Category - Blog

United Radio QSL Bureau are very much aware that we have to make sure that QSL cards are valid for as many Award programs as possible. It is not always possible to keep everyone happy all of the time. So whether you are working towards DXCC, IOTA, QRP or whatever award where QSL cards are required I will always try to accomodate your needs.

I have recently exchanged several emails with a few QRP operators who request their QSL reports to be made out as /QRP. I would like to make it quite clear that my policy is to always write the call sign in the format that the licencing authority have licensed your Amateur Radio call sign. As far as I am aware no licencing authority issues /QRP on the licence documents. I think you would agree that if i started calling as M0URX/QSL you would think it was not correct and you would be right. Q-Codes are NOT part of your call sign! Neither is it my job as a QSL Manager to verify the power of your transmitter.

If you want a specific contact out of 5 in the log to be on a separate QSL please let me know, and providing you pay the correct postage for the amount of QSL cards you need then I will try to do this for you correctly. I have also communicated with a QRP club who have said that for their awards the QSL cards do not have to have /QRP and is down to the claimaint to verify which QSOs on a QSL are QRP.

Over the last few months the bank dollar exchange rates have been dropping quite heavily against other currencies. So that we can continue to provide the very best in QSL management our charges for QSL exchange have changed very slightly. With OQRS I have changed from €2 to GBP £2 and also increased very slightly the multi QSL offer for direct letter with $ to reflect the devalued dollar.

The following is a breakdown of Direct Postage Costs. Considering other QSL managers charge $2 per card, United Radio QSL Management Bureau believe the following is very reasonable.

Which IARU Bureau is the fastest? The hunt is on to find the Bureau service that sends out the fastest Bureau cards from the batch of VK9MT QSL cards.

On Monday June 2nd, eleven thousand QSL cards were sent to World Bureaus. Included in this posting was over 1,000 VK9MT Bureau cards. Have you got yours yet?

Let me know if you have? Please drop me an email, I am looking for the fastest sorters in the World!
Bureau does NOT mean slow!

I have been watching the value of the US Dollar fall, fall and fall some more, from $1.75 to $1.82 then $1.90 to the GB£ Sterling. This affects the value of dollars coming in for postal QSL card requests.
Although for the time being I will accept $2 for one QSL card, it is getting very close to having to increase this to $3 for one QSL.
Please if possible use my Online QSL Request System OQRS instead of posting QSL cards to me.

So what has been happening in recent weeks since you made your OQRS request for VK9MT?
What is the status of the QSL?

While the VK9MT team were working their way back home from the Pacific, work here at the QSL management Bureau has been going well, but just WHAT have I been doing?

Firstly there were many emails, logging enuiries, questions that had to be answered, this was done, the busted calls were corrected, the log was uploaded to LoTW with permission from the VK9MT team.

OQRS requests came in fast and so far all Direct and Bureau OQRS requests have been “Processed”

What does “processed” mean? and why haven’t I got the QSL yet?
This is what many of you are asking, “Processed” means that your OQRS request has been processed into the log for direct or bureau QSL. It cannot be posted yet because the QSL cards have yet to be printed.
OQRS is NOT Ebay! Just because you pay by PayPal, it does not mean you get the QSL in 10 days! The QSL process works exactly the same as if the QSL was posted to me.

All direct letters have also been processed through the logs and all envelopes are now in country order in seven mail trays in my office.

Sponsoring DX organisations often request QSL cards for their members which I prepare and package up and post to the DX society HQ. In this case files from DDXG, DX Italia, GDXF, MDXC and Swiss DXF have all been received and processed through the log.

If you were a $50+ donor, I have processed your QSOs to QSL direct, envelopes have also been prepared and placed in the mail trays. These QSLs are being sent out free as a token of our appreciation of your support. 
Please use Club Log and check your QSOs are correct. If you think you have a busted, please email me.

Dave, K3EL was the team photographer and arrived home in mid April and started to sift through the images of the DXpedition to provide me with the photographs needed to design the QSL card. The photographs, the text, the logos are now all in the hands of our QSL card designer Max, ON5UR and soon we will be able to proof the QSL design before it goes to the print room.

That is where we are today, all on schedule and still working hard to get you the ATNO in your QSL collection.

QSL posting is scheduled for June 2nd 2014.