Would it not make sense for someone to summarize all these issues and make a formal request to Bill Moore and request some clarification?

Also, as to VUCC in LoTW, it looks like it is not tracking by GRID. For example, in my account, I show 1 contact from John, K8YSE. Well, I know I have maybe 5-6 grids confirmed from John. So to get to 100 grids, LoTW should be showing the number of GRID contacts with John instead of just 1 contact. (unless I'm missing something)

Thanks, Ted K7TRK

-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Zachary Beougher Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 9:11 AM To: [email protected]; John Papay Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: VUCC Costs (re-send with corrections)

I can deal with the $.20/QSO fee, but what I am wondering now is if they charge you $.20/QSO if that QSO was in the same grid. Here is what I mean:

I received a QSL card from K8YSE with the following QSOs on it:

8/22/10 1916z V/U 59 FM AO27 EN57jv (K8YSE Grid) 8/22/10 1947z V/U 59 FM SO50 EN57jv (K8YSE Grid)

Now, I will obviously be sending in this card to get credit for ONE grid - EN57. I understand that the rules say $.20/QSO, but are they going to charge me for both QSOs that are contained on the same QSL card and were both contacts from the same grid? I guess the rules are pretty clear - include $.20/QSO - but it seems like it may be more reasonable to say $.20/QSL card; or maybe $.20/grid. I don't understand why they would charge you for two QSOs that were from the same grid AND are on the same QSL card.

What it boils down to is if I work (eg.) K8YSE in EN90/EM99 next Saturday, and lets say I work him 3 times, when I come home and send out QSL cards I am naturally going to include in the card all the QSOs we had at that location. I would then send the card off to him, and when he would go to get credit for it he would be charged $.60 for that one QSL card - $.20 for each QSO. So, because I included all QSOs on that one card, I have now cost K8YSE an extra $.40. When you have a few more cards that contain this same scenario, it begins to add up.

It seems like it would be much easier to just raise the flat fee than charge per QSO, along with a flat fee. It takes enough time for the applicant to sort cards and grids, let alone have to go through and count all QSOs.

Sorry to gripe. I am not against ARRL raising the fee (to some extent), but it seems like it could be done in a more efficient manner than charging by QSO.

Just my $.20 - literally. ;-)

Zack KD8KSN

-----Original Message----- From: John Papay Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 9:53 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: VUCC Costs (re-send with corrections)

The new fee schedule has brought forth a lot of comments. Twenty cents a card seems like a lot of money but consider how much you spent to get that card.

An SASE with a stamp on it plus the stamp for sending it here in the US costs you $.88. If you send for a DX card to countries other than Canada and Mexico, it's $.98 for the postage and an IRC costs $2.10. If you are lucky, you will get a DX card back for $3.08. If you're not lucky, you'll send for it again hoping to get a reply.

Then there's the cost of the cards to add in, maybe $.10 each, and the envelopes, hopefully self seal so the other guy doesn't have to spend time moistening and sealing it. Maybe you bought one of those stamps that say QSO Verified by (Callsign) at $25. Then there are special airmail envelopes, one slightly smaller than the other from Plum. It's starting to add up.

If everyone would use LOTW for satellite qso's, the savings would be impressive. No postage, no cards, and just a $.16/card to get credit for the grid. But cards are nice to receive; much more personable and they sometimes have other useful info.

So after you spent all that money to get the card, spending another $.20 to submit it for VUCC doesn't seem all that bad.

73, John K8YSE

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_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

Hi Gary!

Do you ever show the same callsign from multiple grids?  I suspect you or John, K6YK have the most confirmed by LOTW.

I have seen the same call from multiple grids in my LOTW QSLs. Some of them have been selected by LOTW as the QSL for those grids, and others are visible when I use the query tool to look for QSOs or QSLs with specific stations.

I set up a "VUCC account" in LOTW, covering my activity from in and around Phoenix within the 200km limitation. That rule shows me with 90 grids confirmed. Of those, here are calls that LOTW is showing QSLs from multiple grids in that 90:

KD6PAG (9 grids from John in 2006-2008) XE2RV (3 grids, when he lived in DL55) W6GMT (3 from Brock, in 3 different states) WC7V (3 grids) XE2YBG (a couple of grids in northeastern Mexico) AA5CK (a couple of grids)

I am not seeing a few others that I thought would be uploaded. I will need to go back and confirm how the callsigns were put in the QSO records from the other stations.

73!

Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/