This is one of a series of “Notes” I published on Facebook. Since Facebook has discontinued the Notes feature, I am publishing that series here on my blog.

There is tremendous competition for contacts with rare DX and especially DXpeditions to places that are only on the air once in ten or twenty years. With tens of thousands of eager DXers trying to get through and limited time, the pileups can be enormous. Not everyone who wants the contact is going to make it. Is there any hope for the DXer with 100 watts and a wire or vertical? Yes! The rarest places on Earth can be worked with 100 watts and a wire, but when one has a small station and the competition is intense, lack of signal strength must be compensated by skill and knowledge. Either that or a lot of luck. Success with a small station takes time, skill, and patience but it can be done! Even QRP stations (five watts or less) routinely get into the logs of the rarest DX. Let’s talk about how this works and what you can do to improve your chances.

Virtually all DXpeditions (and sometimes other DX) operate split frequency, meaning they are transmitting on one frequency, but not listening there. They are listening for callers on another frequency or range of frequencies. This is absolutely vital, as otherwise the frenzied callers would obliterate the DX signal and no one would be able to hear it. The DX operator will periodically indicate where he is listening. “Up” on SSB typically means five kHz (or more) above his transmit frequency. On CW, “up” usually means one kHz unless specified otherwise. The rules of thumb are similar if the operator says “down” (or “dn” on CW) but, of course, you should transmit below his frequency rather than above it. Sometimes the operator will specify a range of frequencies on which he is listening, such as “up five to ten”. Other times he may specify an actual range. For example, “two hundred two ten” if the DX is transmitting on 14.190 would mean he is listening from 14.200 to 14.210. The equivalent on CW is QSX, though it is not often used. A DX station transmitting on 1.812 MHz in the 160 meter band might send “QSX 30” meaning he is listening on 1.830. This is not the same as “up 30” which would mean 1.842. It is vital to figure out where the DX operator is listening for calls and transmit in the right place.

If the DX is listening on one specific frequency, such as up one on CW or up five on SSB, the choice of where to call is fairly simple. You might try slipping off to the side just a bit, such as up 0.8 or up 1.2 on CW; up 4.5 or up 5.5 on SSB. This can make your signal stand out from the crowd a little. If at all possible, it helps to listen to not only the DX but also the stations he is responding to. Are all the ones he is working on exactly the same frequency, or is he looking around a little? This is where having a second receiver really shines! Many “DX class” transceivers have a second receiver, or subreceiver, for this purpose. Lacking that, you can toggle back and forth between VFO A (on the DX frequency) and VFO B (on his listening frequency) to establish what exactly he is doing. Be very careful, however. Doing it this way makes it easy to accidentally transmit on the DX station’s frequency, causing QRM to others struggling to hear him. If you are using two receivers, or a radio with a subreceiver, headphones should be set up so you hear the DX in one ear and the pile up in the other. This will make it much easier to keep track of what is going on.

If the DX is tuning a range of frequencies for calls, your chances of success in a large pileup are much better – especially if you have the proper techniques and equipment for the task. First let’s look at what to do if you are able to monitor both the DX and the pile up at the same time. Try to locate the stations he responds to in the range of frequencies he is tuning. This is a skill that takes some time to learn, but it is well worth the effort. Is there a pattern to his tuning? Does he work several stations on the same frequency before moving, or does he move after every QSO? Is he tuning randomly, or only in one direction? How far does he usually move between QSOs? If he is tuning in only one direction, what does he do when he reaches the edge of the pile or the end of his specified range? Does he reverse direction and start working his way through the opposite way, or does he jump to the opposite end and always tune in the same direction? Does he occasionally seem to jump to the outermost edge of the pile, or just beyond it, and pick up a weaker station? Yes, some operators do just that, and knowing this can really improve the odds of you making the contact! Establishing the pattern of the DX operator can be a tremendous help. Often you can anticipate where he will listen next and position yourself accordingly. Of course you won’t be the only one doing this, and if you are a small station you may get covered up by the big stations who have this technique perfected. In that case you want to try to find a “hole” in the pile that is near, but not exactly on the mass of callers who have properly anticipated. This is not an exact science! It is something you get a feel for with practice!

