G0KZZ
Joined: | Mon, Apr 23rd 2007, 09:36 | Roles: | N/A | Moderates: | N/A |
Latest Topics
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Overseas Membership Fees, no longer such a bargain. | Mar 18th 2012, 18:46 | 14 | 9,990 | on 28/7/12 |
Latest Posts
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copy with one hand & send with the other | tuulen | on 20/9/14 |
Hey tuulen. I'm lucky because I naturally write with my left hand, and send CW with my right hand. It makes for very fast changeovers hi hi. Best 73, Mark. |
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Overseas Membership Fees, no longer such a bargain. | G0KZZ | on 7/4/12 |
Hiya Ed Quote: "Speaking only for myself, I'd have to stretch pretty hard to find a basis to be displeased with this one. I sure wouldn't feel that this was a good example at all of corporate greed." Nothing personal here, but you can hardly be expected to give an unbiased response when you have been employed by the ARRL since 1986 as their Laboratory Manager! If it really is no big deal to the ARRL then why not make the complilation CDs available as well as the online digital edition? Or why not give members a choice of digital edition OR compilation CD? The renewal form shows that international members can opt for a "print and digital QST" membership, so why not a CD and digital QST option? Quote: "The digital edition of QST is FAR more than "download a few pdf documents." It is the entire content of QST available in digital form, readable on any device that can access the Internet. In addition, in keeping with the digital nature of that format of QST, additional digital content, such as videos, sounds, etc., is being added, and that will get better with time." So what is this 'wonder format'? The description "...in digital form, readable on any device that can access the Internet..." certainly sounds like a PDF document to me. If not then again I ask what is the format that will be used? HTML? Java? What? Quote: "There are some that observe that some hams will complain no matter what ARRL does." This is the FIRST time I have complained about ANYTHING that the ARRL has done, and the reason for the complaint is that if I am expected to spend $39 a year for membership it would be nice to see something for it. In my case the 'something' was the annual arrival of a complilation CD. My concern is not with having instant access, but rather with having something of substance that I can see and hold, and place upon my shelf for future reference. If the digital edition is such a 'wonderhorse' then hey, why not do away with the printed editions entirely? After all, the printed edition doesn't contain "...videos, sounds, etc." So get rid of it. Also, as you pointed out, the digital edition will "provide the entire content of QST instantly to members", so why not get rid of that pesky printed version that takes maybe a few days to arrive? I am a realist, I know empty hype when I see it. Give us back our free CD and I will complain no more... |
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Overseas Membership Fees, no longer such a bargain. | G0KZZ | on 21/3/12 |
Yeah, monies tight in the UK too. Our economy is on a real downer at the moment. Everyone seems to want more and more money for less and less. I can't see me paying $39 just to say I'm an ARRL member. It's not like I ever need to use any of the facilities. At least with the compilation CD you felt as if you were getting something for your money. This so called Digital Edition ploy is a joke. Why not say "Hey! Give me $39 a year and you can download a few PDF documents..." It's all about profits and greed these days. Look at the RSGB in the UK. They got rid of their manager for making LOTS of funds disappear ;-) |
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Overseas Membership Fees, no longer such a bargain. | G0KZZ | on 18/3/12 |
I've been an overseas member (in the UK) of the ARRL for a number of years now, and throughout all of that time I felt that I was having a good deal for my $39 each year. I don't like printed magazines laying around all over the place, so the yearly CD compilation was just the job, with QST, QSX and NCJ journals, all on one neat disk. During that 'early' period I convinced a number of UK Hams to become overseas members, pointing out what excellent service they would obtain. However my heart began to sink when I received the first 'messages' via email telling me how wonderful the new Digital Edition of QST would be, because reading the fine print revealed that as an overseas member I would no longer receive a yearly compilation CD though it could be purchased for an additional fee. The result is pretty much a doubling in costs if I want to obtain the same service, with $39 for membership and an additional $25 for the CD. If I were to opt for the 2~4 week delivery I would need to pay $35 for the CD. So $64 minimum, $74 if I opt for the 'speedier' 2~4 week delivery service! Way to go ARRL, if the aim was to loose more members then mission accomplished I'd say. |
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Forum avatars? | aa6e | on 21/8/11 |
I think you're right about the Gravatar site Nate. If you check the image info for your avatar on here it gives the following source location: So clearly this site (the ARRL forum) is using files from gravitar.com Odd... |