Re: [HCDX]: How QSL? (was: Why QSL?)

["Elmer D. Escoto R." <eescoto@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello everyone.

Mauno Ritola wrote:

>         One solution could be an "authorized verifier". He (or she) would be a
> person for a country or area to collect a certain amount of reports (for
> one year or 10-100 reports) and contact/send them to the station together
> with a good explanation what the reports are for. In a way it would be a
> kind of QSL office that the hams have.

I have received reports from several DXers around the world for Radio Costeña, which is 10 minutes
drive from where I live.

I have to say the results have been dissapointing.
We (DXers) had better luck when it was Radio Internacional.  At least they replied sometimes, and
if I would go to the station with a friend's report and wait there, they would usually verify by
letter, hand it to me and I would then mail it.

After it was renamed to Radio Costeña, the whole administration staff was changed, because the
station is now owned by an evangelic church.  I happened to meet the director once (I had to go to
church in order to do so :-)), and we had a nice chat about the DXing hobby, QSLing and the like.
He actually thought that the US$1 he was getting in the mail with reception reports was God's
answer to his prayers for financing.....  So we talked, and I told him I would visit him some day
with a bunch of reports, to which he agreed.

The bad part happened when I came to visit.  He told me to call him before I went there, so he
would be ready with a secretary.  I called, they asked "who is it?"  I said "It's Elmer, he knows
me, he told me to call."   I was then asked to wait on hold, and after 10 minutes on hold the girl
said:  "He can't recall meeting you.  Please call later, he is in a meeting".  The same story went
on the next time I called, so I decided to go there without calling before.   i got to the
station, I explained to the front desk girl what I was there for, and she told me to wait.  She
went inside and when she came back she told me it was the man's "prayer hour" and noone was to
disturb him.  When I asked her how long was his "prayer hour", she said she didn't know, it is
better to come some other day.  So then I came back three days in a row, I was given all kinds of
"bull" stories until I just gave it up.  I figure the guy wanted the US$ for himself, and didn't
want to have someone to accuse him of that, so he kept hiding.

It's sad, but true.

>         If the station still doesn't react, the verifier checks the written report
> or listens to the tape and verifies the report himself (being preferably a
> DXer, too), if he is certain that the station in question was heard.
> Needless to say, he would refuse all too unclear recordings and written
> reports with inadequate programme details.
>         I think stations would accept this better than single reports, follow-ups
> and follow-follow-ups. This would save their time and effort and they could
> use one single form letter, which would satisfy at least me.

That I could do.  However, I'm not sure, in this particular case, that they would want to stamp
their seal.  I say this because then the station director would know that he will not get any more
envelopes with 1 US$ inside :-) and then, what's in it for him?

>         But there is one "small" problem: how to organize this? What should the
> return postage be ($1-5) etc? Any suggestions?

Well, this field will be open for discussion :-)
In the meantime, keep those dials turning.


73s to everyone from a very hot (37° C) Honduras.

--
_____________________________________________
Elmer David Escoto Romero
P.O. Box 2001
San Pedro Sula, HONDURAS
Tel. (504) 554-1144, 554-1171, 554-1173
Mobile: (504) 982-6632
FAX: (504) 554-1154
mailto:eescoto@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ICQ # 57284309
_____________________________________________



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