details,
personalization, localization to languages other than English), and no new functionality (USA-CA, other non-ARRL awards).

+ Based on the work done in 2017 to extend LoTW to support WAZ, extending it to support USA-CA would be straightforward.

+ Back in 2016, Mike K1MK (then ARRL IT manager) prototyped a new interface for LoTW that enables an award sponsor to submit an ADIF
file and receive in response a report indicating how many of the QSOs in that file are confirmed via LoTW. This would eliminate the
need for award sponsors like DARC, IOTA, and WIA to rely on a user's LOTW  credentials to determine if a QSO is confirmed via LoTW,
enable local radio clubs to run sprints scored by LoTW confirmations, and enable the ARRL to charge an access fee to larger award
sponsors. This prototype has remain untouched for the last 7 years.

         73,

                Dave, AA6YQ