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After the investigations reagarding the RSGB Outgoing Bureau Don Field has sent me the following Report. This really is great news that we all welcome. Thank you Don. Let's hope that we now have this matter resolved.
RSGB QSL Bureau Status Report
Over the past couple of months the Society has received correspondence and questions from a number of amateurs whose outgoing bureau cards do not appear to have reached the overseas bureaux for which they were intended. Checks with some of the key overseas bureaux suggested that it had been many months since they had received cards from the RSGB.
Alerted to this situation, the General Manager and members of the Board undertook their own investigations, including a personal visit by the General Manager to the RSGB QSL Bureau, currently managed under contract by Richard Constantine G3UGF.
It is apparent that Richard has been on a steep learning curve since taking on the bureau and his early focus was on fixing some longstanding issues with the sub-manager network, and the distribution of incoming cards.
With regard to outgoing cards, shipping costs, at the start of the year had already begun to rise sharply. Costs outside the EU began to rise more than could have been reasonably predicted, due to the worsening economic situation. This could not have occurred at a more inopportune time, when the bureau was turning its attention to building up the overseas distribution. By the first quarter costs had risen 25%, with no sign of slowing, and the Board was made aware of concerns. The bureau’s main provider pulled out of several destinations, including America, Russia and other ex-Soviet destinations, also increasing costs to Europe and the Pacific Rim. In the second and third quarters the bureau had to use several different companies and routes, including costly personal air mail, shopping around for each dispatch, in order to maintain service , whilst trying to find another long-term partner, prepared to offer trade distribution rates.
This proved to be an extremely frustrating period as all carriers appeared reluctant to take on new business and prices changed per shipment, against the value of the pound. Increasing the average weight to popular destinations, from 10kg to 25 kg, brought some short term cost savings, but did not resolve the issue.
However, even with additional sorters it became apparent that whilst the bureau’s remit is not to be the quickest way to send a QSL card, only the most cost effective, that increasing the package size to gain a cost saving would not ultimately meet some user expectations and that delays would continue.
It also brought the bureau into conflict with Customs in certain countries as they refused to accept large shipments as non-commercial, printed paper, imposing customs charges. Fortunately, by the last quarter, it was possible to find another provider, capable of distributing to all IARU destinations. Costs were significantly reduced and volumes began to increase in the final quarter and have continued into the New Year. The bureau is now more positive that it can continue to stay within its budget, having shipped approximately 400,000 cards by weight, over the last year. This being 25% down on its own internal projection. The position has been recovered and provided that there are no more shocks to come in the wider economy, there is now a stable platform on which to build in 2010.
More importantly for RSGB QSL Bureau users, Richard has agreed to produce a monthly report for RadCom, starting in the April edition, covering RSGB QSL Bureau and listing recent shipments.
The Society regrets any problems with the bureau, whether real or perceived. While the RSGB QSL Bureau is no substitute for direct mail, it is a valuable membership benefit to many. It should be emphasised, incidentally, that intra-UK cards have been flowing freely throughout. It is unfortunate that there continue to be some abuses of the Bureau, for example by members sending cards on behalf of overseas friends who are not members. Indiscriminate QSLing by some contest groups and special event stations have also served to slow down the overall flow of cards.
Any questions relating to the RSGB QSL Bureau should be emailed to Richard at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
but it is hoped that the regular bulletins in RadCom will help to reduce his correspondence and give him and his team more time for getting those cards through.
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Thanks for your private emails recently on the RSGB Bureau Issue. As many of you have noted the page in the latest RadCom featuring the Bureau i will bring you up to date on the latest communication.
The detailed report promised by the RSGB Board failed to arrive, however I had an email from Don Field last week and he asked if we could talk on the phone as he was not happy that i "selectively" paste bits of emails on my blog. I talked with Don at some length last week and he says that the report from Peter Kirby does accept that Outgoing Bureau mail has not gone out due to the costs involved, and that Richard at Norcomm now has the International mailing contract set up run running that i advised him to do back in November.
Don accepted my comment that as a RSGB member I am entitled to ask questions, however he said that this did not mean that I was entitled to get answers! (Hmm)
Don also accepts that there was no Service Level Agreement set up for Outgoing cards, which he says in hindsight should have been done when the Bureau was tendered. I advised Don to have that SLA discussed for the next review, so then we will know when the cards are going out and when there is a problem.
I asked Don to put this in writing in an email to me so that i could inform people that had asked me for an update. He promised to do that in a few days. I suspect he will not wish to put it in writing but i was hoping to get something so that i did not have to put my own version, but as days go by i think i will have to do it my way! (Now one week on still no email!)
