VP9KF - QSL Information

QSL Information
I operate only CW. Please don't send cards claiming SSB or data mode QSOs.

Please QSL DIRECT ONLY:

Paul Evans,
6809 River Road,
Tampa, FL 33615, U.S.A.

Please, DO NOT send to the VP9, W4 or G bureaux you will not receive a reply.
VP9GE is NOT my QSL manager, just my host.

Please unless you cannot avoid it, no IRCs, but include US$2 to help defray expenses.

We donate a part of your enclosed money towards:

Agape House, Bermuda.

The best way to make sure your QSL card gets to me and my reply gets to you

osQSL - QSL Software Design

QSL and Logging software design

When you next have your new cards designed, remember:

If your card is two sided, make sure your call is on BOTH sides, clearly. Flipping the card can sometimes cause mistakes.
Make your date and time format standard (ISO8601): yyyy-mm-dd e.g. 2012-05-18 and time e.g. 17:39Z
Make sure your band is in frequency (MHz) and not in wavelength (metres)!
Head your columns with yyyy-mm-dd; UTC (not GMT!); MHz (not Band), RST and Mode
Do not place religious quotes, symbols, pictures or pictures of religious places on your card. They will not be answered.

If you don't do this, it is easy for QSL managers to make mistakes.

If your logging software outputs metres without an option for MHz, request that your software writer includes this in their next release.

QSLs - Why no IRCs?
Discussion amongst many DXers in NA/SA have shown that the USPS is making it VERY hard to encash IRCs since 2007-01-02.

In fact, although they are supposed to sell them, they have no idea what they are.

QSLs - Why SAE?
If you send a self addressed envelope it makes returning a QSL to you VERY easy and VERY much less prone to errors.

There's absolutely no need to put the senders address on the top left of the envelope. If you put your own it will freak out the USPS (since 2001-09-11 they delay or destroy many sent this way).

I have my own stampers and if you put your address there, I will just have to black it out anyway.

It makes life much easier if you include a self-adhesive envelope. It saves those tongue paper cuts which are truly awful. Buy a supply of them, other DX stations will like you for it.

QSLs - Why so much money? [International Postage is now $1.05 per envelope]
The rate for sending a letter from the USA to outside the USA increased from US$0.66 to US$0.98 after 2007-01-01 (and to even Canada to US$0.75). A HUGE increase. The cost (at the lowest price possible) of a full colour QSL card is US$0.08. If you send US$2 and SAE it helps a lot!!!! Sending one from VP9 costs well in excess of US$2. A very complex calculator for USA mailing can be found here.

QSLs - Why no bureau?
Handling cards via the USA, Bermuda or British bureaux is just too time consuming at the rate at which cards would be received (many per day).

Bureau cards are slow. Extra work. They could come through my other routes:

G4BKI [RSGB] - won't make it. I have this callsign, but I'm not an RSGB member and don't send envelopes to their buro.
VP9KF [RSB] - might just make it if they don't discard them and if VP9GE gets them for me :-)
W4/VP9KF [ARRL] - won't make it. I joined and left the ARRL.

"QSLs" - Why no eQSL ot LoTW?
I signed on to eQSL, but there were too many people trying to falsely claim QSOs, so I gave up. LoTW registration from outside the USA seemed impossible to achieve. I tried. I gave up in frustration. Besides, these aren't really "QSLs", so I changed my philosophy and abandoned these electronic means.

QSLs - Why none sent out from me?
I gave up DX chasing at least 20 years ago. If you want a card, you'll get one, but I don't send any out unless I receive one first.

Thank you. Please check the FAQ.

QSL cards are printed and being shipped direct.

They do not look exactly like the image shown above.

Postage Rates from the USA

After 2012-01-22 (Sunday), they are:
To International: US$1.05 <------ breaks through $1 for first time!
To Canada: US$0.85
To Mexico: US$0.85
USA: US$0.45
USA Postcard: US$0.32

After 2011-05-09 (Monday), they were:
To International: US$0.98
To Canada: US$0.80
To Mexico: US$0.80
USA: US$0.44
USA Postcard: US$0.29

After 2010-05-10 (Monday), they were:
To International: US$0.98
To Canada: US$0.75
To Mexico: US$0.79
USA: US$0.44

After 2009-05-11 (Monday), these increased to:
To International: US$0.98
To Canada: US$0.75
To Mexico: US$0.79
USA: US$0.44

After 2008-05-12 (Monday), these increased to:
To International: US$0.94
To Canada/Mexico: US$0.72
USA (1oz): US$0.42

To International: US$0.90 (many countries)
To Canada/Mexico: US$0.69
USA (1oz): US$0.41

osQSL - QSL Policy

QSL Policy

Error in QSO data	QSL decision
Time in error by small amount or by integer number of hours.	QSL, with time changed to that at VP9KF
Callsign in log is close (by a dit or so) and the correct log callsign has not already been QSLed.	QSL
Band is wrong. Station error. Not VP9KF as band is derived from computer controlled rig.	QSL, with band changed to that at VP9KF
Mode is wrong. No chance. I only operate CW.	No QSL
All other cases.	No QSL, pending further investigation

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Callsigns: G4BKI, G4BKI/VP9, VP9KF, 8P9FT, J8/VP9KF, W4/G4BKI, G4BKI/J3, J37KF, W4/VP9KF, V31WJ

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User Agent: CCBot/1.0 (+http://www.commoncrawl.org/bot.html) IP Address: 38.107.179.236 Remote Host:

	*VP9KF* Paul Evans, Baileys Bay Bermuda
WWV Log F:136 A:6 K:2 SSN:114
Lastest WWV data: 2012-05-18 17:30:01Z	Sustained rate per hour: 304 (CW)	Last reload: 2012-05-18 17:39:19Z	Data Policy