“It was 599 Both Ways”

15 February 2013

I have lost count how many times that I have seen emails saying:

“The DXpedition got my call sign wrong, please correct the log it was 599 both ways, 100% rock solid QSO”

First of all it cannot be a rock solid 100% QSO if they got your call wrong! If you believe they got the call wrong, then you should call in again to avoid disappointment. If the team tell you are already in the log then it was ok the first time.

For a “Two Way QSO” to have taken place both sides of the conversation must correctly receive the call sign.

If the DX gets the call sign wrong DO NOT say “TU 599” Instead say clearly using correct phonetics:

“No No my call sign is G9AAA G9AAA” and wait for confirmation. If he comes back to the call G9AAB then just maybe G9AAB was also in the pile up. Yes that happens! Just  try again.

I sadly have to give a lot of NOT IN LOG reports because I often find that the call logged was 100% correct but another correctly logged station.  Today’s helpful tip for working DX!

V63ZM

13 February 2013

I’m now in FSM Chuuk.  No radio tonight, as light lost before antenna work complete.  Hope to be fully operational
tomorrow, Thursday from around 1000z.

QTH Chuuk Islands IOTA OC-011 Federal State of Micronesia.
Please note that the QRZ.com entry is not correct for the IOTA reference, this is from a previous licence holder.

73 Bob V63ZM  – QSL Via M0URX

4 DXpeditions In 4 Weeks

11 February 2013
With 4 DXpeditions QSL Via M0URX in the next month, I have listed below the QSL details.
All have LoTW uploads ASAP and all have OQRS facility.
Please can I ask that if a Bureau QSL is required to use the OQRS.
No incoming QSL cards are needed for these activities, so please save on Bureau costs.
 
 9-13/02/2013 KH2/G3ZEM LoTW daily  OQRS Direct & Bureau
13-23/02/2013 V63ZM        LoTW daily  OQRS Direct & Bureau
14-23/02/2013 9U4U          LoTW ASAP OQRS Direct & Bureau
10-18/03/2013 9M4SLL      LoTW ASAP OQRS Direct & Bureau
 
Please remember that QSL cards need to be printed AFTER the DXpedition, which can take four to six weeks. So using OQRS and PayPal DOES NOT mean that I will be sending QSL cards before they are printed. 

KH2/G3ZEM

9 February 2013

Sunday – Log updated on Club Log.

Saturday – In an email from Bob this morning he reports:

“I plan to be QRV 160m hoping to work EU from about 1 hour before KH2 dawn on Sunday morning……….that’s EU Saturday night.  Likely this will be my only opportunity for 160m while on Guam. KH2/G3ZEM”

9U4U Burundi February 2013

4 February 2013
BDI map

9U4U will be QRV from 14 February to 23 February 2013 a Belgian – Dutch expedition team will be on the air from Bujumbura, Burundi
 
Their QTH is at the Club du Lac de Tanganyika on the shores of the Lake Tanganyika. 
 
For more information visit 9U4U Website
 

Direct – QSL Via M0URX – Please direct all QSL requests through my OQRS or Direct to my address: 

Tim Beaumont M0URX P.O. Box 17 Kenilworth Warwickshire CV8 1SF ENGLAND

Bureau – Please do not send any QSL cards through the Bureau. Incoming QSL cards are not required. Please ONLY use OQRS

Don’t Send It – Request It! – Use OQRS

KH2/G3ZEM & V63ZM QRV In February

4 February 2013

Bob Henderson 5B4AGN will be QRV as KH2/G3ZEM in Guam from 9th-13th February 2013, the opertaion will be at the QTH of Denny KH2JU, 

Bob then moves to Micronesia  for ten days on Chuuk FSM as V63ZM 13th – 23rd February 2013. Bob says “I will be using a HF9V and a reel of wire for antennas.  I will be running a K3, KPA500, KAT500 set-up.  I’m hoping my location at the water’s edge will make the HF9V sing”

Direct – QSL Via M0URX – Please direct all QSL requests through my OQRS or Direct to my address: 

Tim Beaumont M0URX P.O. Box 17 Kenilworth Warwickshire CV8 1SF ENGLAND

Bureau – Please do not send any QSL cards through the Bureau. Incoming QSL cards are not required. Please ONLY use OQRS

Don’t Send It – Request It! – Use OQRS

QSL Preview V26BM & VP2MSW

4 February 2013
QSL-V26BM

Two new QSL designs are being printed this week for the recent activities by SM0MDG, Björn, QRV as V26BM, Antigua, and VP2MSW, Montserrat. Both QSL cards will be available for posting in two weeks.

QSL-V26BM-BACK

QSL-VP2MSWQSL-VP2MSW-BACK

Addressing Your Letter

27 January 2013
This may be of use to those of you that send QSLs direct around the world. With the introduction of mail sorting machines in recent years, it has never been more important to address an envelope correctly. Hand writing an envelope increases the chance of your letter being rejected or wrongly routed by a sorting machine when in the past it would have been hand sorted and how the envelope was written would have been irrelevant.
 
I have experienced over the past couple of years many letters that have the correct address, but returned to me especially from the USA endorsed “Unable to forward” the only reason that I have found for this to have happened is that sorting machines in the destination country unable to route the letter correctly due to a sorting machine not able to recognise the format of the address on the envelope.
 
There is a page on the Royal Mail website Addressing Your Letter!  that shows exactly how the address for specific countries should be addressed, and printed using a computer is the best way to address a letter. 
 
I know I am bound to get emails now saying “well i have never had a problem” and dismiss this article as rubbish, but as a Royal Mail sorter I see a lot of foreign mail returned to sender for the reasons I have stated especially hand written envelopes. 
 
If you are sending a SAE, take some time to print your envelopes with your computer and CORRECTLY format the address to the suggested Royal Mail website list. this will make the routing of the sorting of your letter more accurate and also speed up the reply as it will not have to be hand sorted later when a problem arises. Many countries do not bother to hand sort errors but just return them to sender.
 
Other problems that I see with SAEs is from Latin America where the return address is covering the whole envelope, pretty useless as my Postage Paid imprint and the Air Mail sticker will cover your address. Envelopes from America that do not state the country of destination, you must write U.S.A. Always write your address in the LOWER MIDDLE of the envelope as in the sample here, with the coutry of destination at the bottom or your address in UPPER CASE letters.