Incoming Bureau Questions

[N2RJ]

Sending outbounds cards through the ARRL costs money, but there are ways to not have to do this. #1 is to send cards directly to the incoming bureau where your cards are going (e.g., sending a package or letter directly to DARC). #2 is to use an online print service like GlobalQSL.com which allows you to dump your QSO info into their database, it will then print the QSO information directly onto a QSL template that you designed and uploaded to their system, and it will then mail cards to the various bureaus once it has sufficient volumes to do so.

Some clubs will forward cards to the bureau for you as a member. You may get this st no cost to you or the club may charge a reduced fee. ARRL affiliated clubs are allowed to aggregate cards and send them in bulk to the ARRL outgoing bureau.

[N2RJ]

I'm going to give it a shot. I am going to mail some cards directly to the incoming bureau in Italy and wait for about a year or two and see if I get anything back.

Make sure you set up an account with the W1 QSL bureau which is run by YCCC:

http://www.yccc.org/Resources/w1qslburo.htm

They don't accept envelopes or SASEs, just money credits. We do the same thing for the W2 bureau.

[AC0FP]

How would I know whether I have any cards that have been sent to me? Or do you just send some money to my call area bureau and hope you hear from someone or anyone?

fp

[NN3W]

How would I know whether I have any cards that have been sent to me? Or do you just send some money to my call area bureau and hope you hear from someone or anyone?

fp

If you work any DX (say 25 or 50 QSOs a year) or dabble a bit in the DX contests, you likely have a few cards.

Just send the bureau manager an email and ask him....

[N0AZZ]

How would I know whether I have any cards that have been sent to me? Or do you just send some money to my call area bureau and hope you hear from someone or anyone?

fp

Send them $10 that should last for some time our Buro is in St Louis and ran by the MVDX/CC your sorter would be the "F' one. You would not beleive the amount of cards that are thrown away every month by people who do not even want them. Some of them many would kill to have I can't beleive it sometimes just because they want to respond to them.

My sorter the "A" is a friend who lives close to me and a club member he tells me all the cards he throws away a month for people who don't want them.

[W5DQ]

Send them $10 that should last for some time our Buro is in St Louis and ran by the MVDX/CC your sorter would be the "F' one. You would not beleive the amount of cards that are thrown away every month by people who do not even want them. Some of them many would kill to have I can't beleive it sometimes just because they want to respond to them.

My sorter the "A" is a friend who lives close to me and a club member he tells me all the cards he throws away a month for people who don't want them.

I'm the "L" sorter for the 6th Incoming Buro and I too have a ton of cards for folks who don't want them. I don't throw them away however. I just throw them in a big box and give them out at FD and other local events. I do check them before I pass them along for any 'personal' info, which I have never found but ya never know when someone will do something silly like that. I also mark the QSL side with a red Sharpie through the QSL info box or callsign to avoid anyone ever trying to do anything with them other than look at them.

I also have bunch of cards that no one has ever contacted the buro for, even after being sent a couple of notices. I would ask that for your buro sorters assistance, that if anyone thinks they might have card(s) and do not want them, take a few minutes and contact your sorter directly or the buro for your call area and let them know to roundfile your cards. It save having to chase you down and get it info later.

If anyone does indeed want to have cards delivered, send $5 to $10 to your call area buro (address on ARRL website) and include your callsign, mailing address, your email and a short note about how active you are, any DXpeditions you may have particiapted in and expect to be getting cards for and any other pertinent info you think as required. Your sorter will thank you, believe me Keep in mind the buro is run by volunteers with personal lives and families and many of us have day jobs too and we don't work on buro card duties everyday. In fact, I only do it about once a month or so to keep up with it. You may not get a response back from anyone on your letter for several weeks.

73

Gene W5DQ
"L" sorter 6th area