How to use the "Buro."

[WA9SVD]

OK, a few questions, for "newbies" and OT's alike, perhaps.

1. As an "expartiate" from 9-Land, now in California (for over 20 years) which QSL Buro do I use/check?

2. What is the best way to inquire if I have any QSL's waiting?

3. What is the proper procedure to "register" or whatever else is needed to qualify for a buro, (as an ARRL Member?)

4. Any points I am missing?

[KA4DPO]

To properly use the Buro you must make sure it is fed and watered, then it will haul your coffe beans down from the mountain.

Juan..:D

[WA9SVD]

To properly use the Buro you must make sure it is fed and watered, then it will haul your coffe beans down from the mountain.

Juan..:D

Common misconceotion. A "Buro" is NOT a donkey, and a "burrito" is not really a small donkey.:p

[N8UZE]

OK, a few questions, for "newbies" and OT's alike, perhaps.

1. As an "expartiate" from 9-Land, now in California (for over 20 years) which QSL Buro do I use/check?

You use the one for the number in your callsign regardless of where you actually live.

2. What is the best way to inquire if I have any QSL's waiting?

Look up the contact info for your bureau and for the particular handler for the 1st letter of your suffix and email them. Or just go ahead and send envelopes to the bureau.

3. What is the proper procedure to "register" or whatever else is needed to qualify for a buro, (as an ARRL Member?)

For the incoming bureau, all you have to do is send stamped envelopes to your bureau. No registration or ARRL membership required. I recommend putting the note "Send Every Cycle" on the lower left hand corner of the envelopes so that they won't wait until the envelope is full to send it to you.

Complete details on how those envelopes should be prepared are on the ARRL website.

For the outgoing bureau, you must be a member and full details on how to use it are on the ARRL websit.

If you are not an ARRL member, you can instead send your cards to the appropriate foreign bureau. Say you have 20 cards for various German hams. You can send that package of cards directly to the German bureau and then you will receive your incoming cards from the ARRL bureau. Remember no membership required for receiving cards.

4. Any points I am missing?

Yes go read the ARRL web site relating to both the outgoing and incoming bureau. Virtually every question that you can think of is answered there.

[WA9SVD]

OK, thanks. I contacted the appropriate "9-Land" buro a while ago (via e-mail) about cards, and never got a response either way, although at least one station had said they sent a card that way.
Guess I'll try again.

[ab1ga]

OK, a few questions, for "newbies" and OT's alike, perhaps.

1. As an "expartiate" from 9-Land, now in California (for over 20 years) which QSL Buro do I use/check?

2. What is the best way to inquire if I have any QSL's waiting?

3. What is the proper procedure to "register" or whatever else is needed to qualify for a buro, (as an ARRL Member?)

4. Any points I am missing?

To (1): You continue to use the 9-land bureau; the sorting is done by call sign, not address.

To (2): You don't, really. QSLs through the bureau can take some time, and the bureau workers are largely volunteers, and don't need to be regaled with requests for progress reports from antsy DXers. The best approach is to make sure that you have enough SASEs or money credits at the bureau so that the bureau can send cards as soon as they've processed them.

To (3), AND (2): You need to check with your bureau for details. The W1 bureau has an online form to fill out, and will only take PayPal or checks. The bureau Web site or email addresses can get details; those without online access can probably send their questions by mail, enclosing an SASE for the reply.

To (4):

- The Incoming and Outgoing bureaus operate differently, my response was only for the Incoming bureau!

- Can't use the bureaus for domestic QSLing.

- When operating mobile, and signing with a slant, i.e. AB1GA/1, the QSL is still handled by the home district bureau.

Can't think of anything else right now, bad cold, sneezing and wheezing. :(

[KE6SHJ]

To properly use the Buro you must make sure it is fed and watered, then it will haul your coffe beans down from the mountain.

Juan..:D



Now that is funy. You beat me to it!!!!!!!

[k9xr]

OK, thanks. I contacted the appropriate "9-Land" buro a while ago (via e-mail) about cards, and never got a response either way, although at least one station had said they sent a card that way.
Guess I'll try again.

You may want to take a look at the Northern Illinois DX ASSN. web site. I think you can google it under NIDXA.

They run the 9TH area bureau, and they have a link that explains it pretty well.

Good Luck

[N2RJ]

Look up the contact info for your bureau and for the particular handler for the 1st letter of your suffix and email them. Or just go ahead and send envelopes to the bureau.

