[Dx-qsl] When to use IRCs

[Steven Wheatley KU9C]

Look guys,

I'm sitting here with 10 big buckets of US mail for the YX0 operation, and I ask myself, what would I do relative to IRCS. 

Firstly, if I knew they were about to expire, I'd make a point of going to the post office.  Thus, if you're sending to a big QSL manager or a major dxpedition, be careful as you get late in the year.  It's gotta go in the mail to the manager/operation, get opened, and get redeemed.  My thinking is that, after November 1st or so, STOP USING THE ONES that expire in 12/31/2006.

New ones will be out sometime in the 3rd quarter.  Until then, use the current ones.   Especially where it takes multiple greenstamps to get the QSL card due to postage (many countries nowadays).  

If you need IRCs, DO NOT BUY at the post office.  Contact a QSL manager, such as myself.  I've seen several ads for IRCs past few days.

In the meantime, back to the PILE..

73

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Ron Notarius WN3VAW <wn3vaw at verizon.net>
Date:  Mon, 15 May 2006 14:46:41 -0500 (CDT)

>As of today (mid-May) I wouldn't be too worried -- YET -- about using existing IRC's.
>
>Now, if you're sending off a request NOW to a big expedition, who are going to take a few months to get QSL cards printed & processed, then there is some concern.  In these situations, it behooves said expedition's QSL manager to immediately exchange IRC's, or immediately sell them off for cash, or whatever.
>
>As the rest of the year flashes by, this will become a bigger and bigger concern.  I'd conservatively say that after September, existing IRC's should be exchanged and not sent to managers, unless they're known for fast turn-arounds.  By November, I wouldn't even do that.
>
>Of course, that's also assuming that the situation doesn't change and that the new IRC's for the next half decade are available starting the middle of this year.  The UPU could also decree that the expiration date has been extended... which opens up several new balls of wax, so let's not go there.
>
>YMMV, VWPBL(STn!)
>
>73, ron wn3vaw
>From: Peter W2IRT <w2irt at comcast.net>
>Date: Mon May 15 14:20:25 CDT 2006
>To: Tom Wylie <tom at gm4fdm.com>, Richard DiDonna <nn3w at cox.net>
>Cc: QSL Info <dx-qsl at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] When to use IRCs
>
>At 03:12 PM 05/15/2006, Tom Wylie wrote:
>>Remember all IRCs expiore on 31 December this year so please do not 
>>send them to a QSL manager
>>during December otherwise he may not be able to exchange them before 
>>the deadline.    I figure that $1 or $2
>
>I'm curious to know if the post office will redeem old-for-new 
>(doubtful, but you never know until the new ones are out and your ask).
>
>I use mint stamps for the most part and have pretty good luck. I 
>would say I have much better response with mint stamps than with G$ 
>or IRCs, although I do use all three methods.
>
>
>
>
>Cheers,
>
>Peter,
>W2IRT 
>
>
>
>"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 !!
>
>
>"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 !!
>