We ended the telephone call on friendly terms, and i do get the feeling that we have made good progress in the last two weeks. Now we have to work for the future. I need to see boxes landing at World Bureaus, to be sure the matter IS solved.
Will keep you posted. You can be sure that I will be monitoring this matter over the next few months.
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 John 9M6XRO is operating from Cambodia as XU7XRO 3rd to 9th February. John will operate on 160-10 metres CW, RTTY and SSB, with a beam and Inverted V’s for the low bands.
QTH Weather Station Hill, Kompong Som (Sihanoukville) IARU Loc - OK10sp
CQ Zone 26 - ITU Zone 49
QSL via M0URX, Direct (or Bureau by email request ONLY) The log will be uploaded to LoTW and my online log search facility after the operation.
Full QSL Routing click here.
ONLY Request Bureau Via EMAIL. All Bureau QSL cards will be sent direct Via World Bureaus by-passing RSGB.
04/10/2010 0300z I have made 400+ QSO's but the bands are not great. I'm using my IC-7000. There is a really high SWR on the 80/160m ant but I have not got my MFJ this time to see where it is resonant. I will root out the big ATU from the cupboard and see if that does any good. The way the linear is set up you have to press the footswitch on every mode even CW and RTTY which is a pain so am going to see if I can sort that out.
All bands are totally dead at the moment (1045am LT). Will adjourn to Wim's XU7TZG shortly for a beer I think.
07/01/2010 1500z John reports about 2,500 QSO's log up to now.
73 - John - XU7XRO
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It is with great relief that today i received an email from Jenci HA5FA of the Hungarian QSL Bureau.
Dear Tim, Today we receive a 10kg parcel from the RSGB.
Thae parcel contains 0,49 kilograms of your QSLs:
CY2ZT/2,OY4TN,9M6DXX/P,7P8OK,MW9W,M0URX,XU7XRO,C91XO,3DA0OK,
A25OOK,M3SDE V8FRO and 9M8Z. Thanks a lot, vy 73 de Jenci, HA5FA.
This is great news. Any more World Bureaus report receiving QSL's from teh RSGB Bureau please keep us informed? Thank you.
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As previously stated for my clients I will continue to send QSL cards direct to the World Bureaus at my expense to ensure a good service for the people around the World that want the Bureau QSL.
If you have been reading my Blog in recent months, you will have read that I have been investigating reports that many QSL cards outgoing from the RSGB Bureau have not been sent. When I say outgoing I mean leaving Great Britain to World Bureaus. So where are we with my investigations?
It was in June 2009 that I started receiving complaints about non delivery of my outgoing Bureau QSL cards for stations that I manage, these QSL cards are dating back to late March 2008 from when they left here.
It was established in November 2009 from Richard Constantine of the RSGB Bureau that prices increased in carriage to the World Bureaus significantly and about a year before in 2008 Richard had “called a halt to some outgoing countries” It was at this point that I alerted Richard to the contract that I have been using since 1993 from Royal Mail called “Destination Sort” that would enable the RSGB Bureau to send 5kg+ parcels to World Bureaus at as little as £1.79 per kilo to Hungary if sending 5kg+ and the most expensive is £3.18 per kilo at 5kg+ to New Zealand. Of course there are some Bureaus that will attract far fewer QSL cards and those packages can be sent at still very reasonable cost through either Destination or Format Sort products. So I thought that this matter would be quickly resolved as I had given the RSGB Bureau the perfect product to send regular parcels to the World Bureaus.
However in December 2009 and through to January 2010 it became apparent that still World Bureaus were reporting to me that they still had not received any QSL cards from the RSGB Bureau since 2008 and that complaints to me about non delivery of Bureau QSL cards back to March 2008 were growing daily and now over 250 emails have been received here regarding this matter.
The Canadian Bureau started sending me QSL cards direct, asking me to do the same by-passing the RSGB Bureau, as Canada also reported that the RSGB Outgoing stopped in 2008.
Many ARRL Bureaus also have reported directly to us here that they also have not received any QSL cards from the RSGB Bureau since 2008, while other ARRL Bureaus reported that they do not keep records but staff could not remember the last time they received packages from the RSGB.
Ukraine where many of the complaints started coming in from reported the same lack of packages. Although one parcel to Ukraine was sent, it has had to be returned back to the RSGB Bureau because of no customs declaration documentation.
Other countries where I have had major issues with outgoing QSL cards are Russia, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Estonia, Belgium, Netherlands to name just a few.
