Increase the cost of using OQRS?

[W2IRT]

Now don't take my earlier comments to mean I'm in favour of DXpeditions actually doing it (not taking bureau cards). That's certainly not the case and I would implore any DXpedition organizers to use the bureau system. But giving them the option of issuing bureau cards or not is certainly fair. A two year delay in bureau QSLing would also be reasonable IMHO, as is a one year LoTW upload delay. Hell, give it a couple more years and the ARRL's server will do that on its own anyways.

But think outside the box for a minute. With costs of renting icebreakers or choppers through the roof, why not use Kickstarter? If Team Crozet can generate $X thousand dollars before Y date, we're a go (authorizations notwithstanding, but you get the idea).

I honestly have no idea how 50,000 worldwide DXers (at the absolute outside) can fund a $1M DXpedition. Not everyone will contribute $20 upfront that's for sure. I guess you'll need to start off with some independently wealthy ops!

[KF7BBJ]

ZL9HR has made a total of 35k contacts so far.  But there are only 13.45k unique callers.  Assuming a trip cost of $250,000 that's almost $20 per caller.  With the astronomical costs of a dxpedition I just don't see how a dxpedition could be funded solely from OQRS and private donations.  I predict a trend where dxpeditions will rely mostly on grants and personal funds.  Even at $5 per OQRS it hardly makes a dent in the overall funding.  I would love to see more private donations.  But how do we get more people to donate more?  Perhaps a better way is to educate the DX community on what it costs to do a dxpedition.  I have seen some of this lately.  Perhaps prior to a dxpedition the team could announce the budget in detail.  Once people see the costs then they will be more inclined to donate more.

73,
Jonathan W6GX

[K0IZ]

Per http://dx-world.net/2012/dxpedition-costs/ (the Hamvention forum program), the southern oceans DXpeditions are about the most expensive, with range of $475K to $160K in the anaylsis.  Average of $323K.  Of this amount, team members provided 63% of funding, foundations 25%, and individuals 12%.

What really caught my eye was the big difference in individual support by area, with NA maybe 10x per individual of the average for Europe.  Seems to me there is a limit that we can expect team members to pony up, and if we want more DXpeditions, it's going to take more individual $'s (directly, via OQRS, or as donations to foundations).  To put it bluntly, European hams need to step up to the plate. 

[WS3N]

OK, so if NCDXF, etc. don't agree then they don't go. Then we'll see what it's really worth to the DXing community. It seems that most people take it for granted..

Actually, I would rather have it your way. I'm just saying the present model is unsustainable. (Gee, sounds like the SS/Medicare arguments.)

The problem is not whether a card should be free. The problem is that proceeds from cards are used to help pay for other expenses. The cost for a card should be purely S&H. No part of the DXpedition funding should depend on QSLs. What if propagation turns out to be terrible, or the trip is cut short? The vast majority of people will never send anything if they don't make a QSO.

The problem IS whether or not a card should be free. This thread is about increasing the required minimum donation for OQRS direct, and it ends up bordering on paying for QSL/QSO. I don't mind donating one bit but I don't think it should be required. I DO think that hams who get a new one should pony up, but not because they need to to get a confirmation.

The problem is thinking about revenue from QSLs as a source for general funds. This will not work for the very expensive activations that everyone wants. As others have stated, the cost per unique call gets too large, even assuming that they all pay. The only reasonable scheme is to have guaranteed funding set before the expedition begins, not to hope that enough comes in later to cover expenses. This means a greater reliance on early donations, sponsors and foundations. QSL cards should simply be a break-even effort.

[AB8MA]

Do the big 3 support these dxpeditions other than possibly supplying equipment?

Looking at the 3D2C card, the only suppliers I see are ICOM and ACOM.