Hints and Tips for SWL’s:
How and where to send the QSL’s
by Dan, I1-12387, MDXC#272
 

1. QSL Bureau

It is the easiest and cheapest way when a lot of QSL’s has to be sent. Each national amateur society operates a QSL Bureau. If it does not exist in your own country, an alternate way can be to become member of ISWL which operates an efficient QSL Bureau. His web site is  www.iswl.org.uk .The return time for QSL’s sent via Bureau is 1 or 2 years for QSL’s from the same country to several years for QSL’s from elsewhere. A mean time can be 5 years. To half the time, the QSL’s, grouped by country, can be sent directly to the QSL Bureau of that country. The addresses of the IARU QSL Bureaus can be found e.g. at http://www.iaru.org/iaruqsl.html

Tips:

·        Write the month of the date on the QSL in some extended format, e.g. 1-Apr-2005. If you put 1-4-2005  someone in the US will read that date as January 4, 2005.

·        Presort your QSL’s alphabetically by country prefix

·        Some QSL Bureaus (e.g. ARI) require to separate the country prefixes by rubber bands if there are at least 2 cards per country prefix. But note that others Bureaus (e.g. ARRL) ask to not separate the country prefixes by rubber bands

·        Be sure that the QSL Bureau does exist in the destination country, otherwise your QSL’s will be lost. A list of countries without QSL Bureau can be found e.g. at http://www.arrl.org/qsl/qslout.html . If a QSL Manager is indicated on the card the QSL will be forwarded also if the QSL Bureau does not exist

·        Not all the QSL Managers answer to QSL’s sent via Bureau, while the members of the QSL Manager Society (see http://www.qsl.net/qslmanagers/ ) will do it. They accept and answer all QSL requests sent via Bureau. In their creed there is also the nice sentence  “I will answer SWL cards”. Members of this Society are well known QSL Managers, e.g. AC7DX, W3HNK, N3SL, KU9C, N6AWD, VE3HO, DJ9ZB, DL6ZFG, EA5KB, EA7FTR, G3SWH, PC1A, IK2DUW and (of course) IZ8CCW

·        Sometimes a QSL will arrive via Bureau also if your QSL has been sent via direct with IRC’s or green stamps. This way I received some new IOTA’s from Chile and Israel.

Fig.1 – JA1VYW QSL – QSL sent to JA Bureau and received directly (rara avis) in few months

2. WF5E Qsl Service

It is much more quick than the Bureau and much less expensive than the direct way. It costs 1 US$ for 4 QSL’s plus return postage. Les accepts also Î’s and other currencies provided its the equal amount of US $. His web site is http://www.qsl.net/wf5e . He serves approximately 5000 customers in over 50 countries, with approx. 8000 to 9000 QSL’s per month. He forward QSLs to DX and USA managers, active DX stations and Dxpeditions, which consist of over 4000 stations.

Tips:

·        Be sure to use hard envelopes (e.g. MailLite Gold), able to withstand the sorting machines of the US Post Offices. These infernal machines destroyed one of my light envelopes and I received back my QSL’s (with my address printed on) few at a time for several weeks

·        In the WF5E web site there is a list of QSL managers or DX stations which do not accept this Service. In this black list there are 3B9FR, VK9NS, ON5NT, etc.

·        Don’t hesitate to send to WF5E also DX QSL’s difficult to get. I got via WF5E a QSL from American Samoa, a new DXCC for me back in 1996, after several attempts via direct without results

Fig.2 – AH8A received via WF5E

3. Direct QSL

The only way to use when the QSL is a must, new DXCC, new IOTA, etc. . The best source for the new QSL routes is the 425DXNews by I1JQJ ( http://www.425dxn.org ) and the best web site for the correct address is http://www.qsl.net/pathfinder/WebClient/ . From this web site one can choose callbook (if available), qrz.com, buckmaster, IK3QAR, K4UTE etc.

Tips:

·        Be sure to include a SAE (Self Addressed Envelope) and one or more IRC’s (International Reply Coupons) or “green stamps” (i.e. US $)

·        Use a SAE of sufficient size. Not all use the standard QSL format of 9 x 14 cm

·        Use SAE’s that have a strip that is removed to seal the envelope, especially If the destination is a humid area

·        Be sure, when you go to Post Office to buy IRC’s, that the IRC’s are properly stamped on the left side. The stamping is optional but few Post Office’s accept IRC’s not properly stamped. Note also that the new IRC’s have an expiry date

·        There are several web sites to check how many IRC’s or green stamps are required by different countries e.g. http://www.qrz.co.il/handbook.php?pid=160 , http://www.qsl.net/w9ol/ircchart.txt , http://www.qsl.net/w9ol . Anyway I didn’t find any with the correct postal rate from Italy, so consider these web sites only a reference

·        Never put your callsign or the callsign of the DX station on the envelope. It is an indicator that there may be green stamps inside to pilfer

·        Shake a few grains of black pepper in the envelope to deter money sniffing dogs (I really found this tip in the web and I decided to include also it. If some SWL would try to follow the tip, please let me know the results)

·        For some countries (e.g. Argentina, Indonesia and Mexico) the safest way to be pretty sure that your mail will not be open is to send a registered mail

·        If you have to send QSL’s to Russia, read before “Secure your mail” by RZ1AK at http://www.qsl.net/rz1ak/mail.htm

·        And finally, don’t lose the confidence to get a QSL. I received the QSL from an Antarctic Base, having found in the web that the QSL Manager was still QRV, after 28 years !