RTTY World Ranking List
QSL Contest QSO's - Tips and Tricks
Last Update: 18-Januar-2002
If you would like QSL contest QSO's, but want
to reduce your QSL workload, QSL printing cost, bureau fees and mailing
costs also, then please think about some of my tips and tricks.
Reducing your costs
Use cheap simple standard cards. The costs
per card are very, very low, when you order many thousands of cards.
If the bureau in your country is asking for
a (high) fee, then send the majority of your cards to some of the bureaus
in the destination countries direct (i.e. Italy, Spain, England, Germany,
Japan, etc.). To my knowledge all this bureaus do not ask for a fee. But
send the cards for the HAM's only, who are living in this country. Please
do not misuse the foreign bureaus!
If you are a member of a local contest club;
what's about sending your cards together with the cards from your friends
in one parcel to the bureau in the destination country?
If you prefer bulk mailing, then do it in
a smart way. Think about a criteria, which contest QSO's you want QSL,
without waiting for a request, like ..
confirm every first contact only (minimum!)
confirm every first contact on a new band
only, no matter which mode
confirm every first contact in a new mode
only, no matter which band
confirm every first contact on a new band
and a new mode
Reducing your workload
Find someone (at your own radio or contest
club?), who will do the QSL-ing job for you, who will be your QSL-Manager.
Use a smart method, if you are thinking about
bulk mailing (see "Reducing your costs").
Miscellaneous
Check out DF3CB's
software package for QSL Management and Label Printing, named "BV".
It is a professional Windows Software, developed and distributed by Bernd
Koch, DF3CB. It is mainly designed for the contester and QSL manager with
high QSL quantities. "BV" is freeware and supported by many HAM's!
To learn, how helpful Bernd's software could be for you, please read this
very interesting article "Tackling
the QSL Backlog at KC1XX" written by Jim Reisert, AD1C.
Someday you may visit the "HAMRADIO" in Germany-Friedrichshafen,
please let me know, before you enter the plane! Or we will see us in Dayton?
I am in Dayton every year, since 1999 (private only, not as an official
of the DARC :-) I hope, this tips are useful for you? If more tips
and hints are available, then I will update this page. If you have any
idea or any suggestion, please let me know.