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13 Colonies Special Event - Fail! Rant ....

Discussion in 'Contests, DXpeditions, QSO Parties, Special Events' started by KE4OH, Jul 16, 2018.

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  1. KE4OH

    KE4OH Ham Member QRZ Page

    I love special event stations! 13 Colonies is (was) one of my favorites. The main reason I work special event stations is to get the special QSL card. 13 Colonies - 13 QSL cards (plus the certificate). Am I the only one? Why else would anyone bother to have a "you're 59 in Virginia 73" QSO other than to get a nice QSL card?

    So I was fortunate this year to make a clean sweep of all 13 colonies. Last night I sat down to fill out my QSL cards and make the SASEs that virtually all special eyouvents request. I looked up the mailing address for each colony right here on QRZ. Imagine my surprise when I read that K2B (Virginia) would not QSL. Instead, they "graciously" provided a very basic PDF that anyone, legitimate or not, could download, fill out, and print.

    Sorry. That is *not* a proper QSL. QSL = confirmation. And that is NOT a confirmation. I have to fill it out and print it. Anyone can do that whether they worked the station or not. Not the "final courtesy".

    Yes, it takes some effort to reply to hundreds or thousands of QSL requests. And there is some expense involved in printing a nice card. BUT THAT IS PART OF THE DEAL!! If your group/club operating the event can't be bothered, then please pass the torch to another group or just forget it.

    I will send my paper QSL K2B, which is the final courtesy. But I will not participate in future 13 Colonies events if this is to be the standard in the future.

    Steve KE4OH
     
    K2IDA, PY3JGS, K5VZD and 6 others like this.
  2. W7UUU

    W7UUU Director, QRZ Forums Lifetime Member 133 QRZ HQ Staff Life Member QRZ Page

    Maybe K2B will have a different operator next year with a more reasonable QSL stance.

    I do agree - if you are willingly participating in a special event, of your own decision, and the event specifically states it will issue QSL confirmations, it's not reasonable to offer up such a lame "print your own" as the only option.

    Next year hopefully it will be a more reasonable op

    Dave
    W7UUU
     
    K5VZD, KT5WB, K4AGO and 1 other person like this.
  3. KY1K

    KY1K Ham Member QRZ Page

    Wow, it didn't say that when I got the address and mailed my SASE!! I WANT MY POSTAGE BACK!!

    I wanted the full set of cards. If I had known that, I wouldn't have sent out for any of them. $13 wasted... I'm also pissed off to the point that I wish I didn't send in for the certificate. Another $5 I could have used for other proper QSL cards!
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2018
    K5VZD and KE4OH like this.
  4. ND6M

    ND6M Ham Member QRZ Page

    Perhaps I am incorrect, but, I count 11 different K2B operators

    Copy/past from the site: https://www.qrz.com/lookup/K2b


    Operators for virginia: K2B: KI4TYK-DAN, N3TG-BILL,Carole-KG4DTM,KK4ODQ-NICK,
    TIM-KJ4DHF, Eric- K4NDN,MILTON-N3CW,KK4ZUU-DAVID,JOHN-W4JAM,K8SYH-BILL,W5ODJ-JOHN


    However, to be fair, the 13 Colonies site does not state they will QSL from each of the individual locations.

    It just mentions a certificate with endorsements as being available.

    When I operate a special event, I normally only use EQSL/LotW for QSL's, but, ............................If someone sends me a paper QSL, then I certainly will reply in kind to that person.

     
  5. ND6M

    ND6M Ham Member QRZ Page

    C/P from the K2B link: https://www.qrz.com/lookup/K2b

    This year for the special event we are not doing paper cards we are doing a card you can download yourself and fill it out . If you send a paper card it will not be answered.
     
  6. W7UUU

    W7UUU Director, QRZ Forums Lifetime Member 133 QRZ HQ Staff Life Member QRZ Page

    Thank you. I just assumed there was one operator per 1x1 call. I stand corrected. Thanks!

    Dave
    W7UUU
     
  7. KY1K

    KY1K Ham Member QRZ Page

    Updated on July 5th. AFTER I MADE THE CONTACT AND MAILED MY CARD!



