[Dxbase] Mail Drops

Tue Dec 15 06:59:55 EST 2009

I like your style... :).. You have some pretty valid points and although ive used postage services years ago i found it to be a relief when most of the dx stations started asking for green stamps!. The problem I have right now is I have no job and I just got a batch of cards from the buro and I really cant afford to qsl back as I print a few cards on my computer for needed award contacts and I havent had a batch of cards printed in years as I was not playing radio for quite sometime. Im sure your aware of the cost of nice qsl cards these days !. Then there is postage and stuff to get those cards sent out.. I do do loTW and also E-Qsl simply because its pretty easy to do and keeps most everyone happy . I wish more people would get on the LoTW band wagon.. Thats got me thinking . I have a son that works for a print shop and ill be seeing him this evening . Im going to see if he can do anything for me .. At least maybe he can save me some money on a batch of cards.. 
73 
Dave N8DC 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brendan Minish" <ei6iz.brendan at gmail.com> 
To: "Ron Stordahl N5IN" <ronn5in-dxbase1 at yahoo.com> 
Cc: "Jim WA9YSD" <wa9ysd at yahoo.com>, dxbase at mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 8:38:23 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: Re: [Dxbase] Mail Drops 
On Mon, 2009年12月14日 at 08:39 -0800, Ron Stordahl N5IN wrote: 
> I have achieved very good results by buying foreign postage from 
> Plumb DX, then sending the SASE with that countries stamps applied in 
> the correct amount. I suppose there are some recipients who do not 
> like this, perhaps there are some special circumstances, but it is my 
> experience that this method is very effective. 

I don't like it at all (as a DX station to some of you ;-0 ), In recent 
years here we have had a number of postal rate increases for 
international mail, some quite closely spaced. 
I have had a good number of pre-stamped envelopes over the years that 
have required additional stamps on my nickel to cover the reply because 
of this. I have also had a few that came with stamps that were unusable 
(wrong country or our pre-Euro currency..) 
Another issue is that most people use gummed envelopes that you moisten, 
not peal a strip off. 
This is not an issue except when it rains a lot, then the chances are 
that I have a pre-stamped envelope that is very soggy and difficult to 
use & that may have suffered from INK run making it hard on the postal 
system. 
I suspect that buying Irish stamps in the US to put on your SAE for my 
reply QSL is not much cheaper (any cheaper?) than using an IRC or 2ドル. 
The thing is I can ALWAYS turn an IRC / $ into reply postage. I can 
rewrite a damaged / unusable reply envelope, but not if it has stamps 
already fixed to it. 
I always respond to QSL's but I don't as a rule send them out unless 
it's for a needed entity, if you make some attempt at covering my return 
postage it will go back via mail, if not then it will go back via the 
buero. IRC's or green stamps, on average, work out better for me than a 
pre-stamped reply envelope. 
If you just want a confirmation from me for DXCC then the ARRL LOTW 
system is by far the easiest way for all concerned. 
If you want a paper QSL then please include an IRC or green stamps (it's 
around 1ドル.25 for an international stamp here) along with a self 
addressed envelope. 
Or just use the buero. 
-- 
73 
Brendan EI6IZ 
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