[Dx-qsl] Short Wave Listener Cards

Sun Jun 30 11:38:00 2002

Just looking for some thoughts and views on SWL Cards.
As well as dealing with my own cards (several thousand per year) I also
managed several DX stations and therefore I get a fair number of SWL Cards.
I am one of the "old school" operators who WAS a short wave listener for
many years before obtaining my licence in 1975. I still spen a great deal of
time just listening - thats why god gave us ONE mouth and TWO ears. I also
used to enjoy receiving cards from all around the world.
Having just completed a marathon session of QSL cards, I really have to
question the worth of some of today's SWL reports.
I dont think its of any particular value to be told by (E.G.) a german short
wave listener that he heard me 5/9 when I worked 15 German stations at the
same time - who also gave me a 5/9 report.
It is nice to get the odd report from a distant SWL station who heard me
working somebody in a completely different part of the world.
There were a few occasions in this buro bundle that I received cards from
SWL's for contacts that I did not make. Now this is strange! I am
beginning to wonder and suspect, that they saw me spotting DX stations on
the cluster and assumed I worked them - and took a chance in sending me a
card. I can't prove that, but dont have any other way of explaining it.
The guys doing this are doing other SWL stations a great dis-service - as I
am now seriously beginning to doubt if there is any value in receiving SWL
cards - what-so-ever. Before i decide whether to continue to reply to SWL
cards I seek the views of the DX community.
A good SWL report for me, would be a report on an unusual QSO or a report
from a part of the world where I would not expect there to be propagation -
or some other fact which makes the QSO and report stand out.
Maybe I'm just becoming pernickety in my old age.
I would also welcome the views of serious SWL stations and a good reason why
I should continue to reply to SWLs.
73 de
Tom 9H3RT/GM4FDM/V26VG/VP8SDx etc etc
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GM DX GROUP - Scotland's DX Association