American (ARRL) Dream or … Nightmare

I began my career in radio in 1968. Then America was really far away and our eyes looked like a fantasy land where everything could come true, where the organization was even higher than the Teutonic and where accuracy was the rule. Who knows, maybe it was like that ... or maybe not. Of course, for me, today is not so.

My experiences accreditation of new countries confirmed at the ARRL have been, to say the least, disastrous. Now, I enjoy the favors or bad luck, or the quality of service is poor.

My first request for DXCC credits dating back to 1981, when computers were a dream and everything was done by hand. Since then, for various reasons, I did not do more activities and the second request to update my DXCC dates back to last year, 2011. Today computers are there and some involved in the ARRL had the unwelcome task of having to digitize the previous 151 confirmations.

Start the first problems: three countries remain in the pen ... oops sorry, the keyboard of those who enter. I find myself so in less than three countries. Already this laborious digitization is extremely shallow: although the archive data of 1981 (I hope), certainly copies of the request at the time, which I sent back, the data is recorded without reporting or the name of the amateur radio connected nor the band.

The Italian representative certifies that the list of QSO of new 52 countries, forgets to tell me that ST0AS can not certify it because he is not authorized to operate in countries dall'ARRL "Delete". Patience. I look forward to the arrival of the copy of the certificate required and when it finally arrives, another disappointment: the persons that drafted the certificate misspelled his last name. What despair!

In summary, I found myself with 199 rather than 203 countries, with a copy of the diploma with the last name wrong, and of course without the sticker of the 200 countries worked. Exchange of several e-mails with Bill Moore, NC1L, comes a new diploma, this time with the correct name, the account of countries worked rises to 202 (for ST0AS I send a QSL in the U.S.) but the decal from 200 countries no track.

 Resigned, I set aside the new cards for the next annual submission. This time, to avoid typing errors I made use of the possibility to request the Application in electronic format, filling personally, via WEB, the list of new countries confirmed. I had read that with this system, the procedure was more rapid: first disillusionment, send a request on September 16, I saw on my profile that has been dealt with by a few days, but after almost two months, I have not yet by post received anything.

Were only these problems ... Yes! The error is escaped this time. I applied for accreditation for 16 new entities, I find myself only 15 more: who's missing? A quick search and I see that I was not credited Montenegro (514) (QSO with 4O/OK4ZW, May 11, 2012). Why, miss?

I do a more accurate control and I see that I have removed the QSO with YU5CX of 30 October 1971 and already accredited since 1981 as Serbia, then Yugoslavia, and replaced with the QSO with Montenegro! Precise list dell'ARRL, April 2012 edition, the prefix of 4O Montenegro is a reference to a note in the appendix that says: "(4O) Only contacts made June 28, 2006, and after, count for this entity. '

No doubt that something, once again, did not work.

So for me, America, the ARRL in this case, more than a dream is a nightmare. I can fix it? Will I be able to have your decal of the 200 countries once again required? But above all, shall recover my QSL?