[Dx-qsl] IRC's

[Ralph Fariello]

Casey,

For the US this does exist.  It is part of the USPS International Mail 
Manual.  The manual provides post offices with all the necessary information 
on how to process international mail.  With the recent postage increase, 
issue 32 of the manual was published on January 8th.  You can look at it on 
the USPS web site http://pe.usps.gov/text/imm/welcome.htm.

The information on IRCs is contained in section 3 which deals with Special 
Services.  Sub-section 370 deals with supplemental services.  IRCs are 
covered under part 372.  The information is two pages long.  The first time 
I went to the PO to exchange IRCs I brought along two copies of the pages. 
The postal clerk was not totally familiar with IRCs and was very 
appreciative that I brought in the copy.  Since then I have not had a 
problem with IRCs.

Ralph K2PF
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Casey Bell
  To: dx-qsl at mailman.qth.net
  Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 9:14 AM
  Subject: [Dx-qsl] IRC's



  It seems to me problems with IRC's are frequent and widespread.  I
  believe I have a solution.

  Let's use the US in the example, but I would think a similiar solution
  could be obtained in any country.

  Ask your radio club/organization, let's use ARRL here, to contact the
  Postal Service via Snail Mail (I would assume this best to get an
  'official' reply), and ask the Postal Service to provide guidance for
  the purchase/usage of IRC's by their Postal Service  Employees.  The
  reply could be made available for all interested HAM's.  Next time you
  go to the P.O. take your copy of their guidelines and hopefully
  "problems solved".
  Casey/KQ4YI

  "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've 
got...till it's gone." from Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell) but also 
true about QSL.NET if more users don't open their wallets and help 
financially. Please contribute TODAY !!