[UK-CONTEST] [CDXC] Re: Short calls & the buro

Fri Apr 30 05:00:06 PDT 2010

I am not saying QSL every contact, and I agree that the simple send QSL for the sake of it is wrong.

What I am saying is that the attitude of "Just bin the card" is selfish of the recipient. It could be that you were the first GM4 (Prefix) or first GM (DXCC) for a new operator who wants the card for an award. 

When I came back in to the hobby and got on HF I used most contests as the basis of building up my DXCC count, and still do for band slots, but I will only send for the card that is needed. 

And I think that Nigels collection of cards will be auctioned off as memorabilia, or even added to a museum collection somewhere. More like mine will be shredded, and end up being recycled in to the next batch of cards used by Global QSL!!!!

Chris Colclough
G1VDP
http://www.g1vdp.com
http://www.mc0shl.com"If you ain't the lead dog, the scenery never changes"

Tel: 024 7673 5940
Mob: 07505 359709
QTHR

________________________________
From: tom wylie <thomaswylie at sky.com>
To: UK Contest Reflector <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, 30 April, 2010 11:06:43
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] [CDXC] Re:  Short calls & the buro

No, No, No, No - No.

Most contest QSL cards are generated by computer and many of the larger 
contest station appear to generate a QSL file direct from the ADIF File 
after the contest and pack the buro with their cards.   Every year after 
the CQWW Contest the buro is saturated with European cards that in 
reality very few people actually want or need.   By all means if you 
NEED a card ask for one, send for one, but don't just as a matter of 
course send/expect a QSL Card.    QSL cards are a throwback to the early 
days of radio when in order to confirm a QSL has taken place you 
exchanged a letter or later a card confirming the details.

Newcomers to the hobby can now afford a decent radio, amplifier, antenna 
etc buit even with 100 watts it is a straight forward every day 
occurrence to work German, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Poland, Russia - we 
dont need to confirm the QSO has taken place with a piece of paper.

If you feel you need some form of confirmation - take up RTTY and print 
out each and every QSO you make, then you will have a form of written 
confirmation that a QAO took place.

Now it seems you can even send your ADIF file to a guy in Israel who 
will print out and send all your buro cards for you..... in a block 
printing!!!

I am also baffled by the fact that I receive cards via the buro, then 
when I reply to them, they are returned to me because the OTHER station 
is not a member of the buro - how did I receive the cards in the first 
place??

QSL Cards are little more than waste paper and we should be more 
concerned with saving resources on our planet than printing glossy 
pieces of card that nobody wants.....

Save our rain forest - stop QSLing.   With LOTW and E-QSL - who needs it??

Tom
GM4FDM

Paul_group wrote:
> On 29/04/2010 20:20, CHRIS COLCLOUGH wrote:
>> This is another of the usual "I don't need the card so bin it attitude" that most contesters have.
> 
> I agree entirely Chris, the very fact that someone sends you a card most 
> likely indicates that they probably rather like them and would want one 
> back.
> 
> The most common ones that I get from HF contests are from rtty contests 
> where often my card overlaps with theirs in the buro... I often get some 
> marked 2nd card PSE QSL! - so I suspect that person is fairly keen.
> 
> Perhaps contests should be limited to ONLY those people who take them 
> seriously and only propper contest modes .... casual operators, qsl 
> collectors and dx'ers should keep away, preferably move away from our 
> segement altogether then we can keep our high rates up... hello hello... 
> is there anyone still there ... cq test cq test.....
> 
> I am grateful for ANY qso during a contest and if that costs me a bit of 
> cardboard then so be it.
> 

-- 
I am fully aware that my youth has been spent
That my get up and go - has got up and went
But I really dont mind when I think with a grin
of all the great places my "get up" has been!
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