Ryan hit the nail on the head, gents. Please download and analyze Don's PowerPoint presentation when it becomes available on the site. There are two facts that become blatantly obvious. One, the cost-per-QSO incurred by the DXpeditions to bring you that rare on is very high. In some cases, the cost they bear to bring you that new one is over $5.00 USD PER CONTACT. In other less-difficult-to-get-to places it's in the $3 range. So those who toss $2 or an IRC into the envelope and nothing more are putting more of the burden on your fellow hams. This is not sustainable as prices to put these operations on increase. I can see it if you work a guy once or twice, request a bureau card or wait out the LoTW hit or toss a couple of bucks into an envelope. It's not right if you picked up 20 greenies on Clublog. Sorry. They're not telling you that you have to *pay* $5 or $3 per Q, but that's what THEY HAVE SPENT to bring you the chance.
The second issue is that certain parts of the world are more readily willing to lend financial support through QSL-request donations than other parts of the world. I didn't take notes during Don's presentation but I'm pretty sure the European donation percentage was infinitesimally small as compared to the NA donation base (again, as averaged over 20-odd years by major DXpeditions). Less-than-1% if memory serves--Don, if I'm wrong, please feel free to beat me about the head with a large abacus. Regardless of the exact percentages, it's irresponsible and outright selfish to sit there and work these big-league ops and not toss something into the hat not as a way to say thank you (which is a great gesture in and of itself) but as a way to ensure they'll be able to commit to going to that one place you need that'll put you over the top and into the Honor Roll or to HR#1, maybe. If you're so poor that you can't afford $10 or $20 a couple of times a year, when you've bagged a biggie across a bunch of bands and modes, then there's something wrong and I definitely think you should reconsider your choice of hobby, or your desire to be a DXer. Yeah, there are DXpeditions that I work once or twice and I'll send an SASE or an IRC or even request a bureau card for. These are nominally the ones I worked just 'cuz they were there and I thought "gee, it's been a couple of years since I worked <entity> on <band>." But if it's something I spend 2 weeks chasing up and down the spectrum, damned straight I'll toss at least $10-25 into the hat, maybe more if money's not as big an issue as it is now. - pjd -----Original Message----- From: kf...@njdxa.org [mailto:kf...@njdxa.org] On Behalf Of Ryan Jairam I don't begrudge a DXpedition for asking for a few $ or € to cover their costs. It's your choice to work them. It may not fit someone's definition of "ham spirit" but I also understand that without the donations, many rare entities wouldn't be activated. It's just how it is. Some hams spend more than just money - they risk life and limb, just so you can get a QSO in the log. Ryan, N2RJ ----------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe or subscribe to this list. Please send a message to imail...@njdxa.org In the message body put either unsubscribe dx-chat or subscribe dx-chat This is the DX-CHAT reflector sponsored by the NJDXA http://njdxa.org -----------------------------------------------------------
