[WVDXA] Getting the QSL

[W8TN - Clark]

As all seasoned DX'ers know, it is one thing to make the QSO (and that can,
at times, be difficult) but actually getting that written confirmation can
be an even larger challenge.  Now that more and more DX stations are using
LoTW, some QSO's are able to be confirmed rather quickly.  And for that I'm
grateful.

However, my current problem lies with the XF4IH operation to Revilla Gigedo
back in March of 2004.  I worked that operation on 15-M, 17-M, 20-M, 30-M,
and 40-M on CW, SSB and a digital mode.  That represents 3 new bands and one
new mode for me.  So, I sent for a QSL and included $3 and a self-addressed
envelope.

Since I have not yet received those QSL's, I decided to look into sending
for them again.  The XF4IH DX'pedition has a nice web site and an online log
search.  All six of my QSO's are properly shown in the online log.  But,
there is a statement from the QSL Manager, XE1IH, as follows:

Enrique, XE1IH says that XF4IH
(Socorro Island, Revillagigedo)
requests sent to his P.O.BOX  can  get "lost".
It is  advisable to use  registered mail

Well, since I did have several nice contacts that I could use from that one
DX'pedition, I decided to send another request (with $3 & SAE) via
Registered Mail.  OUCH!  That cost $10.84 to mail via Registered Mail to
Mexico City.  But, if it got me all my contacts confirmed, it might be worth
it since I had already gone to the effort of making the QSO's.

It is now 55 days since I mailed the parcel.  The US Postal Service gave me
a nice tracking number but when I enter that number in their online search
box, all I get is the statement that the parcel was "accepted" on November
30, 2007.  So today I called the 800 number and they took all my information
and entered an "investigation" into where my parcel was.  What this means is
that they sent the information to the Mexican Postal Service which has 60
days to reply and I will get a written response as to where my parcel is or
why it was not delivered.  But, if they don't respond in 60 days, I should
call the 800 number again.

So far I've invested about $18 in postage and materials and about an hour of
my time in trying to confirm some QSO's that probably did not take that long
to make.  This is why those hams who say "I've worked 100 countries on all
bands but I just don't fool with the QSL's" - get no respect from me.
Working them is not even half the battle!

Hopefully I'll at least get the $10.15 Registered Mail fee back if the
parcel has disappeared but I'll still be without the QSL's!  Maybe I should
just go ahead and send a buro request now in the hopes that some time I
might get a confirmation via that route.

Clark, W8TN
*Waitn' on My QSL's*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://wvdxa.org/pipermail/wvdxa_wvdxa.org/attachments/20080124/4e8584b3/attachment.html