As well as communications with Richard Constantine at Norcomm, I also made members of the RSGB Board aware of my concerns on numerous occasions in frequent emails. On 16th January there was a RSGB Board meeting where the lack of outgoing Bureau QSL cards was on the Agenda. Don Field G3XTT writes “There was an RSGB Board meeting today and I discussed the situation at some length with Peter Kirby. I believe Peter now properly understands the concerns and will take up the matter with Richard as a matter of some urgency.”
When the RSGB Bureau tendered the job out to Norcomm a Service Level Agreement was drawn up, I know because I also tendered this job. The SLA states that “The successful bidder will be expected to provide like or improved service. The delivery of this service and the method of operation can be changed to suit the requirements of the service provider. However all changes must be agreed with the RSGB before implementation. The relationship with the RSGB will be through a nominated member of staff overseen by the General Manager and answerable to the Board”
The service has not improved and neither has the service level been maintained. In an email to Peter Kirby General Manager and Don G3XTT “Portfolio Bureau” I suggested that “There is NO monitoring by the RSGB. There is NO Service Level Agreement that should have been put in place when the tender was signed.”
In reply Peter Kirby states “Firstly, the bureau is monitored by the RSGB and we have close contact with Richard Constantine at Norcomm. Under the terms of the contract Richard has to produce a three monthly report which is seen by the Board.”
Knowing that the Bureau is monitored and that Richard compiles a three monthly report I find it very hard to understand why the RSGB were not aware that a serious problem was developing on the Outgoing Bureau and that many Bureaus had not had a dispatch since March 2008. In Richards defence he has quoted that 170 kg in weight of QSL cards are leaving the outgoing Bureau every month. Chris G1VDP has asked to see the weigh bills as some sort of proof that there are QSL cards outgoing. However his requests have not been met on the grounds that they “don't feel it is appropriate to answer queries from individual members like yourself with shipping details of specific parcels - if that happened nothing would ever actually get done.” Fair comment, but we need some sort of Audit Trail. As fully subscribed members of the RSGB we feel that we are entitled to view documentation that relates to this matter to ensure that the future of the RSGB QSL Bureau is secure. I have also offered my help to package up and send the outgoing parcels but my offer of help has not been accepted.
So this is now where we are with the Bureau situation.
As previously stated for my clients I will continue to send QSL cards direct to the World Bureaus at my expense to ensure a good service for the people around the World that want the Bureau QSL.
05/02/2010 - It has been reported that the DARC German Bureau has received two boxes in the last two months while the W9 Bureau received about 600 cards this week from the RSGB.
However the detailed report that we expected from the RSGB Board has not yet arrived, despite being told that we would be kept informed of the progress after the Board Meeting.
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Steve VE2TKH reports of the moment he realised his girlfriend in Haiti was safe!
I received an important phone call minutes ago with details on the condition of all my 28 or so friends. They are ok, it is a miracle!!
Here is my article i published on an amateur radio dedicated website. Thanks God, you realized my prayers of last december and this week! Steve Toupin
Monday January 18th 2009, 03:21UTC
I was so surprised to receive a phone call from my lovely Andromaque directly from her cell phone minutes ago. She told me that she is ok, and everybody is ok!! Wow, a miracle!
Their home is still standing, they sleep outside and only go during day time for a quick shower in the bathroom. I told her to remain like this and keep avoiding long visits inside the building. They are tired and it is difficult to sleep for them she told me.
I asked why she can now call me with the cell phone? She answered me that her campany Digicel gave 200 gouds credits to all its customers to allow them free calls (NDLR other companies are Voila and Haitel).
 She told me they are in STRONG need of water and food!! But, sometimes the people from the Belgium consulate that are very close to them, are coming with few food and water.
I gave her infos about the international help gathering at PAP Intl airport and that they have big problems with the security concerns and to use the roads from the airport to the city. I also told her about the bad shape of their port for ships that are waiting anchored before delivering their help.
I also told her to spread the word to others about these facts I informed her, but she told me that they all already know that because the radio station, at least one, is still broadcasting.
I suggested that some good hearted haitians can do something to help international aid to reach them, but she told me that the situation is really bad and getting worst every hour that is passing by and even if they want to do so, the vilains will block them. She had the same bad news for me as Jean-Robert HH2JR had 5.5 hours ago when I reached him on his cell too. I mean about the criminality rising all around.