If you lack the ability to simultaneously monitor two frequencies, then knowing where to call in a widely spread pileup becomes an order of magnitude more challenging. You may be able to establish a pattern by jumping back and forth between VFOs, but this will definitely take a lot of practice to learn. In some cases a panadaptor may provide clues as to where he is taking callers, but don’t count too much on it. Many less courteous operators, and those who are not hearing the DX well will call out of turn and confuse the issue. It is always a good idea to monitor DX spots using one of the many software applications out there for this purpose. Some of those who work the DX will immediately send out a spot, and some of those will indicate where they were transmitting at the time of their QSO. This information is often very disjointed and incomplete, but nevertheless it can provide useful clues. You may find that you have been calling up five, but the DX just worked someone up twenty. In that case, you’re probably better off to move, at least for a while. Don’t depend on a web site for DX spots. The web based services are just too slow. You want a dedicated application which is constantly downloading new DX spots in real time. If none of this is possible, the best you can do is pick a frequency within the proper range and keep calling there, hoping the DX operator eventually catches you. This works, but it often takes considerably more time than the more advanced techniques.

Timing is important! If the DX operator is very skilled and is picking a call out of the pile in just a couple of seconds, there is very little point in sending your call sign multiple times every time he asks for calls. This will only slow things down and may lead to him doubling with you. Call once, then listen! If he is taking more time to pick out a call sign, there may be some advantage to giving yours two or three times (rarely more). Again, this is something you get a feel for with time and experience. If he sometimes gets a call immediately and sometimes it takes a while, the best bet is probably to send your call once, pause to see if he is answering anyone, and if not, give your call again. This is very useful but sometimes tricky, as you can get out of sync and miss the DX responding to people, or even end up repeatedly calling while he is transmitting. Sometimes you just have to stop calling and listen for a bit to get back on track. On CW, if you can operate full break-in (QSK) this is less of a problem since you can hear the DX transmit even when you are still calling!

Try to adjust your sending speed for conditions and the apparent preference of the DX operator. On CW, try to match the speed of the DX operator or just a bit slower if possible, unless conditions are such that fluttery signals are causing dits to go missing. Then it may be best to slow it down a little. On SSB, try to determine whether the DX operator can get a call sign correctly when it is spoken very quickly. If so, try that. It saves time and maximizes the DX QSO rate. If not, slow down and give it at a speed that seems to be working for him. Again, this is where being able to monitor both sides helps.

It is important to understand the nature of the game. The DX is trying to work as many stations as possible in a given amount of time. Brevity is important. One aspect of this is that contacts are only going to consist of call sign and a signal report, usually 59 on SSB, 599 on CW or digital modes. Another is in the way the operator responds when he gets a partial calls sign. Some may say “Who was the station with uniform golf in the call?” but this is inefficient. Many of the most experienced operators will just say “uniform golf” on SSB or send “UG” on CW. This is an invitation for you to send your complete call sign again so he can get the rest of it. Of course, you should only send your call sign again if it actually contains those letters (or something very similar). As an example of the latter, if a DX station on CW responds “BAG” I will usually go ahead and send my call “N1BUG” again since the difference between A and U on CW is just one dit – often mistaken in a pileup. On some particularly challenging bands, most notably 160 meters, it is often customary to modify these rules and send your call sign more than once at a time. Experience and observation will be your best guide. If the DX has asked for a fill on your callsign several times and is obviously struggling to get it, giving your call a few times can be an advantage. This is a judgement call.

Often a QSO ends with the DX operator simply saying “Thank you” or, on CW, sending “TU”. This means he is ready for the next caller, so send your call sign immediately. Other operators will identify with their call and/or specify where they are listening after every contact. For example “Thank you, Delta X-ray One Romeo Alpha Romeo, up five to ten” or “TU DX1RAR up”. It is important to listen and establish the operator’s style. If you were to start transmitting very quickly after you you hear “TU”, but he is actually sending “TU DX1RAR up” you will be doubling with him. I routinely hear stations doing just that. Listen. Figure out the pattern and how the QSO flow is working. It will pay off!

