[Dx-qsl] Peter One

Wed May 31 22:19:50 EDT 2006

Why is it that some folks feel that if they don't get their cards 
from DXpeditions within the first week of them coming out then 
there's a problem with postal thievery, dishonest managers, 
conspiracies, etc? Not to personalize this at all, but in the last 
couple of years, I've seen a good number with the same attitude.
I've analyzed my cards for the last 7 months now. Every time I do a 
run of direct QSLs I use a custom report in DX Base to show what got 
sent that particular day. I print it out and put it in a binder and 
every so often I go back in to analyze the results. By and large, on 
a typical run of 15 to 20 direct cards, all but a few come back 
within 4 months.
Nov. 9th: 14/14
Nov. 25th: 17/18 (no longer need the 18th, either)
Dec. 21 29/34
Jan 12th: 32/38
Jan 23rd: 27/32
Jan 25: 7/10
Jan 30: 4/6 (those two are both understandably delayed -- injury to 
one OM (get well soon, Thor!) and CE0Z cards not out yet).
The simple fact is, sometimes your envelope sits on the top of the 
manager's pile, sometimes it's on the bottom and usually it's 
somewhere in the middle. I can't think of a single medium-scale (i.e. 
6O0N, ) or large-scale (PW0T, TI9M, K1B, etc) DXpedition I've worked 
since getting into DXing in 2001 that I haven't eventually gotten a 
card back from. It takes as long as it takes, no more, no less. Peter 
1 was the fastest by a huge margin. K1B took what seemed like 
forever, but I wasn't worried. Sure, it gets frustrating when you see 
100 guys make posts about getting their rare-entity QSLs on this 
reflector and you have nothing but cobwebs in your mailbox, but 
sometimes that's just the way it goes. My worst was TX0AT a few years 
ago. I got my card about 3 months after they started coming out. So 
what, I got it. Now, if I was sitting at 325 confirmed and need that 
one rare one for Honor Roll, I may feel somewhat differently!!!
I would also recommend to anybody who has poor QSL return rates to 
examine their outgoing requests as well. After I got back from C6A in 
March, you wouldn't believe some of the QSL requests I got in. Make 
the manager's job easier for him/her and you'll likely receive your 
reply quicker than one requiring "special handling," a cryptologist 
to decipher card data from poor handwriting, an origami specialist to 
unfold the return envelope that was folded up a dozen times, etc. 
Leave your callsign off both envelopes, use meter stickers from the 
post office for the "iffy" countries (or rent your own postage meter 
if you send a lot of them), use nesting envelopes (make your outbound 
a security-tinted number 10), print outgoing addresses as labels 
instead of hand-addressing and make your mail piece look like 
business correspondence.
If you STILL think there's a postal problem, and you're on a rural 
route or get kerbside delivery only, rent a post office box to be 
certain that your card doesn't get dropped in a mud puddle while it's 
out for delivery. My postman sometimes leaves my mailbox flap open a 
tad at the top (it's not spring loaded), hence my mail gets soaked in 
heavy rain, so I did, in fact, rent a PO box. And a nice thing with 
boxes, if you don't like the service
from your local post office, you can always rent a box in the next town over!
>Matt Cassarino wrote:
>>I think I get your meaning and it was wholly uncalled for and mocking.
>>>>So like what, I donate, join the clubs that sponsor the trips, and 
>>I have get stressed waiting for some crotchity PITA to give me the business ?

Why are you letting this stress you out in the first place? It's just 
a QSL, it's just a hobby! Nothing in ham radio is worth worrying 
yourself sick over! I love DXing and love QSLing even more, but not 
to the point of stress. Sure, I'm cheesed off because I can't get 
ER4DX or ER1QQ to confirm 40 and 80m Q's (they're the only ones I 
have any problem with), but I don't let it get to me either.
>>Oh well.
>>>>>Matt Cassarino wrote:
>>>>OK, thanks for the info guys... I'll continue to wait then.
>>>>>>>>I'd like to say this because recently I was snapped at by a very 
>>>>few managers after waiting months with no reply.
<snip>
>>>>(hey, it's summer and WABC !) like G3TXF, W3HNK, others and 
>>>>women. I have heart failure and cardiomyopathy at 32 and don't 
>>>>ask for any SPECIAL treatment. But my family has no use for my QSLs.
>>>>>>>>So on the other hand, I don't expect to get stuck at the end of 
>>>>any piles because I dared ask and becaus esomeone sees my age and 
>>>>assumes I have 70 years to wait as punishment for my transgression.
>>>>>>>>Not when hundreds of guys couldn't care less who / what / where you are.
>>>>>>>>Meaning, I don't believe for a minute US mail doesn't get where 
>>>>I'm sending it if it's addressed to this country.
>>>>>>>>>>>>Cheers,
>>>>>>Peter,
>>>W2IRT