I was telling her the story of the HI hams that are now in Jimani and suddently we lost the communication. We lost it not because of bad conditions of equipment there due to the earthquake (in fact it was far better than when we used to talk last fall before I visited her, it was crystal clear communication), but because of her money credits from Digicel gift were empty. I won’t complain here as it was the best news I ever received from a phone call in all my life. Unfortunately, I tried to call back and it was not working.
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It is now several days since the earthquake disaster struck Haiti. Words cannot describe what the Haitians are going through. We, as Radio Amateurs must do whatever is needed to help our dear friends in Haiti.
VE2TKH Steve has recently just arrived back in Canada after his December trip to Haiti, Steve is heading back to Haiti to help friends and their family I will let Steve explain more....
Mr. Jean Robert Gaillard HH2JR whom I am without news from him since the quake. (Ed we now know that Jean is safe) Please if any ham around this world can have some news about our friend Jean-Robert, please share them with us.
I am personally planning with my family and canadians hams friends to go back there to help my friends and a canadian NGO who made a statement today calling for help from radio amateurs to establish an emergency station in or near there office in Port-au-Prince. As far as I am concern, I’ll gladly help them. I’ll call for your help in donations to OFFICIALS sources of help like the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, Architect without Borders, Oxfam, UNICEF, World Vision, Care International or CECI (NGO fm Canada). All these organisations are there in Port-au-Prince, I personally saw their office buildings while I was there between Nov 18th and Dec 15th of 2009.
About me, to go there and help, I’ll need some money, but not that much, only what’s needed to cover the plane airfare, the food, the public transport there, and few bucks to buy what my friends will need to comfort them, secure them and feed them. I am contacting now 3 ot 4 radio amateurs who can help building a campaign to raise money to help me in this project to help these haitians people woh really deserve my participation in this relief effort. Surely one of a kind in human History, such as what was done for the 2004 asian Tsunami. To be honest, I’ll turn 33 years old next january 29th and I truly can not stay here in Quebec City doing nothing, absolutely not. Let’s see how we can rally all together as radio amateurs for a common cause, MANKIND. Let’s prove our humanism! the amount of money is not that big comparatively at what it will serve for and do for these people. I have a valid and verified account with PayPal since 2001, things will be easy for all who will be willing to help me a bit.
Infos will follow later on here on how to support me and my project. Pictures showing humanism, not horror, humanism will be provided to you via this website. I personally guarantee that. I’ll try to do the best pictures report I can while time will be allowed for that aspect that is not on top of my list. By the way, here is my list of things i want to do once there.
1- Landing in Puerto Plata, reaching Pétionville via Toussaint Louverture airport road then Route de Frère that connect to Impasse Lavache in Delmas 95 where my 6 friends and 2009 hosts lives.
2- Secure them, feed them, search for missing ones, support them, help them, etc
3- Do the same for the 20 – 25 or so other relatives of my 6 friends. And try to learn about our ham friend Jean-Robert HH2JR, even help him or his family if I can.
4- Help the Canadian NGO/ONG build and/or operate their emergency station.
5- Find an internet access to communicate how things are going on there for the people and about me.
6- Take some pictures showing what us as human beings can do when we rally to help our fellow mans.
7- Coming back to Canada only once evryone I know is ok, burried or in an hospital. Also, coming back only when things will quiet down a bit and life will start to recover a normal paste. It will take the time it will take…
8- These main goals will be brought into focus in their order if possible, but be aware that some of them will be done at the same time or on the same day. Some of them will cross each other. It’s just a list after all.
I truly hope this new experience for me will be one in a lifetime and will show me how I can impact my world. Honestly, we can all have positive impacts on our World. It is up to us, it is inside us, our hearts, our brains, our blood and our veins. Just a simple or little act can do a lot, like the butterfly effect. Thanks.
Steve Toupin VE2TKH
If you would like to donate to Steve to help friends in Haiti you can send a Paypal donation to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
IMPORTANT Use Personal then GIFT to send the Paypal donation then no charges will be deducted. THANK YOU!
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Tim Beaumont
P29CS Andy is working and living on Lihir island IOTA OC-069, just to the east of New Ireland Island, located 940Km N.E. of Port Morseby. Andy is closer to the capital city of the Solomon Islands than he is to the capital of PNG.
In a Pan-European project, SMØMDG Bjørn, EA3NT Christian, EA2TA George, EA1DR Oscar and leader MMØNDX Col will – weather permitting – try to be active from the remote North Atlantic island group of the Flannans 20 miles north west of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Activated in 1989, 1995, 1999 and 2002, the mysterious Flannan Isles are certainly a much needed but extremely difficult to access IOTA. 