Knowing propagation characteristics can be a big advantage. It is much easier to work the rare DX when propagation favors your part of the world than when it favors some other densely populated area. Once again, experience is the most valuable thing you can have. There are situations where certain parts of the world are difficult for the DX to work due to propagation and large centers of ham activity being closer. This is why DXpedition operators often concentrate on specific areas at certain times. Be patient and wait until he is ready for you, then call. This may be frustrating when you are hearing the DX very well, but you will learn to appreciate it when you are the one in the disadvantaged spot and the rare DX listens specifically for your area! You will quickly learn what the DX wants. On phone, “Europe” or “North America” is obvious. “JA” is obvious if you recognize that as the primary call sign prefix for Japan. On CW these will be abbreviated of course: “EU”, “NA”, “JA”, etc.

Knowing the plan can help, too. Most DXpeditions publish preferred frequencies in advance of their trip. Even if they don’t, careful observation (and use of spotting software) will reveal what frequencies they favor on each band and mode. Let’s say you know propagation is good right now on 17 meters and they like 18.130 for SSB on that band, usually listening up five. The only trouble is, they aren’t on 17 meter SSB right now. That doesn’t stop you from listening there! I have worked more than one new one because I was “parked” on a frequency waiting – and became the first caller when the DXpedition appeared there. Obviously there is both luck and technique involved here, but it can work!

How well do you know your favorite band? Sometimes there are special circumstances, and knowledge of them can serve you well. On 160 meters, North America can transmit anywhere between 1.800 and 2.000. In many parts of the world the allocation starts at 1.810. In Japan they only have 1.810 to 1.825. Why is this important? Many DXpeditions will publish different listening frequencies on 160 meters for each region of the world. If a DXpedition in the Pacific is transmitting on 1.826 and listening both down and up (a common practice on this band), as a North American station you will likely do better calling up (eg. 1.827.5) than down (eg. 1.824.5) since you will not be competing with the Japanese callers who probably have the propagation and signal strength advantage.

Once again let me emphasize the importance of listening and patience. I once worked a new and very rare one because I had been listening for a while. The DXpedition was operating on 20 meter SSB, transmitting around 14.190 and listening 200 to 215 or so. As I was listening (and calling), I heard the DXpedition operator say “From time to time I will listen for small stations on two fifty five”. At the time I had a very poor antenna on 20 meters, and thought I had little chance of working this one, located on the far side of the world and, of necessity, using very small antennas themselves. A long time went by as he went on working stations in the 200 to 215 range. Those stations who had been calling on 255 eventually gave up, including me. I didn’t go away, however. I returned to calling in the big pile down below. Suddenly the operator said “Small stations, special frequency”. I frantically dialed my transmit VFO back to 255 and gave my call sign one time. He answered me! Bingo! I worked a new one because I had been listening and knew what this rather cryptic “Small stations, special frequency” announcement was all about. I only heard one other station call on 255, and he worked the DX also. Chances are most of the others who had been around long enough to hear his earlier explanation about the special freqeuncy had given up and gone away. Others didn’t know the special frequency. This probably explains why the operator did it this way — to reward those whose skill and patience gave them the edge. The point is, you just never know. It pays to listen carefully and above all, be patient and persistent.

Sure, having a big station helps. I work DX much more quickly now that I have 1500 watts and something of an antenna farm. But I did it quite successfully for many years with lower power and simple wire antennas. If I had to pick one single station improvement which made the biggest difference, it would neither be the amplifier nor the antennas. I would say it was getting a transceiver that has a subreceiver. That changed the nature of the game for me. Regardless of the station configuration, operator knowledge and skill are critical factors. Improving one’s skills often pays bigger dividends than buying an amplifier or putting up a huge antenna. None of us are born with DXing skills! The best way to learn is to jump in and start practice the techniques. See you in the pileups!

This is one of a series of “Notes” I published on Facebook. Since Facebook has discontinued the Notes feature, I am publishing that series here on my blog.

This is not a how-to ‘note’. These are my thoughts on the significance of major DXpedtions happening this year and what DXing means to me.

