wrote in message
.. .
Hi,
I'm a new general and just made my first South American contact. I need the
details of appropriate QSLing. I have the name and address of the individual
I contacted. He names a QSL manager in his QRZ profile page. My assumption
is I would send the QSL card to the manager. Is this right? Sorry for the
dumb question. I'm just getting started in this hobby.
Thanks,
Paul
KD5LAR

Yup, you got it right.

Let's assume the manager is in the US.
Include a self addressed stamped envelope so he can send the QSL to you.
Also nice to include a bit of money to help cover the managers expenses.
Perhaps $1 would be appropriate ... hence the term "green stamp".

If the manager is outside the US the same ideas apply, but do include
something to cover the cost of postage and QSL card to help out the manager.

If you are not real concerned about getting the QSL quickly, as in "Oh,
nice QSO, but my 147th PY contact" then you might send a QSL via
the bureau and will likely get one back eventually.

I've done a lot of DXing recently but have not been all that concerned
about QSLs ... have a 50 year collection of them ... so others may be
able to provide more up to date comments on current practices.

Those first DX QSLs are sure nice to have though!
I still have my first "Worked All Continents" QSLs neatly mounted
in a little frame I can hang on the wall :-)

--

... Hank

Hank: http://horedson.home.att.net
W0RLI: http://w0rli.home.att.net

Thanks Hank,
I found the manager on QRZ (EA5KB) and I think he's asking for an addressed
envelope plus a dollar (USD/IRC).
Paul

wrote in message
.. .
Thanks Hank,
I found the manager on QRZ (EA5KB) and I think he's asking for an
addressed
envelope plus a dollar (USD/IRC).
Paul

An IRC is an International Reply Coupon. It is useable in any member
country of the International Postal Union to buy postage. Since the QSL
manager is in Spain, he will need that to buy stamps since he cannot use US
stamps.

You can get an IRC at post offices. However, you may have to hunt around
for them as not every post office will bother to have them on hand. For
awhile, I lived in a small town and they special ordered them for me as I
was the only person who ever asked for them. These days, you can probably
order them via the internet as the postal service does have a web site.

That first DX contact is a real thrill. I remember too.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Can you give a very brief overview of how the IRC works for us?
o_o_o_o
Best Regards, /| ,[_____],
Jim, WP3JQ |¯¯¯L --O|||||||O-
()_)¯ ()_)¯¯¯¯¯)_)
EM60qk 30.447439N 086.628959W

Drink wrote:

Can you give a very brief overview of how the IRC works for us?
o_o_o_o
Best Regards, /| ,[_____],
Jim, WP3JQ |¯¯¯L --O|||||||O-
()_)¯ ()_)¯¯¯¯¯)_)
EM60qk 30.447439N 086.628959W

This link will point you to all the IRC info you should ever need.
http://www.ac6v.com/callbooks.htm#IRC
Hope this helps.

73
Wayne L. Faris, KEØBZ



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"Drink" wrote in message
...
Can you give a very brief overview of how the IRC works for us?
o_o_o_o
Best Regards, /| ,[_____],
Jim, WP3JQ |¯¯¯L --O|||||||O-
()_)¯ ()_)¯¯¯¯¯)_)
EM60qk 30.447439N 086.628959W



If you receive an IRC, simply take it to any post office and buy sufficient
postage to reply to the QSL. Usually one IRC will buy enough postage to
send mail to any foreign country.

If you want to send someone an IRC, find a post office that has them on hand
(not all do) or get them off the internet. Enclose it in an envelope with
your QSL, a self-addressed envelope, and then send it to the foreign ham
whose card you want.

The reason that IRCs are necessary is that outgoing mail in any country must
use the stamps of that country. So it does no good to send a foreign ham a
stamped, self-addressed envelope unless you put on stamps from his country.
He simply can't use US stamps just as we can't use foreign stamps to mail
things here. So enter the IRC. It is accepted by all members of the
International Postal Union as a means to buy stamps. So an IRC plus
self-addressed envelope is the functional equivalent of the SASE for
international purposes.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 11:59:29 GMT, "Dee D. Flint"
wrote:

If you receive an IRC, simply take it to any post office and buy sufficient
postage to reply to the QSL.

If life were only that simple. The postmaster at the U.S. post office
where I live has been trying to figure out what IRC's are for about
a year now. He told me that if he ever does figure it out, he'll let
me exchange them for stamps. I got tired of waiting and sold them.

Many U.S. post offices are fine when it comes to buying IRC's but
when it comes to exchanging one for stamps, forget it......

73, Jim KH2D

Many U.S. post offices are fine when it comes to buying IRC's but
when it comes to exchanging one for stamps, forget it......

I've gotten my best, fastest return QSL results using Bill Plum's foreign
postage stamps. He is quick to turn around an order. I usually go in on an
order with a friend of mine who's a DXer, so we save a bit on p/h charges
too.

I've gotten cards from Europe and Asia as quick as two weeks by using return
foreign postage. Since I don't always "need" a card that quickly, though, I
send most of mine through the bureau.

Jackie

Have your Post Office Clerk go to USPS URL:
http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/32html/32h-p.html

Have him/her read:
international reply coupon - A coupon that is exchangeable for postage
(representing the minimum postage on an unregistered air letter) at post
offices in member countries of the Universal Postal Union. The coupon is
sold by post offices worldwide.

Worked for me, after I reminded them that the USA was a member country of
the Universal Postal Union !! Hi Hi

All about postage at URL:
http://ac6v.com/callbooks.htm#SERV

And IRC's are now $1.75 -- see USPS Publication 51

Also many European QSL Managers are now accepting Euro's
--
73 From The Signal In The Noise
Caveat Lector Ya All
---------------------------
wrote in message
. ..
On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 11:59:29 GMT, "Dee D. Flint"
wrote:

If you receive an IRC, simply take it to any post office and buy
sufficient
postage to reply to the QSL.

If life were only that simple. The postmaster at the U.S. post office
where I live has been trying to figure out what IRC's are for about
a year now. He told me that if he ever does figure it out, he'll let
me exchange them for stamps. I got tired of waiting and sold them.

Many U.S. post offices are fine when it comes to buying IRC's but
when it comes to exchanging one for stamps, forget it......

73, Jim KH2D

Many U.S. post offices are fine when it comes to buying IRC's but
when it comes to exchanging one for stamps, forget it......

I've gotten my best, fastest return QSL results using Bill Plum's foreign
postage stamps. He is quick to turn around an order. I usually go in on an
order with a friend of mine who's a DXer, so we save a bit on p/h charges
too.

I've gotten cards from Europe and Asia as quick as two weeks by using return
foreign postage. Since I don't always "need" a card that quickly, though, I
send most of mine through the bureau.

Jackie