Re: The QSL debate

["David Onley" <donley@xxxxxxxxxx>]

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> > My own view is that a QSL card proves nothing.  For example there are so many
> > bulletins and magazines (Hard-core DXing included) that contain good detailed
> > reports, that anyone could send of a bugus report using somebody else's details.

Yes I agree totally. We have two Victorian DXers here in Australia whose whole 
ambition in life is to have the MOST countries if not QSL's in this part of the 
world.. It has become a real ego thing.

It's an obsession and almost a driving hatred from one guy who wants to beat 
the other.  

Fair enough.. If these poor souls want to do that then that's their affair.. 
but it angers me that they stuff things up for the rest of us..

For instance many years ago a friend of mine Geoff Cosier visited Radio 
Sweden.. It just so happened that it was the period where RSI stopped 
verifying. When Geoff asked the woman who was conducting the tour why they had 
stopped QSLing.. her reply was that they were sick & tired of people writing in 
for a QSL every time they had a frequency change..

The woman went on to say that it was because of an Australian DXer that they 
had decided to stop.. and when Geoff mentioned the name of one of the guys 
above.. The woman said.. Yup.. that's the guy.. 

Personally I can't see the enjoyment of being a dxing robot. churning out 
report after report.. just because a new frequency has popped up.
I think the whole value of getting a QSL would diminish.. just through sheer 
weight of returns.

To me a new country or station is enough.. I still get a real thrill at 
receiving a new station let alone a country.. even after 20 years.

You cannot judge a DXer by the amount of QSL's he has either. There are 
a lot of DXers out there who don't bother QSLing.. 

A ladder or countries list is for your personal use. Not to brag to others to 
say 'Hey look.. How good am I?'

A lot of stations especially the big Internationals don't bother to check
program detail in reports because it is just too time consuming..

So again.. How many reports have we all had (Including me) over the years that 
have not been correct yet a QSL has been issued..

Believe it or not.. I once wrote to Radio Senegal asking for program 
information & received a lovely QSL in the mail..

Another friend of mine once wrote to a PNG station on 49m... received the QSL 
back and was embarrassed to discover that in fact he had been listening to 
Radio Australia's PNG service.. 

It all comes back to what we as individuals get out of the hobby. What 
standards we put on verifying stations..

Are you a person who whacks out a report because you think that you may 
have heard an ID? More out of blind hope instead of a positive ID? 

Mmmmmh!

7 times out of ten a station will say.. "Yeah that was us'

So what value a QSL?

Never judge a DXer by the amount of countries or stations he has.. Any fool can 
send a report out.... 

Cheers
Dave

p.s. Don't start me on the Reply Postage debate either.. It irks me that people 
don't do the right thing by the hobby & include return postage.. It's just 
arrogant & selfish to expect a station will reply without including Rp. 

  ,-._|\   David Onley. Email: donley@xxxxxxxxxx                    
 /  Oz  \  Mediumwave & Tropical Band DXer.
 \_,--.x/  http://www.vds.com.au/~donley/dxing.html
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