In the world of amateur radio DXing, 2016 is shaping up to be a year that will long be remembered by many of us. On any given year there might typically be one to three major DXpeditions, mostly to places that are uninhabited, remote, costly to reach, and thus activated only on rare occasions. This year there are four expeditions activating five of the rarest DXCC entities on Earth! Palmyra Atoll (K5P, January) ranked 16th most wanted out of 340 current DXCC entities; South Sandwich Islands (VP8STI, January), third; South Georgia Island (VP8SGI, January/February), eighth. These are all very rare places to be sure, having last been activated in 2005, 2002, and 2002 respectively. These three operations alone would have made for a banner year but there is more to come! Soon VK0EK will be activating Heard Island, the fifth most wanted entity. In April, FT4JA will activate Juan de Nova Island, sixth most wanted. These are all major events in the world of DX. All of these expeditions are large multi-operator, multi-station efforts, putting tens of thousands of QSOs in the log and giving a new one to many thousands of DXers around the world.

It may be argued, however, that of the lot Vk0EK could be the biggest event. In terms of statistics on number of people needing it, Heard Island ranks second of the major DXpeditions this year. But, last activated in 1997, it has been off the air longer than any other DXCC entity on Earth. To put this into perspective, consider this: A DXer who started in the year 2000 and managed to work all the major DXpeditions since could have 339 worked, with the upcoming VK0EK giving them the last entity on the current list of 340. That is huge! Every other DXCC entity has been activated at some point since the year 2000, with the sole exception of Heard Island for which we have to go back another three years to find the last time. VK0EK has stated an aim to make 150,000 QSOs, more than any of this year’s other mega-DXpeditions. It will be the most costly of the 2016 DXpeditions and could be the most costly DXpedition of all time. I cannot confirm the latter since I have been unable to find a final cost figure for the 2006 3Y0X operation from Peter I Island, at the time said to set a new record. Arguably, of all places on Earth Heard Island may be the most remote, the most difficult in terms of climate and getting there. Located in the “furious fifties” (referring to latitude) of the great Southern Ocean some ten days sail from South Africa and Western Australia, it is certainly not a place easily or quickly reached.

I was immediately attracted to DXing after getting my amateur radio license in 1981. I was 17, still full of youthful wonder and optimism. Growing up I had always dreamed of visiting far off places. Remote, seldom seen locations inspired my imagination more than any other. So I suppose it was only natural that making radio contact with distant and often exotic places would appeal to me. I was green in those days, though. I didn’t yet know about “mega DXpeditions” or DXCC entities that were on the air once every ten or twenty years. I was thinking of working 100 countries to get my DXCC award and even getting 100 on the most challenging MF/HF band, 160 meters. The idea of DXCC Honor Roll or Number One Honor Roll never entered my young head. [To qualify for Honor Roll, one must have confirmed contacts with enough entities to be within 10 of having all current entities on the list; with 340 current entities on the list, that means 331 or more. Number One Honor Roll means having worked them all – every single DXCC entity on the current list.]

A few years into my ham radio adventure I was distracted by moonbounce, or Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) operation on the VHF and UHF bands. A devout CW (Morse code) operator, I was especially keen on doing anything that was considered difficult or was well outside mainstream ham radio. EME was that and more, offering any operator who wanted it the ultimate weak signal challenge. It was man and his machine against the odds, overcoming challenges, fraught with difficulty, unpredictable and for some, irresistible. EME also challenged me in another way. I had to put my mechanical aptitude to use figuring out how to build large antenna arrays steerable in two planes, and do this on a budget so limited most people would probably have given up. I dreamed of attaining DXCC on the two meter band, but reached only 82 countries before digital modes displaced CW in EME.

Returning to HF a seasoned and more knowledgeable ham in 2004, I set my sights on working 300 countries on 160 meters. That would be as challenging as getting 100 on two meter EME! Not long thereafter I was struck by the desire to achieve DXCC Honor Roll and thus started to operate more on the HF bands, 80 through 10 meters. It isn’t easy. Once you get upward of 300 you’re going to have to wait for DXpeditions for the rest. Many of these will be very rare places and you may be waiting decades. Forget about “push button QSOs”. You’re going to have to work at getting some of them. Competition for those rare contacts is intense! For DXers, these factors add to the fun and sense of accomplishment.

