[VHFcontesting] VUCC Card Checking Question

[Bill W5WVO]

QSLing for ARRL VHF awards like VUCC and FFMA continues to be a
sore spot for many VHF operators. QSLing is not a given like it
used to be when I got into ham radio in the 1960s. There are many
reasons for this: the evolution (some would say devolution) in
social values like kindness, reciprocity, and responsibility; the
inexorable aging of the ham population to the point where many
amateurs are quite elderly and live on fixed incomes; and the
overall waning in many active amateurs' interest in pursuing
operating achievement awards.

Nevertheless, it can be done. I presently have 500 grids worked
worldwide on 6 meters since 2003, and 495 of those are confirmed.
I expect to confirm three of those last five within the next week
or two. The other two are taking some work. I, too, get about an
80% return rate on QSL/SASE mailings to the US/Canada (virtually
100% from Mexico, BTW) -- the FIRST time. Then the real fun
begins. How to get a ham to QSL who really doesn't give a hang
about QSLing, and who isn't particularly disposed towards helping
other hams achieve their goals?

I have some stories to tell about "extreme QSLing" for 6m
contacts, but I won't take up reflector bandwidth to tell them. I
wrote a brief paper on the subject, in case you're curious about
how I achieve such a high confirm rate, or just have nothing
better to do. :-)  It can be found in the Files area of the FFMA
Yahoo! group. Just join the group and you'll have access to that
paper, plus scores of other resources for the active gridchaser.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FFMA.

Bill W5WVO
DM65qh

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Worsham" <wa4kxy at bellsouth.net>
To: <mattpatt at 1starnet.com>; <VHFcontesting at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 2:21 PM
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] VUCC Card Checking Question


> I agree with all of these comments.  I have done many of the
same things
> (250+ grids confirmed on 6) and have gotten somewhere around an
80% return
> rate.
>
> 73
> Jim, W4KXY