    When I got the info, the page said:
    Qsl to: Nick Clevenger
    3910 Gibbs Street
    Alexandria VA, 22309

    QSLcards must have an sase.

    Dx stations must include 2 dollars to get your card back.

    US stations must include a sase with your card.

    If you do not include a sase - you will not receive a card.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2018
  8. KY1K

    KY1K Ham Member QRZ Page

    The paranoid part of me thinks this was a scam to get people to send in SASE's and not have to answer. Peel the unused postage off to use on their own envelopes.
     
  9. KE4OH

    KE4OH Ham Member QRZ Page

    Okay, so at least you give an option for a special event QSL. But if you didn't, why in the world would I want to work your USA-based special event station? You are in TN. I'm pretty sure I've worked TN before, so I really don't need the station for WAS or anything like that. And most special event QSOs proceed in the same manner and pace as contest QSOs. So I don't really get much out of that sort of exchange. And no nice, glossy, suitable for framing QSL. So, again, why would I want to work a special event station that won't QSL? Just to say that I did? No thanks.

    73, Steve KE4OH
     
    K5VZD, KI3T, W4DMK and 1 other person like this.
  10. K6DWI

    K6DWI Ham Member QRZ Page

    Steve,

    I know this doesn't help your situation but I was unable to even make one contact with any of these stations during the event.
    Never even heard one.

    Chris, K6DWI
     
    W6NYA and KE4OH like this.
  11. KK3Q

    KK3Q Ham Member QRZ Page

    Volunteer as a QSL manager for a special event and you'll soon see why many have changed to downloadable QSL cards and certificates instead of paper. Not only is it a lot of work but you wind up paying for the postage and envelopes for those who won't use an SASE. I did the Florida QSO Party for 3 years for their Spelling Bee, never again will I handle QSL duties by myself. I always appreciated QSL managers over the years and yet after sort of being one for that time I have great deal of more respect for them.
     
    KA2FIR likes this.
  12. KE4OH

    KE4OH Ham Member QRZ Page

    Yeah, I get it. It's a lot of work. So don't run a special event station if nobody want to do it. Making the QSO is only part of the deal. Logging the contact is another part. And sending out a nice QSL upon request is the final courtesy.

    I just don't have any reason to want to work a special event station if I don't get nice QSL.

    And just FYI, the OPs for the particular state (VA) in the 13 Colonies event who only provided a downloadable card (it isn't a QSL, because it doesn't confirm the QSO) probably spent all of 20 minutes putting together a very plain, generic offering. Very disappointed in the lack of effort.

    If all an OP or club wants to do is make a bunch of "yer 59 in Virginia, QSL?" contest-style QSOs, then why not just do contests? Otherwise, there is nothing special about the special event. I'm pretty sure I've logged Virginia before ...

    73, Steve KE4OH
     
    K5VZD, ND6M and KY1K like this.
  13. KG4RUL

    KG4RUL Ham Member QRZ Page

    Steve,

    Would you like a snack with your glass of WHINE! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS INVOLVED IN PUTTING ON A SPECIAL EVENT OF THIS SCALE!!!!! YES I AM SHOUTING! And YES, for five years, I was one of the SC stations, was QSL manager for SC and was webmaster for the event, so I do know about which I speak.

    I am sorry that your personal expectations were not met. Next year, don't participate and you will not be disappointed.
     
    WJ4U and KA2FIR like this.
  14. KE4OH

    KE4OH Ham Member QRZ Page

    Thanks for that Dennis! I did alert that this would be a rant. Rant = whine. Or whinge for any UK readers we might have. And I also indicated that I will not be participating in the future. However, I do appreciate that the SC operators this year will still honor the tradition of providing a QSL upon request and SASE.

    73, Steve KE4OH
     
    W6NYA and K1TGX like this.
  15. KY1K

    KY1K Ham Member QRZ Page

    I think you're missing the point that at the start of the event the profile still said send a sase. This change happened in the middle of the evemt! My expectations were that they would honor the SASE that I sent on the 3rd, as the online info claimed claimed at that time! I will not take part in this or any other dumb event in the future as this has shown me people can't be trusted.
     

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