DXpeditions provide recreation for tens of thousands who make much wanted contacts with them and thoroughly enjoy the chase. Moreover, they help to fill one of amateur radio’s long held primary roles: that of enhancing international good will. Often a multi-national team effort must come together in cooperation and fellowship to make these trips happen. Even where that may not be the case, amateur radio DXers are a worldwide fraternity spanning the globe, reaching across all political and ethnic boundaries. All share the common goal of making contact with these DXpeditions. In some cases, scientific expeditions and amateur radio DXpeditons are combined, as is the case with the upcoming Heard Island trip. DXpeditions to populated places with little or no indigenous ham radio licensees can help draw attention to the plight of third world nations and even provide humanitarian aid.

So here I am in 2016. K5P was my #327 overall, #285 on 160 meters; VP8STI #328 and #286 respectively; VP8SGI #329 and #287. I have since worked Ethiopia and Lesotho for new ones on 160 meters, bringing my total on that most challenging band to 289. If I work the upcoming VK0EK and FT4JA that will bring me to the magic number for Honor Roll: 331. Wow! It’s like seeing light at the end of a long tunnel. Yet there is a certain duality about it. Reaching a long sought goal is exciting and gratifying, but it also in some ways represents the end of a journey that in and of itself brought immeasurable joy. I am hoping to get Heard and Juan de Nova on 160 meters as well, though that is by no means a given. What a year! It had been quite some time since my last new one, overall or on 160. I certainly couldn’t have envisioned getting so many in such a short period of time at this level. Excited doesn’t begin to describe the feeling!

When one reaches this level, it is almost inevitable that thoughts of Number One Honor Roll creep in. It seems so close – only nine more – and yet so far. Is it possible? Seven of the remaining nine will probably come up for DXpedition within the next ten or fifteen years. They are not easy to reach or obtain permission to operate from but some enterprising team will no doubt find a way. I hope to be around to work them. North Korea (DPRK) and Turkmenistan are the most worrisome. Rarely someone manages to get permission to operate from DPRK, but it isn’t easy and there is never any guarantee of a “next time”. That is ranked #1 most wanted on the list. Turkmenistan currently doesn’t allow amateur radio licensing, so we can only hope for a change there. It ranks 24th most wanted and is quickly climbing toward the top. It’s safe to say I will be keeping my nose and an ear to the ground for information or rumors on these two.

For me, major DXpeditions aren’t just about the challenge of getting through the pileup or climbing another rung on the DXCC ladder. They are an opportunity to follow a team on a great adventure, to somehow connect with it. If life had turned out differently, that might be me out there going to those rarest places on Earth. I have the passion, the drive, the desire. At risk of seeming immodest, I believe I have the operating skill. I laugh in the face of any danger involved. I had an opportunity once. In 2005 I was invited to be part of a DXpedition to St. Paul Island. Admittedly this isn’t a wild Southern Ocean location or one of the world’s most difficult. But is is an uninhabited island, rare and sought after. Not being able to go ranks as one of the biggest disappointments of my life and still haunts me.

I don’t just get on the air and work major DXpeditions. I enthusiastically follow them. I make it a point to know who is going where, when, how they are getting there, what equipment they are taking. I want to know something about the place, its history, its wildlife, its amateur radio activation history. When the precise location of a DXpedition camp setup is known, you can bet I will have a good virtual look at the place with Google Earth. I haunt DXpedition web sites and DX information sites for any breaking news just prior to or during a trip. To the extent reasonably feasible, I collect DXpedition videos. It isn’t just about the contact. It’s the experience, the intrigue, the wonder. It’s the consolation prize for not being able to be there.

2016 is undeniably a banner year for those who, for whatever reason, desire to work major DXpeditions in rare places. It is the sort of year that comes around very rarely. On the air and in DX forums the excitement is palpable. For many it is the year a dream comes true; the year a threshold is reached, be it Honor Roll, Number One Honor Roll or some personal benchmark. For others it is the year for that one contact that speaks to something within, something which no other can quite touch. For me it is both. As VK0EK draws nearer, the excitement is so intense I feel as though I need a tether to keep me anchored to the Earth. That is not a feeling I am accustomed to. It stands in stark contrast to the more typical reality of life. This one is a “must do” on my list. Will it be another 19 years before the next opportunity to work Heard Island? Will there even be a next opportunity? With places this rare and difficult to put on the air, one never knows for sure.

