Over the last few years there has been some dramatic changes to how we all request our QSL cards. In Direct QSL requests it is quite significant that we are now requesting over 90% of these using OQRS as opposed to sending a direct letter. This data is measured here by our own OQRS system. This means that you not only get your QSL card much quicker by using OQRS, it also saves us a lot of time in processing your QSL request.
An added feature is the “Busted / Missing Call” form in which you can make an inquiry all in-house without emailing the QSL manager.
Some of you are confused about the “QSL Via” field – This is ONLY to be used if your bureau QSL is to be sent to YOUR QSL manager. It is NOT for your email address or for any greetings message and it most certainly should not be to write M0URX or your QSL request will just come back to me!
There is still much work to do in educating DX chasers on how to use OQRS. In particular we are experiencing a lack of use from the “Bureau” users, for DXpeditions, IOTA, Holiday stations and many rare DX stations, you should NOT be sending your QSL cards through the bureau. We need you to utilise the OQRS service.
Please – Always check on QRZ.com for QSL info!
Here at the United Radio QSL Bureau we practice “Responsible QSL’ing” and we ask you to do the same.
We are particularly concerned about QSL’ers and Contesters from JA, DL, OH, OK, UA who continue to “QSL ALL” QSOs from their log and perform QSL card dumps into their respective IARU QSL Bureaus. This practice is an example of irresponsible QSL’ing. The cost in both time and money to process such vast amounts of QSL cards is quite honestly staggering! Worst offenders of such behaviour are well known contest stations and we ask you to please STOP dumping your logs into the QSL Bureaus of the world. It is of course done for “Branding” purposes of the contest station so that the stations that they work remember the call sign and work them again in the next contest and the next and the next and then of course another dozen QSL exchanges are generated automatically by the QSL dumping of the contest station. This of course is very self-defeating, why? Most contest stations either do not pick up their bureau cards or they have a QSL manager deal with them, so the operators will probably never even see who has sent the QSL cards so the “branding” exercise is very flawed. Not to mention all the QSL cards that are sent to non-affilated call signs which all then have to be returned to the contest station. More waste!
The waste that this creates is quite huge, yet every single one of those useless requests has to be checked into the logs here just in case one of them is a “GENUINE” bureau request. This can take hundreds of man hours every year that is just here with the work I do. SO around the world there will be thousands and thousands of hours wasted processing the bureau cards from contest stations that are not requested or wanted or even want a reply back. This is beyond selfish, it is down right not acceptable! The money used by the world IARU Bureaus to ship all these cards that are not requested or wanted could be much better spent. Think about it!
Much investment has gone into Online QSL Request System development to save time in processing QSL requests this is very evident with the bureau requests, we do not have to wait three years to receive your card. Your QSL will be sent on our next dispatch to your IARU Bureau. Please help us in reducing the bureau waste! Thank you!
