Dave,
I can appreciate each of the problems you
mentioned. Where are the magic “answer
genies” when we could use them?
I will clarify one further point before
moving on. This is that in no way
am I trying to find fault with the folks at HQ who are running LoTW at this
time. I believe they’ve done
a pretty darned good job of salvaging the project in fine style. The overseas-use issue is in my mind the
most important one related to bringing Logbook to its full potential in use and
value to amateurs. We may not have
planned nor want Logbook totally to replace QSL exchange, but the more it does
just this or serves to supplement traditional QSLing, the greater the service
it will provide to the amateur community.
I believe, too, that the greater the
service LoTW provides to the amateur community, the more rapidly we will recoup
meaningful amounts of the considerable expense invested in the program.
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!
-----Original Message-----
From: Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ
[mailto:dsumner@arrl.org]
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 8:58 AM
To: arrl-odv
Subject: [arrl-odv:13394] Re: LoTW
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
From: Joel
Harrison [mailto:w5zn@arrl.org]
Sent: Fri 12/9/2005 1:07 PM
To: arrl-odv
Subject: [arrl-odv:13393] Re: LoTW
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!