Larry Johnson <@UUNET.UU.NET:lrj@fibercom> (02/20/90)
In article <943@kielo.uta.fi> tijoma@uta.fi (Jorma Mantyla) writes: >Hey folks, >would you like to PAY for QSLs? Some Finnish DXers have recently >received letters from Radio Mogadishu, Somalia, where this station >announces that if you want to get their QSL you must: >1. send them a tape; >2. pay $50 -- yes, fifty U.S. dollars! Furthermore, Radio Mogadishu >says that they will charge this money from your American Express. >No QSLs if these procedures are not followed! Call me idealistic, but... Doesn't the practice of selling QSLs for profit call into question the integrity and validity of the QSL itself? I mean, if someone is desperate enough to send me a QSL for $50 plus a tape, I'm sure we could strike a price at which the tape became unnecessary. >Yeah... DXing is becoming an expensive hobby. Perhaps Radio Mogadishu's intent is to price the hobby out of the range of everyone but us filthy first-world capitalists :-). 73, Larry, WB1FOF -- Larry Johnson INTERNET: lrj@fibercom.com FiberCom, Inc. UUCP: uunet!fibercom!lrj P.O. Box 11966 PHONE: +1 703-342-6700, 800-423-1183, X317 Roanoke, VA 24022-1966 FAX: +1 703-342-5961
"C. Dennison" <q1ssd@turing.uucp> (02/20/90)
Someone said : >No, its not extortion - what leverage do they have over anyone? It is >probably a sign of fiscal desparation and a hope to make some money over >DXers who just *must* get every rare QSL they can. And this one is >guaranteed to be rare! Well taken from the stations' point of view, why should they spend money satisfying the wishes of people outside their target area, who probably won't ever listen to them again anyway? OK so $50 may be a bit steep, but why NOT charge for QSLing? . + Computing Science Dept, University of Newcastle | All opinions expressed + + Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU (091 265 2486) | are mine and mine alone! + + ARPA: C.Dennison@newcastle.ac.uk | Chris Dennison + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ken Greer <kgreer@mcnc.org> (02/20/90)
In article <943@kielo.uta.fi> tijoma@uta.fi (Jorma M{ntyl{) writes: >Hey folks, >would you like to PAY for QSLs? Some Finnish DXers have recently >received letters from Radio Mogadishu, Somalia, where this station >announces that if you want to get their QSL you must: >1. send them a tape; >2. pay $50 -- yes, fifty U.S. dollars! Furthermore, Radio Mogadishu >says that they will charge this money from your American Express. >No QSLs if these procedures are not followed! > >Yeah... DXing is becoming an expensive hobby. Are there many who >have received this letter from Radio Mogadishu? Is this a exception >or a new tendency among radio stations in developing countries? > >73 - Jorma Mantyla, Univ. of Tampere, Finland > tijoma@kielo.uta.fi > I saw this same thing in the club bulletin, and it reminds me of an experience I had about 15 years ago. I sent in a reception report to Radio Ghana, and got a QSL, as one would expect. I soon after got a letter from a guy who went on to tell me what a wonderful person I am and how nice a name I have (!?!), etc. At first I thought "well, here's somebody who just wants a penpal". Then, after three or four letters, its suddenly : "I sure would like to work in the US. Would you please be so kind as to help me pay for my travel?" In so many words, he asked me not only to pay for his passage here, but to give him a place to live. He described early on how he got a friend at the radio station to give him the names of US listeners. "They're the ones with all the money. All of them live like kings". At least he was honest about how he got my address. What else could he say? After all, we did not happen to have any mutual friends there in Accra. :^) right. I suspect the R. Mogadishu thing is just another con to rip off people. It may or may not be with the knowledge or consent of the staff or managers. Personally, if its on the level (ie., the managers involved) they had better forget ever getting a reception report from me. You would have to be a complete fool to give them anything other than the standard return postage and cheap trinkets and junk that some listeners send in. The only other explanation is that they don't realize that $50 is a heck of a lot of money to most Americans (to spend on a QSL card). I'll send RP and/or a dollar bill, but $50 ???! No way. I like dx'ing and collecting QSL cards as much as anybody, but they can take their QSL cards and take a long walk off a short pier.
