Lots of QSL cards sent via bureau - but only to those who say they are in a bureau!!

I've been a busy little bee on these winter nights. With only 80m and 40m to entertain me in these long winter evenings - yes, its that time of year when 20 metres is closed by 7pm - I've been catching up on some writing some QSL cards.

I've worked quite a few contacts on 30 metres recently. And the chances are that if you worked me in the past week on that band, you will be getting an EI2KC QSL card via the bureau some time in the next while. However, there is one fairly major caveat to that. You must be in a bureau! Or, at the very least, you must state that you are in a bureau.

I'm always amazed at the number of stations listed on QRZ.com who give little or no information about how to QSL. Some of these stations undoubtedly don't want QSLs in the post or via the bureau. Others might not be proficient with computers and might not understand how to fill out the various fields in QRZ.com.


I have one simple rule about my QSLing. If you don't state that you are in the bureau or say something about QSL via buro somewhere on your page, then I won't send a card. And that's because I could be wasting a whole pile of QSL cards sending them off to people who are not in bureaus and then I get a pile back a year or two later marked "not in bureau"! So if you want a card via the bureau, just add a line somewhere on your QRZ page saying that you are in your bureau. Thanks!! There are 72 cards gone to the EI outgoing QSL manager in today's post (see photo above showing direct cards on left and parcel with bureau cards on right). This batch of 72 cards represents LESS THAN HALF of the contacts I made on 30m in the past week. I would gladly send one to everyone I worked, but many have such sparse information on their QRZ.com page that I dare not even try!

By the way, on the subject of QSL cards I received a direct card today from the States for a CW QSO made on 20 metres in July. It contained a two dollar bill - my first! Usually it's two singles, but I got the first two dollar bill today so it's interesting how there are so many "firsts" for someone who is a relative novice like me. The 2 dollar bill is pictured on right.

If you need a QSL card for any contact we've made, drop me a line on hamradioireland (AT) gmail (DOT) com.

73 for now and thanks for dropping by!