Author - Tim Beaumont

The latest incoming box from the RSGB Bureau arrived 3 weeks ago and has been sorted and processed and in the Bureau bins ready for the next bureau dispatch.

It is quite clear that many people are confused by OQRS, Bureau and Direct QSL’ing which leads to a huge problem of “Bureau Usage Abuse” Let me see if I can make it clear for you so that we can reduce this abuse and reduce costs within the bureau system and also reduce the wasted time that is spent on sorting bureau cards and processing them.

Out of 3,600 bureau cards received 75% of them should NOT have been sent. Yes, 2,700 cards that you have sent me should NOT have been sent.

For all DXpeditions that are QSL Via M0URX the correct way to request your QSL cards is by using my OQRS. (Online QSL Request System)

Once you have requested your DXpedition QSL using OQRS you must NEVER then put your cards through the bureau – This is NOT required and is ABUSE of the bureau system!

Once the cards are processed they are BINNED.

It is quite clear that many of you do NOT understand this, ESPECIALLY DL stations that send for EVERY QSO Via Bureau – THIS IS ABUSE of the bureau system Please DO NOT DO IT!

Once I receive your OQRS request, your QSL is processed and stored until it is time to send the card to your bureau. You must NOT then send your card through the bureau.

If I need YOUR QSL I will email you and ask you for it!

You MUST ALSO correctly mark your log as “QSL Requested” When you receive your QSL from me you will see “THANKS QSL” This means your reply is NOT NEEDED. DO NOT SEND a reply QSL to DXpedition cards.

The Bureau service is NOT free, it costs national societies (AND ME) vast amounts of money to ship the cards around the world, abuse of the system is clogging it up and is extremely wasteful and will NOT be tolerated. This is the strongest language that I have used to highlight this massive problem. My next step will be to name and shame the abusers.

Work on processing the E30FB QSL requests continues and I have an important update for you.

During the DXpedition the team experienced computer and network issues that could not be resolved on site A few days ago the laptops arrived back in Japan and the team have managed to get the raw logs to me for inspection. Around 2,000 QSOs that were missing have been recovered so far.

Action taken – These QSOs have been added to the log. QSL requests for both direct and bureau have been matched to the new QSOs found.

You DO NOT need to take any action other than check Club Log to see if your QSOs are there.

OQRS is open here – http://www.m0urx.com/eritrea_oqrs/  Thank you.

An update on the EP6T QSL mailing. I am getting some reports from USA that some letters did not arrive, letters with the post codes beginning 4, 5, 6, & 7. Whilst most letters HAVE arrived it looks like the USPS have mislaid a bundle or incorrectly routed them.

The missing letters were posted on the 17th March in an International mail bag labelled for USORDA Sorting centre in the USA. It would appear that one bundle was then sent to the wrong state. So although I am sure the letter WILL arrive, any non delivery I will just re send from here, no drama so anyones letter that did not arrive should contact me privately. Thank you

I am getting a lot of QSL requests from German Club Station operators for QSL cards under their own personal call sign. Sorry but these will be returned NOT IN LOG!

If you are the operator of the Club Station and you want to claim the QSL for your personal call sign, then you MUST also be logged by the DX with your HOME CALL. The Club Station call sign is not valid for your personal call.

The work continues since the posting of the EP6T QSL cards last Tuesday. The DXpedition E30FB to Eritrea closed with 62,500 QSO’s and instantly the OQRS was busy with all your requests, already over 2,200 requests have been processed, envelopes printed and placed in trays in country order. Just to give you an idea how many are now using OQRS i have only received 276 direct letters so far for E30FB. Also over 1,000 bureau requests processed.

Other incoming requests have filled a box with 197 outgoing letters that will be posted on Monday, and a new supply of 14 boxes of envelopes ready for your QSL request.

I am waiting for the first bureau cards to land since we posted them on Tuesday! WHICH Bureau is the worlds FASTEST? If you get your bureau cards in the next week or two send me a photo of you with the QSL card for the blog! 

I have just spotted a commercial on You Tube from a company called MTN Group. It features a boy that wants to discover and uses Amateur Radio to talk to the Space Station. Inadvertently it is probably the best ever commercial for Amateur Radio I have ever seen (It isn’t supposed to be advertising ham radio haha)

The moral of the story is Life is too short for QRP.