Supporting the A52AA Effort Without Donating!
As you may know already, the next A52AA operation in Bhutan is planned for the last week of November.
It will be a small, solo operator effort and will not fall into the category of DXpeditions, which generally involve a team of operators and are usually big-budget affairs, sometimes running into tens of thousands of dollars. In many cases – not all – this translates to a fee being levied for QSLs, without which even electronic confirmations are delayed by at least six months or more.
In this hobby, I have striven so far to honor the amateur spirit and have not linked monetary compensation to QSL confirmations (electronic or by card). With very rare exceptions (mostly due to internet connectivity), all my logs have been uploaded the very same day to LoTW, QRZ.com, eQSL.cc, Club Log, and Hamlog.online for all four callsigns [AB1F] [VU2ABE] [EK/AB1F] [A52AA] that I’m privileged to bear.
In addition, QSL cards via bureau have been responded to free of cost and only for direct overseas QSL cards have return postage been a necessity on account of the cost.
And I’d like to keep things that way for the forthcoming A52AA effort as well.
Operating from A5-land is slightly more expensive, because of a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) payable to the Royal Government of Bhutan for every day spent in the country. This, over and above the usual air travel, freight, and the hotel costs, can be a small burden on an individual’s retirement income. Don’t get me wrong, the SDF is a good thing because it helps keep Bhutan neat, clean, and undefiled.
So, how’s it possible to indirectly support the A52AA effort financially without making a donation?
Here’s what I have come up with. Instead of making a donation, please purchase a copy of my book “The Chicken Who Flew to Canada!” directly from AA Books at a cost of only $15, which includes airmail/first-class postage and PayPal commission.
As an added bonus, if specifically requested, the book will be autographed, with the A52AA callsign included!
The purchase of the book is not a one-way street like a donation. The buyer gets full value in return, with the small margin (after PayPal fees, postage, and taxes) going towards the A52AA operation costs.
The book, illustrated by the talented artist Benedict Skhemlang Hynniewta, is ostensibly for children, but young adults and even older readers have reacted positively to the book’s themes of self-actualization and achieving one’s untapped potential.
It is important to point out that purchasing the book is entirely voluntary. It will not have any impact on our hobby interaction. All QSOs will be confirmed the same day electronically, via LoTW, QRZ.com, eQSL.cc, Club Log, and Hamlog.online whether the book was purchased or not. Likewise, cards will be responded to expeditiously via bureau or directly. I repeat, buying or not buying the book will not make any difference as far as the hobby of amateur radio is concerned.
How to buy the book? Send $15 to through PayPal to AA Books mentioning your callsign and mailing address and whether you would like the book autographed. As an added confirmation you could send an email to aa-books@outlook.com with the same information. The book will be mailed from India or Bhutan depending on the logistics involved.
May I also point out that support for the project is not just monetary. The bigger contribution is having a QSO with A52AA. I look forward to making as many QSOs as physically possible with the simple setup consisting of rotatable and fixed dipoles and power under 100 watts. Let’s hope the conditions will be favorable.
The A52AA operation is expected to happen, if all goes well, between November 24 and December 05.
Looking forward to having as many QSOs as conditions permit.
Thank you for your time in reading this. See you on the band!
73 de A52AA