This (bolded) is very bad advice.

You should always look for the bureau's webpage and contact people before you send anything to the bureau.

This is because some bureaus (like W2) don't accept SASEs. We do this because postage rates these days are changing very quickly.

Even forever stamps don't help, because you can't mail more than 1oz with a forever stamp.

[N2RJ]

OK, thanks. I contacted the appropriate "9-Land" buro a while ago (via e-mail) about cards, and never got a response either way, although at least one station had said they sent a card that way.
Guess I'll try again.

Don't expect to get any cards via the bureau until at least a year has passed.

That is the guideline we give our (NJDXA W2 Bureau) subscribers.

[w3wn]

OK, a few questions, for "newbies" and OT's alike, perhaps.

1. As an "expartiate" from 9-Land, now in California (for over 20 years) which QSL Buro do I use/check?

2. What is the best way to inquire if I have any QSL's waiting?

3. What is the proper procedure to "register" or whatever else is needed to qualify for a buro, (as an ARRL Member?)

4. Any points I am missing?


1. Your call is a "9" call. You use the W9 QSL Bureau.
2. Send the Bureau manager a note, ask him to route it to the "V" sorter.
3. Send the Bureau some SASE's (use "Forever" stamps). Include extra postage for additional ounces. Put your call in the upper left hand corner of the envelope. Send a decent sized envelope (5 x 7-1/2 or 6 x 9) -- not too large, not too small.
4. You do not have to be an ARRL member to use the Incoming QSL Bureau. It is a service provided to all.

73

[w3wn]

<snip >
This is because some bureaus (like W2) don't accept SASEs. We do this because postage rates these days are changing very quickly.

Even forever stamps don't help, because you can't mail more than 1oz with a forever stamp.
Oh? I wasn't aware of that... but it's been a LONG time since I had to deal with the W2 bureau on a personal level!

In the past, the W3 bureau has only accepted SASE's. It's an old story that has to do with what happened to the bureau after Jesse Bieberman became a SK. I don't know if the current W3 bureau will be amending that policy, now or in the future.

73

[NI7I]

OK, a few questions, for "newbies" and OT's alike, perhaps.

1. As an "expartiate" from 9-Land, now in California (for over 20 years) which QSL Buro do I use/check?

2. What is the best way to inquire if I have any QSL's waiting?

3. What is the proper procedure to "register" or whatever else is needed to qualify for a buro, (as an ARRL Member?)

4. Any points I am missing?
I knew you were gg to get some flack on this.. Glad some fellows gave you some good info. I dont remember ever hearing a dx station spell it right on cw.. it's alwas buro.. the error is understandable.

73
Lee
NI7I

[N2RJ]

Oh? I wasn't aware of that... but it's been a LONG time since I had to deal with the W2 bureau on a personal level!

In the past, the W3 bureau has only accepted SASE's. It's an old story that has to do with what happened to the bureau after Jesse Bieberman became a SK. I don't know if the current W3 bureau will be amending that policy, now or in the future.

73

I'm surprised one of the Steves haven't told you.

http://www.njdxa.org/buro/paypal.php

This Bureau does not accept Self Addressed Stamped Envelopes (SASEs.)

If you change calls, or if you are subscribing for more than one family member, the Bureau requires that you have a separate subscription for each call.

You can purchase credits using PayPal, starting at $12, in increments of $6. You can also print out a PDF form, complete it, and mail it to us with a check.

The reason we do it this way - postage rates and records management.

It is far easier to adjust postage rates if we use credits rather than begging people for 2 cent stamps.

Some people have 30+ credits and only get one or two envelopes per year (we typically mail at least once per year, and don't mail until someone has 2oz of cards). And now it seems as though USPS is changing rates annually - we adjusted rates last year after a LONG time, but don't know when we're going to adjust again.

Also, each member has a database with subscribers info. Much easier than keeping physical SASEs.

[K9STH]

The 9th area bureau does accept SASE.

It actually depends on how many QSL cards that you receive in any period of time that determines how often you will receive an envelope from the bureau. Sometimes, especially after a contest, you might get cards that are only a couple of months old. The next time the envelope might contain cards from a couple of months to as much as 2 years or more depending on when the contact sent the card, if it can through his/her bureau first, etc.

I usually get an envelope from the 9 bureau every 2 or 3 months. Sometimes there are just 3 or 4 cards in it and sometimes there are over 20 cards. It just depends on how many cards they receive during the period.

