[UK-CONTEST] QSL policy

[Steve GW4BKG]

I would like to add my contribution  to the debate concerning QSLing.
Ever since I was licensed almost 40 years ago I have enjoyed receiving QSLs.
In fact only yesterday I received an envelope from my sub-manager which I eagerly opened.
I have to confess that originally my policy was to QSL each new station per band even if meant I had more than one card from him.
I maintained a very large card index system to determine who was a new station for me as well as a means of monitoring the large number of awards I was constantly chasing.
However since becoming active again some 4 years ago I have modified that to any new station although where band spots are involved ( & WARC & 6m) I have QSLed irrespectively.
I recently digitized all my old logs & have been working my way through all my QSLs adding information like US County DOK & other identifiers to the log.
Seeing some of these old cards reminded me of the contacts made many years ago.
As a keen parchment chaser I think it is fair to say that any QSL can be used for some award or other & in fact  I argued this as long ago as April 1987 in issue 48 of the CDXC Newsletter !!
Whilst I do support LOTW this is of course currently restricted to DXCC & a few other awards.
eQSL have their own awards but these confirmations usually do not count for anything else although I believe that WPX is now valid.
Currently IOTA requires the production of QSLs (apart from contest situations) & many other awards require a GCR list which means possession of the QSL is essential.
An interesting development has been the World Flora Fauna series of awards http://wff44.com/en/ where portable stations activating parks nature reserves & the like upload their logs to a central repository which forms the basis of award qualification.
Incidentally K1BV's DX Awards website lists over 3000 awards from 110 DXCC countries !!
Before I send off a QSL either bureau or direct I always check the station's entry in qrz.com to note any comments made concerning QSLing.
I have to say that a) the vast majority of stations have an entry - in my post 2006 log only .5% of stations do not feature.
                              (Perhaps I misheard or typed the call)
                          b) the number of stations who specifically indicate that they do not QSL could be counted on the fingers of one hand !
The remedy is in the hands of the non-QSLers.
In the meantime I shall continue to send QSLs & enjoy receiving them back.
Steve
GW4BKG