[ILQSO] MRCs and QSLing

[Jim Funk]

The following was shared with me by a county hunter who is quite active in many QSO parties.  He has had quite a bit of difficulty in getting QSLs for counties worked, and he put together a short document:

"I have found that a lot of people operating in QSO Parties are unfamiliar with county hunting and the Mobile Reply Card (MRC) method of confirming counties for county hunters.
I include the explanation below for anyone that I have not worked previously and may not be familiar with county hunting QSL practices.
I am working toward CQ Magazine's USA Worked All Counties Award (USA-CA) and I need your QSL confirmation from the counties in which we have made contact. 
The enclosed white card is a Mobile Reply Card (MRC) containing the QSL information for our various county contacts. 
Please verify the QSL information on the MRC with your log. Draw a line through any contact(s) that are invalid and initial the line of the invalid contact(s) indicating you invalidated them. Sign the MRC on the signature line with your signature and call sign. Place the MRC in the enclosed SASE and place it in the mail.
That is all there is to it. I don't need your personal QSL. All that is necessary is your signature and call sign on the MRC signifying you have reviewed the QSL information on the MRC and it is valid.

If you would like to learn more about CQ magazine's USA-CA Award, you can find it on the web at: http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/cq_awards/cq_usa_ca_awards/cq_usa_ca_awards.html"

I can tell you that when you get down to the last hundred or so (of 3077) and have worked a particular county three or four times but can't get a QSL, it is very frustrating!  Let's not drive anybody away from our party by being a difficult QSLer!

73, Jim N9JF