Jim, we agree on the need to
greatly expand overseas participation. It is indeed a bit more bureaucratic for
amateurs outside the US to register for LoTW, for the reason you cite: to
maintain the integrity of the confirmation process. We can verify an FCC
licensee's license status directly from FCC data. In most cases we can't do that
for others. If we stopped requiring copies of licenses we would need some other
system for verification such as trusted agents overseas.
The principal problem in encouraging
overseas participation has been the language barrier. We've made some
headway in getting explanations of how to sign up for LoTW disseminated in
languages other than English.
A second issue is, of course, the need to
add more awards. If you can only use LoTW credits for DXCC it isn't interesting
to upload your US, German, Japanese, etc. QSOs.
LoTW was never intended to completely
replace the exchange of QSL cards. A QSL exchange after one's first QSO should
still be the standard courtesy.
73,
Dave K1ZZ
Thanks for the clarification, Jim.
73
Joel
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Weaver,K8JE [mailto:k8je@arrl.org]
Sent: Thursday,
December 08, 2005 9:41 PM
To: arrl-odv
Subject: [arrl-odv:13392] Re:
LoTW
Joel,
My wording was less than totally clear. What
I was trying to say is
that it is not nearly so easy as I understand for many
overseas DXers to
register to use LoTW as it is for us . . . and some
others. The issue,
again as I understand it, is maintaining the
integrity of LoTW as part
of the DXCC program.
I, too, have received
many LoTW "acknowledgments," but to meet the
ultimate goal for this
innovative program, we need to get many, many
additional overseas DXers
signed up.
Verstehen sie?
Jim Weaver, K8JE, Director
5065
Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040
E-mail: k8je@arrl.org; Tel:
513-459-0142
ARRL Great Lakes Division
ARRL, the Reason Amateur Radio
is!
Members, the Reason ARRL
is!