[Dx-qsl] V51AS

Thu Feb 7 13:49:11 EST 2008

Brett:
Well, this started out as a bit of my venting my frustration at getting 
a card from V51AS and has turned a bit from where I wanted it to go. 
With that let me be a little more clear about this situation. I need to 
use you as a bit of example and I would like to hear your thoughts on a 
question or two that I would like to pose to you. 
Looking through my logbook, and mind you I'm no big station, I have 
worked you maybe 6 or 8 times. Every QSL I've ever sent to you, you 
have responded to, and, as near as I can tell in a timely fashion. I 
appreciate that and thank you for that, Hong Kong is one country that 
I've gotten confirmed for your efforts. From this I would conclude that 
the postal service from my country to your country is reasonably with 
out corruption (save the few isolated cases) and that based on your 
response to my QSL requests that it does matter to you that you fulfill 
my request to you for a QSL card.
But now let me pose a question to you. What would you do if you knew 
your mail was being stolen in the postal service of your country?
For me, I would be jumping up and down in my post office demanding 
answers and may get my senator/representative involved to get to the 
bottom of it. But because we are talking about Namibia, corruption 
probably runs pretty deep, and if you can rip off a few letters to get 
enough money to feed yourself or your family it is probably hardly given 
a second thought. Going to the post office in Namibia at best case 
probably has net V51AS nothing and who knows it may very well bring harm 
to him for raising the issue. But, I do know that V51AS knows his mail 
is being stolen, by his own testiment and through his actions to have 
the cards forwarded to a DL location.
If, I were in that situation, and because it does matter to me that 
others get my QSL card to fulfill their requests, I would be looking for 
more effective means of receiving and returning QSL requests. If that 
means forwarding cards through a DL address I would, but, again by V51AS 
own testiment this has been less than ideal. My next option would be to 
consider a QSL Manager or using LotW, because, as stated earlier that it 
does matter to me that others get my QSL card to fulfill their 
requests. Yes I know, QSL managers cost money, but given that V51AS is 
one of a very small number of V5 stations, I'm sure there would not be a 
shortage of QSL managers or people on this list that would not in some 
way help with this situation. Look in the corner of the room and you 
will see me with my hand up to volunteer some time. Another means is to 
use LotW; yeah I know there are people who loath LotW claiming it is 
another way for the ARRL to rip off people or that the process is far to 
complicated. All I can do is speak for myself, it has been a little bit 
of work to get it set up, but, once it is going, it has been far easier 
than say....ohhh....going to the post office and 
explaining/purchasing/redeeming IRC's. I'm certain, especially from 
those who use LotW, that there would a number of people that would help 
V51AS set up and use LotW. I've been through that process several 
times, I do hold several overseas call in addition to my US call.
So what could I conclude from this? I would conclude that it does 
matter to V51AS to a limited degree that others get their QSL requests 
fulfilled (his stating the mail is being stolen and setting up a DL 
forward address). I contend V51AS could be much more effective at 
QSLing if it really mattered that others get their QSL requests 
fulfilled. Why it matters to a certain degree ranges from he doesn't 
care, family, financial....who knows. For me at this point I have to 
take the same position, his QSL matters to me only to a certain degree, 
and, when I hear him on the again it will matter to me to only a certain 
degree to work him.
Lastly, Brett, if you can get the 19ドル out of the USPS more power to 
you....I think I would rather go buy IRC's...hihi
Okay, bring on the flames
Brian
KA7KUZ, KA7KUZ/J3, KA7KUZ/TI5, VK3BT, VK2ZK, ZL2KUZ
VR2BrettGraham wrote:
> KC1F responded:
>>>> And besides, why should Frank do anything different?
>>>> I hate to be this blunt, but if V51AS gave a bleep about getting you 
>> your QSL card, you'd have it easily, or at least a LoTW credit. My 
>> advice is to wait for one of the occasional German portable 
>> operations that occur from Namibia, and QSL through the DARC bureau.
>> How can one conclude that V51AS doesn't give a bleep
> about getting folks their cards?
>> Because Frank doesn't have a manager or use LoTW?
>> Frank does his own cards. That is his choice, just like
> if he chose to work just lists & nets. Why can't folks
> respect that?
>> For those unwilling to use the type of postal service
> apparently necessary to Namibia (registered with advice
> of delivery, which not only helps establish it got there,
> when it does not per the UPU LM there will be compensation
> of ~USD19 plus postage paid to the sender), Frank also
> has mail forwarded to him from DL. The latter suggests
> to me Frank does give a bleep.
>> That some folks have still not gotten cards reminds me
> of the few cases I see every year where requests sent
> to me do not get through. Specifically USA. Some
> guys have had to try three or four times to get through.
> If I see this from Hong Kong then I would expect the same
> to happen from time to time to mail from USA to
> anywhere, including Germany.
>> It seems unreasonable to me that folks presume that
> everything posted to Frank gets to him, even via DL &
> even more so the conclusions folks seem to come to
> as a result.
>> That we on the DX side should get a manager or use
> LoTW is something I don't think any of us appreciate
> hearing, either.
>> 73 & HLNY, VR2BrettGraham.
>>> &quot;Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've 
> got...till it's gone.&quot; from Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell) but 
> also true about QSL.NET if more users don't open their wallets and 
> help financially. Please contribute TODAY !!
>>