QSLing and hamspirit

Hello !

Today I got some QSL cards from a manager in the US. Included was a little note that was astonishing : “Next time please add extra $ if you need so many cards because I print for my stations and this is very expensive”

Some explanations : I did request 4 cards from that manager (who manages several stations and does not QSL via bureau), and included 2 $ + SAE with my request.

The postage on the enveloppe for the reply was 0.95 US$, so I did send extra 1.05 US$. And apparently this is not pleasing the manager…

First, I did not ask these stations to pay for the printing of my cards, did I ? Why should I pay for the printing of their cards, and they should not pay for mine ?? Crazy, hey ?

Second, if 1.05 $ does not cover the printing of 4 cards, it is time to look for a cheaper QSL printer. I do not necessarily expect fancy picture cards (though they are nice, of course) but I would rather get a simple card than no card at all.

Third, if a QSL manager cannot afford the service he is sipposed to deliver, then he/she should not be  a manager, or ask the DX stations he manages to pay for the expenses. These DX are looking for cards (they did request some from some of my operations), why should it be free for them ?

I am told the bureaus will not forward cards for their non-members. Well, this is logical. But how about the DX station paying for a membership fee ? If they do so, the associations will forward their cards to their managers, and their managers will be able to send them out as for any other member. Let’s say this TF0XX pays membership to ARRL. His manager can then send and receive cards via the ARRL bureau. It will cost that station as much as to anybody else, right ?

Being a manager should be a service for which you volunteer, NOT a business.

After over 30 years of DXing, it is amazing to see how many managers don’t send cards…. I can understand someone not being interested in exchanging cards, but in that case, let them say so, instead of refering to qrz.com where their address can be found…. If they have mail theft problems, let them get a manager where this problem does not exist. I will not name some countries that are known to have these problems, we all know them…

While talking about QSLing, it is also amazing to see how many stations using a special call will not QSL either, for example during contests. They will be happy to indicate a QSL manager, even on qrz.com… but who will not QSL anyway… If the call is used several times, I can understand they are not expected to QSL 2 or more QSO with the same station on the same band and mode every time they work it in a contest, but at least once should be required… If you do not QSL, there is no problem with that, but SAY IT CLEARLY…

Well, I guess I will come back with this subject at a later date…

73 de Paul F6EXV