One last comment on LoTW. I've worked 168 DXCC on TB with my modest little station and have 148 CFMs to date, mostly from LoTW. There are a few paper cards that arrived via mail that I received from expeditions by using their online QRSS and PayPal during or after their trips. If I spent $5 on a website to cfm a handful of QSO with say VP6T for example, that's a good deal. Pretty sure they didn't want or need my card anyway. The straw that probably broke the back on paper qsls for me was when I sent a ZL station my card, an SAE and $1 and got an email asking for more USD because he didn't feel he could cover his cost to send me a return card with only a buck. Now at that time it had been years since I sent out any cards internationally so shame on me for not knowing the cost of return postage. That particular card would have been #100 for my DXCC on TB. Needless to say I never sent any more USD and he never sent a card. I was happy on that day when I not only received #100 but #101 on TB via LoTW and submitted my TB DXCC application. If it works for you then use cards., but it doesn't cost you anything to upload your logs to LoTW and it may help a fellow ham who just can't do paper cards of any number of reasons. It's all about how you feel about this hobby and what makes you happy right? If I can help another ham enjoy this hobby , especially TB then I feel good about that. In the end, its just more junk that someday our kids will throw out wondering why we ever kept all that stuff. Good luck to all on TB tonight in the test. I hope we all work at least one new one!
-----Original Message----- From: Jeff Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 9:25 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Topband: LOTW Participation I love the LoTW system. The money I save on cards and postage goes into radios and antennas. I'm not much of a contester any more, I just kind of hunt and peck vs. S&P when I do work contest stations. One of the things do is to look for DX stations that have taken the time to become active on LoTW and reward them with a W7JW contest qso. Not much of a return on their investment for sure but it does provide them with one more contest point that would other wise never have happened. So, this weekend while ur listening around on TB during the contest for new ones, think about handing out some reward points to those DX stations who went that extra mile so we can get those coveted awards we all like. -----Original Message----- From: Wayne Mills Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 8:08 PM To: [email protected] ; [email protected] Subject: Re: Topband: LOTW Participation Jim. There are a number of reasons why more people don't use logbook. There's the perception that it's too complicated (mostly, IT guys have problems), and the fact that non-US hams must send a letter to ARRL, unlike US hams. There are also many people who like to collect paper cards. In Europe, the bureau system is much more popular than it is in the US largely because incoming and outgoing services are free with the membership in some national societies -- never mind that their dues are far greater. Actually, however, there are ma large number of hams who do use LoTW. Some estimates put the number of at least semi-active DXers at around 100K to 150K. Consider then that the nearly 50K individual users of LoTW is quite significant. Here's something to think about: I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the percentage of regular LoTW users is higher than the percentage of non-LoTW users also who QSL regularly. LoTW is a different animal than conventional QSLing. 73, Wayne, N7NG Jackson, Wyoming -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 5:28 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Topband: LOTW Participation This has probably already been asked on here.. geeze I hope it doesnt start another gripefest. But I am wondering with the cost of QSL cards, postage etc Why dont more people working DX (especially hams O-CONUS) use LOTW? It appears that a lot of DX does not participate in LOTW. Is it because they dont like ARRL, dont like their activites controlled (if your not in the US you gotta mail stuff in etc.) or what? I just dont understand this is the most painless method to get confirmation you could possibly have. Or maybe they just like collecting all those cards that we put into shoe boxes and put into the closet. I just got 22 QSLs for contacts work less than two months ago.. some of them even less than a week ago. How good can it get? Sure make my work easier Jim WA3MEJ _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
