[Dx-qsl] contributions...

Fri Apr 18 23:10:48 EDT 2014

Let me add my thoughts to this DXpedition funding issue. Some background.
I have gone on a number of DXpeditions (11) either by myself or with a
group. Yes some trips required weeks at sea. In none of these trips did I
ever expect to be reimbursed for my cost. I paid for all the DXpeditions
out of my pocket, never expecting to have the costs covered by 'donations'.
Some of the group DXpedtions did redistribute a few dollars from QSLing, but
it wasn't much. I see now in some cases a sense of entitlement where the
DXing community is expected to cover a significant portion of the costs.
Times have sure changed. I look at it this way. I have personally
contributed to the DXing community by funding my own trips. I do not need
to fund anyone else's trips as I have already contributed. Anything I would
give is beyond what is required from me.
Doug
-----Original Message-----
Although the SPIRIT of the of the ExPedition is for the expedition team to
handle as much as possible, this isn't realistic. On a lesser trip to
CY0AA, I personally took on thousands of dollars of debt personally. The
same was for my fellow companions. As I recall, I retired this debt some 10
years after the trip. I don't place blame or accountability to anyone but
me. My fellow travelers also took on debt. When someone thinks that their
contribution goes no-where, they are wrong. 
We didn't fund a major expedition...not near what the MEGA trips cost. The
thousands that we received though in the form of donations, allowed me and
my fellow treksters to retire the debt earlier, but still years afterwards.
I would hope that no one loses the perspective that contributions are
useless and that LOTW will rescue all of us. I waited until over 10 years
afterward to add to the LOTW logs for CY0AA. All of the paper QSL's and
buro QSL's had been long ago answered, but just in case a straggler, we'd be
covered.
Financial times are harder now...give what you can. But also recognize the
real costs of traveling to these God-forsaken rocks/entities, and if you
can...throw an extra buck in the pile. It IS appreciated always !!!
73
Ken
WA8JOC
CY0AA
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