[Dx-qsl] QSL cards NOT received

[Peter Dougherty]

At 08:31 PM 3/17/2007, you wrote:
>That the note returned in the not-able-to-use-in-TG SASE
>with US stamps mentions something about how it only
>took domestic postage to get your QSL to him says to me
>he is a bit fed up with it all.

In about 95% of the cases, I think most of us agree that QSL 
instructions given by the DX station are fair and reasonable, and we 
gladly comply to keep the courtesy going and to fill in the gaps in 
our respective logs. I generally don't begrudge anyone a couple of 
dollars to help offset the cost of their QSL printing or what-have-you.

A great example was last week when I was answering requests from my 
C6 operation. I think 2 statesiders included and dollar as well as a 
stamped return envelope and a number of DX stations sent 2 IRCs or 2 
dollars, even though one of either would have been sufficient to 
assure their card was returned direct.

BUT, there are the exceptions, and within the last few months we've 
rehashed the old arguments over a zillion times, I suspect. My 
personal dislike for certain stations from ER, others' experiences 
with those mentioned in this thread, etc. Sometimes it just boils 
down to this: If a station in a rare location engages in hard-core DX 
pileups I think by now they realize that there's going to be a high 
demand for cards coming from everywhere under the sun. If their local 
postal situation is bad, or personal commitments make timely QSLing a 
burden, then why would they not agree to the services of a manager? 
Why insult fellow hams, many of whom may not be serious DXers and see 
a US address so assume (wrongly) that an American postage stamp would 
be enough?

If QSLing chores are that onerous, and you don't want to use a 
manager or be bothered, it costs nothing to go onto QRZ.com and put 
up in big bold letters "Sorry, I do NOT QSL" and have done with it. 
If it's a matter of cost, plainly asking for $3 ("to help offset high 
printing costs in my country") is also a very fair and reasonable request.

To berate or belittle other hams is, to this 27-year veteran of the 
airwaves, unpardonable. Personally, I'd give my eye teeth to be on 
the pointy-end of some serious DX pileups and would GLADLY handle 
every QSL request as quickly as possible, and usually with a nice 
comment or at the very least a "Thank You for the QSO" note. But 
that's just me.



73,

Peter