[Dx-qsl] V51AS

Sun Feb 10 15:38:51 EST 2008

I have lived in the Philippines where mail theft is rampart. Most of 
your magazines will be pilfered before you receive them. Most mail is 
not received. Forget about Christmas cards, Birthday cards, etc, 
because they are known to sometimes have cash gifts inside. I would 
only receive my utility bills about half the time which meant I had to 
make monthly trips to the power and electric company's offices to pay in 
person. Going to the main post office to complain would not help, no 
one wanted to take responsibility. Talking with my local carrier 
helped, paying him a monthly service charge (bribe) helped with my local 
mail. I have always suspected if your home was towards the end of the 
route, and the day was almost over, your mail would go home with the 
carrier, maybe to be delivered the next day, maybe to go into the trash, 
because he is NOT going to work overtime for free to get your mail to 
your home. (Think of when Jerry Seinfeld took over Newman's mail 
route). I believe the biggest problem was at the airport where 
international mail is received and sorted. Big sister in the states, 
earning big money, sends a Christmas card home. Maybe there are only 
pictures inside, but there is always a chance there is cash, so it gets 
"lost". Card sized envelopes containing QSL's also get "lost". Renting 
a PO Box sometimes helps as it eliminates the local carrier but then it 
has to still get by the sorters at the airport and the main P.O.
_______________________________________________________
Alan Zack
Amateur Radio Station K7ACZ
Official USCG Auxiliary Comm Station
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Delta Rocket Quality Engineer, The Boeing Company, Retired
Aviation Chief Warrant Officer, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
U.S. Coast Guard, Always Ready, Always There
Every hour, Every day, Around the Clock and Around the World
SEMPER PARATUS
http://www.geocities.com/k7acz
http://gocoastguard.com
http://www.uscgradio.net
http://www.comm-one.org
http://patriotfiles.org/CoastiesRule.htm
http://images.military.com/Video/050617_CGClip.wmv
http://images.military.com/Video/051007_CoastGuard.wmv
http://www.quarters-one.com/lipsBill.html
http://www.quarters-one.com/lipsOldSchoolRecruiting.html
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Spindor" <ka7kuz.groups at comcast.net>
To: "VR2BrettGraham" <vr2bg at harts.org.hk>
Cc: <dx-qsl at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 10:49 AM
Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] V51AS
> 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.