Author - Tim Beaumont

International Mail Surcharge

22 May 2020
We are in some very different times with the effects of Covid-19 and QSL mailings are no different. At this time there are significantly less aircraft flying between all the countries in the world. This means that the capacity for mail freight on the aircraft still flying is at a raised premium and as you can imagine in a world of supply and demand the price goes up and up. So we are hit with a flight surcharge on all our international post. I have looked into this very carefully and i have found ways to absorb this extra cost so that we can keep our QSL and OQRS costs unchanged. With dollar exchange rates very favourable and PayPal’s Micro-Payments reduced charge it is unlikely to have any effect on the costs of QSL requests today.
This of course remains a very fluid situation and I will inevitably continue to review this for the foreseeable future.

VP8PJ QSL Mailing Posted

21 May 2020

VP8PJ South Orkney and ZL1NA/MM QSL cards have been posted this morning 21st May, please give 7 – 14 days for delivery. Where Covid-19 restrictions remain delivery maybe delayed.
All direct (both online and postal, Foundation and Donors) QSL requests received up to today have been posted.
I would like to get feedback on our QSL’s arriving in your country, photos are welcome!

VP8PJ QSL Work Update

17 May 2020
Just to give you a progress report on the VP8PJ QSL stuffing  .. I am working on last box of envelopes so all going well! Once this box is done I will clear down the OQRS to make sure all VP8PJ QSL requests are processed in this mailing. Almost done! All being well i would like to get the completed mailing in the post by Thursday 21st May.
VP8PJ OQRS Open to get your QSL in this posting! The team will post a Press Release once the mailing is in the post!

UKSMG Six News Posted

14 May 2020

One of the jobs here at the United Radio QSL Bureau is making sure that the UKSMG magazine “Six News” is posted safely to their mailing list.

Here i am at the queue at the local Post Office sending Six News 143.

As we are now at the start of a new Sporadic E season in the Northern Hemisphere it is the perfect time to get on six, and to find out what the UKSMG has on offer, you can find out more information on the UK Six Metre Group by clicking the link. 

“Six Metres can be exciting and frustrating in equal measure, but it’s  never dull.  And despite what you might have heard, it’s far from dead despite the poor solar maximum.  Working DX on 50MHz is never going to be as easy as on 20m, but that’s the whole point – if it was easy, it wouldn’t be half as much fun!”

PDXG Press Release ZL9

13 May 2020

For Immediate Release Press Release #1 May 13, 2020
New Zealand Sub Antarctic Islands DXpedition  (OC-037)

The Perseverance DX Group (PDXG) has some unfinished business. Several PDXG members participated on the 2012 ZL9 activation that was cut short by weather. 

After their successful VP8PJ South Orkney Islands 2020 DXpedition, PDXG is pleased to announce their intention to activate the New Zealand Sub Antarctic Islands (ZL9), Clublog #24 most wanted, in the 2021-2022 time frame.

The plan includes 160-10m operation, CW/SSB/RTTY/FT8, with emphasis on 160, 80, 60, 40 and, propagation dependent, 12 and 10 meters.    

The landing permit process is pending and discussions with transportation partners have begun. However, the Covid-19 lock down has caused significant delays and uncertainty.
Additional information will be published as it develops.
Questions to: [email protected] 
73, PDXG Leadership Team

QSL’s from Previous PDXG DXpeditions can be requested by clicking the links below. 
VP8PJ Signy Island, South Orkney Islands 2020
VP6D Ducie Island 2018
TX3X Chesterfield Islands 2015
VK9MT Mellish Reef 2014

VP8PJ QSL cards arrive from Printer

12 May 2020

VP8PJ QSL cards arrived from the printer today. Thank you to Max ON5UR for the excellent work! so the job of labeling the cards and stuffing the envelopes begins!

Please remember ALL cards requested up to the mailing date will all be sent in the mailing and a press release from the VP8PJ team to the DX Bulletins will inform you when the job is done. OQRS is open so you still have time to make your QSL request.

VP8PJ OQRS Click Here:

VP8PJ QSL Schedule

9 May 2020

The VP8PJ cards are printed and were shipped from ON5UR QSL Print Services in Belgium to Tim M0URX in the UK. Tim has the tracking numbers and after Customs processing expects the cards to be delivered soon.

The envelops, labels and pre-printed postage are prepared and awaiting the cards. Once in hand the “stuffing” process will begin. Until the Covid-19 lock down in the UK is lifted Tim will probably have to do this work alone, it will take longer than usual to complete.

The initial mailing will include all the VP8PJ confirmation requests in the system through the mailing date. Buro cards will be bulk shipped directly to the inbound buros early next year.  73, GS K5GS

Welcome to the Bespoke OQRS

3 May 2020

Welcome to the Bespoke OQRS (Online QSL Request System) of M0URX – United Radio QSL Bureau. By clicking the banner below you will find all the logs in our care. You can request your Bureau or Direct QSL cards from here.
This is a Bespoke OQRS system developed by our team headed by HA5AO Pista. Together, we have configured and incorporated the tools that the QSL Manager, DX’pedition teams and the DX’ers need all in one place to bring you the QSL to your door!

VP8PJ QSL Preview

23 April 2020

The VP8PJ QSL card designs have been approved and the production started at ON5UR QSL Print Service. Being done over the Internet made the process easy and seamless during the Covid-19 lock down.  There will be three full colour cards, each designed by Dave K3EL.

– VP8PJ folded card – various scenes of the island.
– VP8PJ Bureau and overflow card.
– ZL1NA/MM – RV Braveheart anchored – Borge Bay – Signy Island.

Mailing Schedule?
This week as the designs were sent to the print room, I printed off all the address and QSO labels from OQRS, and prepared all the envelopes ready for the mailing. You will see that the OQRS now puts the “Status” of these QSL as “Direct Sent”
The mailing will not be sent until ALL QSLs are ready and there will be a press release made when the competed mailing is sent.  As soon as the cards arrive from the printer I will stuff the envelops and take to the post office. As a reminder, all VP8PJ confirmation processing is handled by Tim M0URX, from the UK. OQRS Open – see links above.
Bureau cards will be placed in the bureau system in early 2021.

 

 

5Z4/G3AB Log uploaded

15 April 2020

5Z4/G3AB Log uploaded to 26 Apr 2020 11:24 UTC. OQRS Open

Log is not complete. Log updates will be sporadic. Please be patient and always check “Last QSO in Log” data before you raise a ticket.

Andy reports to me that: he is now using JTDX for FT8 and will now be signing off each QSO with “RR73”