This is one of a series of “Notes” I published on Facebook. Since Facebook has discontinued the Notes feature, I am publishing that series here on my blog.

QSLing, or exchanging of QSL cards goes back to the earliest days of ham radio. It is often said “a QSL is the final courtesy of a QSO”, which hints at the importance that has always been placed on this aspect of ham radio as a hobby. Traditionally a QSL is a postcard which confirms that radio communication was carried out between two stations. QSL cards have the callsign of the station issuing the card, information about the station location and owner, and possibly other information printed on the card. The callsign of the station contacted, along with date, time, band, mode and signal report is handwritten or otherwise filled into areas of the card reserved for this before being sent out. The front and back of my N1BUG QSL card can be seen in the cover photo. Why do hams exchange QSL cards? Some do it because they like to get and collect QSLs to commemorate memorable QSOs (contacts, conversations). Some QSL cards are truly works of art. Others feature breathtaking photos of exotic places. Others collect QSL cards for contact verification when applying for operating achievement awards such as Worked All States (WAS), Worked All Zones (WAZ), or DX Century Club (DXCC). These awards are not issued on the honor system. One must show some evidence that they did in fact establish radio contact with the locations they are claiming. QSL cards are the traditional means of verification.

How does this work? Suppose I make radio contact with a station in Iceland, and that for whatever reason I want a QSL card from that station to confirm or commemorate the contact. I will fill in his callsign and the contact details – date, time, band, mode, signal report and perhaps a personal comment on one of my station QSL cards. I will check a box on my card which says “Please QSL” to indicate I want a card in return. I will then mail my card to the other operator along with some means of paying for the cost of return postage. Why do we send return postage? Suppose the ham in Iceland makes several hundred or even several thousand contacts in a year and many of the stations contacted want his QSL card. If the Icelandic ham had to pay for postage to send each of those cards it could easily cost the equivalent of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. This could easily put the cost of ham radio out of the reach of many or force them to not respond to QSL requests! Chances are he doesn’t need my card for anything (he probably has a huge collection already), but I do need his. So, as a courtesy I will cover the cost of postage for the return card. When the other operator gets my card he will fill in the QSO details on one of his QSL cards (probably checking the “Thanks for QSL” box), then mail it to me. I may display it in my shack or file it away for later use in applying for awards, depending on my goals and interests.

When sending cards within the U.S. it is customary to send a self addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to cover return postage costs and to save the other operator the time of writing my address on an envelope. Remember, most active stations get many such requests and most people don’t have unlimited time for this hobby. When sending QSLs to other countries there are a few options on how to pay for return postage. In the past the International Reply Coupon (IRC) was a popular choice. An IRC could be sent with the QSL and in most countries that IRC could be exchanged for the correct amount of postage to return one piece of first class mail to the country of origin. The IRC has diminished greatly in popularity (some would say it has become all but unusable), because the USPS no longer sells them and because many countries no longer accept them. The most popular method today is to send US one dollar bills to pay for return postage. In ham radio QSL parlance we call them green stamps. They can be exchanged for local currency in most countries, but do your homework before sending them! In a few countries, one can get into a lot of trouble for the mere possession of US currency! I do not know where to find a comprehensive list of such places, but keep reading for tips how to know what to send or not send. Be aware that $1 is not enough to cover the cost of returning a card from most countries, just as it now costs over $1 to buy a stamp to mail something out of the US. $2 may still be enough in some countries but many require $3 and I believe some are now $4. Obviously this gets expensive – at current rates, $1.20 for the stamp to mail something out, $3 to cover the cost of getting a reply. Another method that is gaining in popularity is to send stamps from the DX operator’s own country along with your QSL. There is at least one service (William Plum DX Supplies) making such stamps available to hams.

