There is another point of view to consider. I have been on a number of group
and single DXpeditions. It has cost me thousands of dollars to participate. I
feel that I have already contributed enough money to support the DX community
by operating as DX. Anything that I may contribute above what I have already
invested is my choice. I do not owe anyone, anything. Maybe it should be
mandatory for anyone to reach the top of the honour role, they must have
operated as significant DX.
Doug
Logic, reason and science don't define everything in this world.
-Original Message-
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
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