A while back I handled the cards for the 5th call area for calls with the first letter of the suffix beginning with S, T, and U. Once each month the "head" of the bureau would bring the cards to the Richardson Wireless Klub meeting with them having been divided by the first letter of the suffix. Then each person who was responsible for the letter would further sort the cards during the next month and then send out the envelopes. I did this for several years before the bureau was moved from this area.

Glen, K9STH

[N8CPA]

The 8th area buro requires SA$E--bigger than #10--and make sure there's a lot of postage.

[KB3LIX]

I don't know what happened, but the last shipment from the # 3 bureau
was (2) envelopes.

Full to the brim !!!!!

I must be getting popular.

When these envelopes show up, it is like Christmas all over again.

[N2RJ]

I don't know what happened, but the last shipment from the # 3 bureau
was (2) envelopes.

Full to the brim !!!!!

I must be getting popular.

When these envelopes show up, it is like Christmas all over again.

Just wait until you get even more popular. There are months I am mailing BOXES of QSLs to people...

I manage letters B and Z for the W2 buro, btw.

[N8UZE]

This (bolded) is very bad advice.

You should always look for the bureau's webpage and contact people before you send anything to the bureau.

This is because some bureaus (like W2) don't accept SASEs. We do this because postage rates these days are changing very quickly.

Even forever stamps don't help, because you can't mail more than 1oz with a forever stamp.

Yes definitely go by the bureaus webpage if they have one.

As far as the Forever stamps and more than one ounce, I put enough for one ounce on it and then make sure I have plenty of envelopes on file. Most times I only get one or zero envelopes back per cycle. Occasionally I have gotten a couple. However, at least for me, that solves the problem. As I said, all mine are marked to send every cycle (approx. quarterly), so even if there is only one card, I'll get it quicker. Naturally they don't send if there are no cards available that cycle.

[WA9SVD]

I knew you were gg to get some flack on this.. Glad some fellows gave you some good info. I dont remember ever hearing a dx station spell it right on cw.. it's alwas buro.. the error is understandable.

73
Lee
NI7I

I don't think I've EVER seen it referred to as "bureau;" I've only seen "buro.":D

But if each Call area has a "Buro," than are the individual sorters called "burritos?":rolleyes:


Thanks to all that responded. (I figured there'd be some laughs involved too.)

[N2RJ]

Yes definitely go by the bureaus webpage if they have one.

As far as the Forever stamps and more than one ounce, I put enough for one ounce on it and then make sure I have plenty of envelopes on file. Most times I only get one or zero envelopes back per cycle. Occasionally I have gotten a couple. However, at least for me, that solves the problem. As I said, all mine are marked to send every cycle (approx. quarterly), so even if there is only one card, I'll get it quicker. Naturally they don't send if there are no cards available that cycle.

Plenty of envelopes helps if the bureau accepts SASEs.

USPS really screwed us with these rate increases, but on the bright side, sending 2oz is actually cheaper now.

I see some other organizations like 3905CCN, FISTS and SKCC have bureaus as well.

[KB3LIX]

Aren't postage rates due to go up again in March ????

Whoopee !!!!

********************

I couldn't imaging getting BOXES of cards, but I sure would like to try !

[N8UZE]

Aren't postage rates due to go up again in March ????

Whoopee !!!!

********************

I couldn't imaging getting BOXES of cards, but I sure would like to try !

May 12, 2008 is the date for the increase.

[N8UZE]

Plenty of envelopes helps if the bureau accepts SASEs.


Yes I conceded that point already by agreeing that one must do whatever their own bureau requires.

[ab1ga]

May 12, 2008 is the date for the increase.

We're going to have to get used to it.

If you have about 3% inflation, once you pass 33 cents postage the rate has to go up a penny a year just to keep up.

If the PO wants to stay in the black, it either has to raise the rates every time inflation raises the nominal cost by a penny, or raise it multiple pennies every few years.

The forever stamp not only allows the PO to track the inflated price more often, it also allows them to use the same stamp design year after year. Otherwise, you'd have to design, print, and distribute a new stamp every year.

[N2RJ]

Yes I conceded that point already by agreeing that one must do whatever their own bureau requires.

I wasn't arguing with you though. I was agreeing with you.

[K9STH]

It still only costs 3 cents to mail a first class letter. The remainder is storage fees! :D

Glen, K9STH