Recognizing the high cost of exchanging QSLs, many countries participate in a network of QSL bureaus. Here is how this works. If I contact many DX stations whose QSLs I want, I can fill out all of the QSLs, sort them by country of destination, and along with a modest fee send them to the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Outgoing QSL Bureau. The bureau will then combine my outgoing cards with those of many other US hams and send them in batches to QSL bureaus in other countries for distribution to hams in each country. Incoming QSLs through the system are handled by a number of regional bureaus across the country. In order to receive incoming QSLs through the bureau system, I periodically send money to the W1 QSL Bureau. They receive thousands of QSLs destined for US hams in the first call area (W1), which comprises the six New England states. They get these cards from bureaus around the world. The incoming QSLs are sorted by destination station, and when they have accumulated a reasonable number that are going to my station or a certain amount of time has passed since their last mailing to me, they mail them to me (using some of the postage credit on my account). Exchanging QSLs through the bureau system is much cheaper than going direct, but it takes more time. The amount of time required to get a QSL card this way can be months or even years. Bear in mind not all countries have a QSL bureau, and not all hams in any given country use the bureau if it has one. Many hams use the bureau to obtain QSLs they would like to have, but are in no hurry for. Note that the ARRL bureau is for sending cards to other countries and cannot be used for sending cards to other US stations.

Some hams, particularly those in rare or semi-rare countries, have a QSL manager. This is a person who handles the chore of responding to QSL requests f0r the ham, who may not have enough time to do it. In some cases, hams have QSL managers because delivery of mail in their country is not entirely reliable. The QSL manager may or may not live in the same country as the ham using his services. Sometimes you get lucky and the ham you just worked in that rare country has a QSL manager in the US! This is great, as it costs you less and you usually get your wanted QSL card in less time.

So how you do you know where to send your QSL for that DX station you just worked? You need to look it up. I usually start with QRZ.com. If the DX station has a listing there, it will likely tell you how to QSL that station, be it direct, via bureau or via a manager. Often it will tell you what methods are accepted for return postage and what not to send. Not all stations are listed on QRZ.com. For those you need to look further. There are DX newsletters to which you can subscribe which often give QSL information for rare stations and DXpeditions. Some of them have back issues available online. Sites such as DXNews.com and DXcoffee.com can be valuable resources for finding QSL information. A good source for DXpedition QSL info is ng3k.com, particulary his ADXO (Announced DX Operations) pages. In short, the avid DXer with an interest in QSL cards needs to have a variety of resources from which to gather information.

When sending cards to other countries, there are a few things to keep in mind. Mail isn’t as safe in many places as it is in the US. Putting callsigns on the envelope suggests that it may contain a QSL and some US $1 bills – which may then get stolen! The best advice is don’t put callsigns on the envelope, just names and addresses (that of the station you are sending it to and your return address, of course). Try to hide what is inside so it can’t be clearly seen if the envelope is held up to a bright light. You may want to use security envelopes or wrap a couple sheets of paper around your QSL and funds for return postage before placing it in the envelope. Whatever you do, write clearly and legibly when filling out your QSL card and addressing the envelope. Remember this may be going to, or through, places where English is not the primary language and even to places that use a totally different alphabet! Don’t expect them to decipher a scribbled address. Sending a self addressed envelope for the return QSL may save the other operator some time in replying, but US sized envelopes are not acceptable in all countries. William Plum DX Supplies sells envelopes specifically for this purpose.

With postage costs escalating and in view of the fact many only want QSL cards for contact verification in applying for awards (as opposed to collecting the cards themselves), modern technology has provided an alternative: electronic QSLing. There are two major services in operation today: eQSL and ARRL’s Logbook of The World (LoTW). Each has its advantages and disadvantages, which should be considered in selecting which service(s) to use.

LoTW confirmations are currently good for ARRL awards (WAS, DXCC, VUCC) and the CQ WPX award – but not for others. There is no cost to sign up and participate in LoTW but there is a nominal fee of 12 cents per QSL for any you decide to use for awards applications. The LoTW sign up process has drawn heavy criticism on grounds that it is too difficult. Paperwork is often challenging for me but I didn’t find anything difficult about the LoTW sign up process, and the documentation leads you through it step by step. The registration process is designed to avoid fraud so that some integrity may remain in the awards system. It is not an “instant gratification” process. It takes about a week since it does involve a postcard through the US mail for one part of it. You only have to go through this process once. Once you are signed up, using LoTW is usually very easy. Most hams today log all of the contacts they make using one of several different logging programs that are available. Major logging programs automate the process of uploading contacts to LoTW. With the one I use (DXKeeper) it is as easy as a click or two. There is no printable “QSL card” with a LoTW contact verification. It is strictly an electronic acknowledgement that the contact is confirmed.

