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1-10 of 10 messages
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QSLing for casual DXer
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by KB5JO on October 22, 2009
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I don't "chase" DX but sometimes like to contact DX stations using QRP, especially if a band is "open" and the pileup small. Don't use LoTW because have no interest in DXCC or any other award, but do like foreign QSLs, especially if my first contact with an entity.
If the QSO is my first with an entity, I send a QSL with SAE and 2 IRCs direct to the manager. Sometimes a return arrives, sometimes not. Only use of the buro is to answer QSLs received by that route, most recent were 2 years old when they arrived last week.
Am looking for an alternate to IRCs because getting new ones from the USPS is more trouble than it is worth. Most of their employees don't even know what IRCs are. And besides that, they expire.
Is there a "for profit" US company that will forward QSLs direct, enclosing either appropriate postage or currency for the return? Am not interested in buying foreign postage or currency, about as much trouble as IRCs.
Thanks, Curt KB5JO
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RE: QSLing for casual DXer
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by W2IRT on October 22, 2009
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Curt, your have three good options for direct QSLing. First is to just toss in two US one dollar bills (or a two-dollar bill if your bank has them) along with your card.
Second, once a series of IRCs is in wide circulation for a few months DXpeditions will receive them in large quantity. Often QSL managers will re-sell IRCs at a slight discount over what the USPS charges for them.
Third, you can but "mint stamps" (stamps from the foreign country that the QSL manager lives in). I used Bill Plum's service for this in the past.
All three work well for me, and I find my return rate is well over 90% regardless of which method I use.
Here are a couple of tips I've acquired over the years that have served me very well.
Be sure that there are no references to amateur radio (callsigns, tower designs, references to QSLs, etc) anywhere on either your envelope to them or the self-addressed envelope back to you. In some foreign lands, the post office equates a callsign with "there's money inside" and your request goes down the hole. Also, use a number 10 business envelope with a smaller return envelope nested inside. Don't fold a number 10 for the return as it makes a "lump" in the envelope and, again, it may receive unwanted attention along the way.
If I'm sending to a western European country, VK, ZL and anywhere in North America I just seal the envelope normally. If it's going anywhere else (eastern Europe, Asia and South America especially), I seal up the envelope with packing tape and my $$ or IRC are always stuffed inside the reply envelope along with my outgoing QSL.
Always put the return envelope in "upside-down" with the flap down. Letter openers will snip off the flap on occasion. DX station may--or may not--supply one of their own if that happens. Good luck and have fun!
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RE: QSLing for casual DXer
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by NI0C on October 22, 2009
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I haven't used IRC's for several years. US dollars work well in most countries, although with less favorable exchange rates at least 2-3 dollars are required for airmail postage.
73,
Chuck NI0C
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RE: QSLing for casual DXer
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by KB3LIX on October 22, 2009
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I have used $2 USD successfully.
My return rate is good.
I have 200 confirmed out of 208 worked.
IF you are sending something to the Federal Republic of Germany,send them $ 3.
Due to exchange rate, and postal rates in Germany,
they NEED $3 to cover your request.
Postage to the US is something like $ 2.75
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RE: QSLing for casual DXer
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by WB5JEO on October 22, 2009
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IRC's were never a great option. Not all countries participate, and a number of countries historically do not exchange them for local airmail postage, mostly because their airmail postage is unmercifully high.
(Trading in IRC's was the core of the original "Ponzi scheme.")
The venerable "green stamp" works most places. Just follow the advice above. It's also a good idea to type the address and return address. A fairly reliable move with the old notorious Box 88 Moscow was to use a printed business return address envelope. They seemed to be less likely to be looted. In a few countries, the postal service is less than efficient or honest, and mail from the U.S. can attract attention for all sorts of reasons. It's also a good idea to do a little research on mail to places that are a far flung outposts of a nation. At least in the past, U.S.P.S. processors routinely tossed Canary Islands mail in the Africa bag based on geography. Marking it "Via Spain" got it efficiently routed. And some place simply have no functioning mail service. My favorite was one I mailed to Haiti just before all public services broke down. It naturally came back undelivered (18 months later), but the mystery was why stamping on the envelope made it clear it had passed through Bangkok.
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RE: QSLing for casual DXer
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by KB2FCV on October 22, 2009
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I also use $2 USD method. I use the number 10 envelope and a smaller envelope inside, both are the airmail type. As others stated, don't put any callsigns, etc anywhere on the card. Just names and addresses. I write all addresses in caps and legibly as I can.
My return rate is almost 100% (although some take longer - up to several months to come back).
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RE: QSLing for casual DXer
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by W2IRT on October 22, 2009
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As to IRCs, after QSLing pretty well everything that moved for 8+ years (I go after 9 bands, 3 modes and all WAZ zones on all bands), I've found the best uses for IRCs are:
(1) to Germany. One IRC costs $2.10 at the post office, less if "recycled" from DXpedition managers; German postage to the US is €1,70, which is $2.55 at today's exchange rate.
(2) QSL Managers located in Western Europe and Japan. My IRC covers the return postage and if it's a DXpedition, any additional "green-stamps" are the donation. Again, some managers can also re-sell their received IRCs and it can sometimes help an operation.
Also, check QRZ.com -- some DX ops will state a preference for IRCs over US currency. I always do what the DX op asks for in cases like that. Anything that makes it easier for him to successfully get my card back to me is a Very Good Thing!
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RE: QSLing for casual DXer
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by N6ORB on October 23, 2009
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Here are four websites that I refer to when planning to send a QSL to a new country:
http://www.n6dhz.com/irc-chart.html
http://www.qrz.co.il/handbook.php?pid=160
http://www.qsl.net/w9ol/IRC_Chart.htm
http://www.atms.ch/rates/
The first three have lists of countries and how many IRCs or green stamps are needed to get a QSL back. Each of them has a different set of countries listed and each has a few more recent updates than either of the other. The last website lists postage rates in the local currency.
Dave
N6ORB
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RE: QSLing for casual DXer
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by N4KZ on October 23, 2009
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I've never found IRCs to be a satisfactory way to collect cool DX QSLs. My local postal employees looked at me like I had a horn growing from the middle of my forehead when I asked to buy some IRCs. Ditto with trying to redeem them. They scrambled for the post office manual and it took many minutes to handle a simple transaction. Use $1 bills. Two or 3 of them work wonders in most parts of the world in getting replies to your cards.
73, N4KZ
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RE: QSLing for casual DXer
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by AF3Y on October 23, 2009
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Well, I have 257 confirmed QSOs. Probably 98% of these were IRC transactions. I do send $2 bills on rare occasion, but prefer the IRC route. I dont have any trouble getting IRCs at my local (very small) post office either. I just explained what they were when I moved here 4 years ago, and they now actually keep a small supply on hand for me.
According to what I have read, there are a few countries where US $ (GS) are actually not allowed, and you could actually cause trouble for the ham you send them to if they are discovered. Plus, GS are a "thief magnet" in my opinion. IRCs are the way to go, especially, as mentioned,for German QSL managers.
If you dont like IRCs or GS transations, you can always get stamps for the country you are sending your card to and make a SASE. There are a couple sources for these. I have used them, but dont see any improvement in results. Gene
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