Ralph Brandi <ralph@mtune.uucp> (02/22/90)
In article <243@millbrook.fibercom.COM> lrj@fibercom.COM (Larry Johnson) writes: >Perhaps Radio Mogadishu's intent is to price the hobby out of the range >of everyone but us filthy first-world capitalists :-). Or perhaps it isn't Radio Mogadishu at all, but rather someone else who has managed to come into possession of some letters directed at them. With the proliferation of US Green Stamps included in QSL requests, it's not an unknown thing for mail to go astray. My understanding is that HCJB, for instance, claims that 30% of its mail never makes it to the station. It seems more likely to me that some enterprising local is trying to make a little hard cash than that the radio station is trying to extort radio listeners. This sort of thing seems to come up every few years or so.... -- Ralph Brandi ralph@mtune.att.com att!mtune!ralph Work flows toward the competent until they are submerged.
"Richard S. Lively" <lively@sybil.cs.Buffalo.EDU> (02/22/90)
In article <1990Feb20.165153.10277@newcastle.ac.uk> C.Dennison@newcastle.ac.uk (C. Dennison) writes: >Someone said : >>No, its not extortion - what leverage do they have over anyone? It is >>probably a sign of fiscal desparation and a hope to make some money over >>DXers who just *must* get every rare QSL they can. And this one is >>guaranteed to be rare! > >Well taken from the stations' point of view, why should they spend money >satisfying the wishes of people outside their target area, who probably won't >ever listen to them again anyway? OK so $50 may be a bit steep, but why NOT >charge for QSLing? Because from the station's point of view, the QSL is identical to any other trinket (such as a travel poster) which helps to promote their country's image to the rest of the world. After all, it is (usually) a government- funded station. If the people of the country do not see it as a reasonable expense, then fine. Most listener's aren't going to complain. But charging $50 definitely projects a view of the country that I don't think is in the best interests of the country. Rick Lively lively@cs.buffalo.edu
"C. Dennison" <q1ssd@turing.uucp> (02/26/90)
In article <18184@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> lively@sybil.cs.Buffalo.EDU (Richard S. Lively) writes: >In article <1990Feb20.165153.10277@newcastle.ac.uk> C.Dennison@newcastle.ac.uk (C. Dennison) writes: >> >>Well taken from the stations' point of view, why should they spend money >>satisfying the wishes of people outside their target area, who probably won't >>ever listen to them again anyway? OK so $50 may be a bit steep, but why NOT >>charge for QSLing? > >Because from the station's point of view, the QSL is identical to any other >trinket (such as a travel poster) which helps to promote their country's >image to the rest of the world. After all, it is (usually) a government- >funded station. If the people of the country do not see it as a reasonable >expense, then fine. Most listener's aren't going to complain. But >charging $50 definitely projects a view of the country that I don't think >is in the best interests of the country. > But how many DXers get a QSL from station x, put it in the collection and then forget about it?. OK so an elaborate QSL from some particular country may well serve as an image booster to that country. But I still think that it's a bit of a cheek to write to some small station thousands of miles away, broadcasting only to a small audience, probably with inadequate funding, and then expect to recieve a QSL. Obviously thes station charging $50 is being extortionate and deserves in my opinion to be ignored,.b But I think it's important that DXers appreciate the adminastrative costs involved in a small station QSLing and try to cover these (say with IRCs or whatever), if they expect to recieve a QSL!e + Computing Science Dept, University of Newcastle | All opinions expressed + + Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU (091 265 2486) | are mine and mine alone! + + ARPA: C.Dennison@newcastle.ac.uk | Chris Dennison + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++