The other major online QSL system, eQSL, has a somewhat easier registration process. Confirmations through eQSL count for CQ awards and perhaps others, but cannot be used to apply for ARRL awards. eQSL allows each station to design their own electronic QSL “card”, and receiving stations can print out and keep a copy for each contact confirmed through the system. Most major logging programs automate the process of uploading contacts to eQSL.

It is important to choose which service(s) best meet your objectives. My main awards focus is DXCC and I like contesting. I use LoTW because confirmations there can be used for the DXCC awards and because uploading all of my QSOs there greatly reduces the number of QSL card requests I get through the mail. Otherwise I would be overwhelmed due to the number of contacts I make while contesting. By the way, award application fees are often less for electronic applications than for paper ones which require more processing on the part of the organization issuing the award. I send for paper QSL cards when I work stations needed for DXCC who do not use LoTW. I also like to get paper QSLs for major DXpeditions even if they use LoTW (most do), because often those QSLs are something extra special with pictures of the rare and exotic places and once in a lifetime adventures. Some are multi-sided fold-out cards or even small booklets with pictures and story of a great DX adventure.

QSL cards from rare locations and DXpeditions. Top left: a bi-fold QSL card from a base in Antarctica. Top right: front of a QSL from 3Y0X Peter I Island DXpedition. Second row: middle of fold-out 3Y0X QSL. Third row: Bi-fold card from BS7H Scarborough Reef DXpedition. Bottom: middle of a 32 page QSL card “booklet” telling the story of the VP6DX Ducie Island Dxpedition.

One other method deserves mention. A system called Online QSL Request System (OQRS) is becoming quite popular, especially for DXpeditions. A DXpedition is by definition a temporary ham radio operation from some rare and often remote place. The person or people who went on a DXpedition does not need your QSL card, but very likely you need theirs. Many of them now post their logs online and offer OQRS through various systems. The way this works is you go to their onling log site, enter your callsign and it will show you all contacts you made with that DXpedition. It will then offer you a chance to “order” QSLs for some or all of those contacts. You may have to fill in the details such as date and time for each QSO. Usually there is a nominal fee involved. It may seem high but bear in mind this is one way of helping to pay for a trip that was done for your benefit and likely cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars! The advantage for you is that you usually get your card(s) much quicker than any other method. Many DXpeditions now use Club Log for their online log and OQRS. Any station can upload logs to Clug Log. If you participate, this makes OQRS even easier. Since Club Log has both the DXpedition log and your log, it already knows all details of the matching QSOs! All you have to do is select the ones you want QSLs for and complete the transaction by making payment. For those like me who hate paperwork, this is the ultimate in simplicity and convenience on getting those rare DXpdition QSLs. I used Club Log OQRS for my recent contacts with K5P (Palmyra), VP8STI (South Sandwich), and VP8SGI (South Georgia).

You have a number of choices when having QSL cards printed for your station. Many printing services offer generic card designs customized with your callsign, name, and location. Others will design a card from your photo or artwork, or you can do all the design work yourself and just have them print a batch of cards. I designed my QSL card myself and submitted it to UX5UO Print. For less than $100 I got 1,000 full color double sided cards featuring photos from a hiking trip to Mount Katahdin. Cards can be ordered from many printers in smaller quantity, and generic designs are cheaper than color photo cards. Of course you can design and print your own if you want. QSL cards don’t have to be fancy. In fact, some are very basic but still do the job of confirming QSOs. Because the people you contact will be wanting your card for a variety of purposes, I suggest you put the following on your card as a minimum: your callsign, name, and mailing address; state and country (if not obvious from the address), county, CQ zone, ITU zone, and grid square. Additional information may apply in some cases. If you live on an island which counts for Islands on the Air (IOTA), for example, you might want to put its IOTA number on your card.

Examples of basic QSL cards. Top: Single color, two sided card (reverse not shown). Bottom left: Single color single sided card. Bottom right: two color single sided card.