QSL services extra comments.
I have had a few days to look over some of the newer services I have decided to use. Of course my old tried and true method is paper cards and direct mail or via the bureau for DX stations. My rate of return with direct mail is about 85%, granted no system gives you a one hundred percent return. You always have some one who fails to make things work either intentional or unintentional.
My other choices were Eqsl this works of course, but unless you have AG status, or your contacts have AG status you get no credit for any card exchanged. Thing is several ops who subscribe to Eqsl do not have AG or Authenticity status, there fore the contact counts for nothing. I was a little disappointed to have worked a station in China, receive his card via EQSL with in minutes of the contact, only to find out it counted for nothing. No AG, nice card, but no credit.
I have entered over 400 contacts in my QRZ logbook, however the rate of confirmations is dismal, about 7%. Some contacts are skipped due to the fact they are not QRZ members, others have a lite dot beside their calls indicating they are members, but it seems they never check their own log to verify anything. QRZ does not offer awards, but the logbook does keep things in neat order and the search feature finds whom you want and when you want the qso information. The number of gold stars is few, but occasionally they do appear for what ever that is worth.
I decided to join QRZ and opted for the ad free membership, no adds and I love it to just go to the log book and not be bombarded by all types of ads for items I do not need, or want.
ON LOTW, I did register, got my digital certificate and logged in only to find nothing. I had expected a back log of stations, but apparently if you are not a member anyone sending qso information to you it does not record on the site. In fact, I tried several calls of DX stations I have worked, only got “no log data” checked various expeditions that I have worked and appear in the club log of the operation. Yet, LOTW finds nothing, so at this moment in time LOTW is not much use and in fact useless for me. Perhaps in time I may have some info uploaded, but so far not a peep.
Some stations I searched for had the information of the last upload, thinking I would be in the batch I entered my information. Nothing, so this leads me to the idea that those not members were skipped and the information not recorded on LOTW. I can verify my qsos with various DX expeditions on Club Log, so no problem that I worked them.
I plan to just let it sit, reply if someone sends me a request, other then that I prefer my trusted method of paper cards. In fact, may just forget it, since I have found nothing and further exploration is futile. Just my input on the services available and my thoughts, you may have better luck with this service and then again, maybe not?
