[nrv-hams] South Dakota coming up

[Kay Craigie]

Starting tonight at 8 PM local time, W1AW/0 will shift from Nebraska to
South Dakota. Just one state will be on the air this week. If you need South
Dakota for an award, work them often during the coming week. The W1AW/x
stations all QSL via Logbook of the World.

Having received an unusual number of QSL card requests since the first of
the year because of ARRL Centennial activity, I'd like to offer a hint to
folks who have not done much QSLing before, whether for USA contacts or DX
contacts. 

More than a few people who have asked for my QSL card have not enclosed a
stamped self-addressed envelope (SASE). I send them a card anyhow, because
maybe nobody ever explained that it is courteous to pick up the tab for a
confirmation that you would like someone to provide for you. Who was born
knowing this stuff? Certainly not me. A couple of requests even came from
other countries. Sending those QSLs cost me $1.15 each in postage. 

Years ago, when postage was a few pennies, a ham who expected return postage
was considered too much of a tightwad even by ham radio's thrifty standards.
Sending a QSL card was called the final courtesy of the contact, and it was
just what hams did for each other. Today, when postage is a whole lot of
pennies, the final courtesy is providing a SASE (or a self-addressed
envelope with $$ for the postage) to fellow hams whose QSL cards we would
like to receive by direct postal mail.

So if you didn't know before, now you do. Even in this age of Logbook of the
World, which is fast and free to use, it's fun to get colorful paper QSL
cards. I like having both options.

See you on the ham bands! 73 - Kay N3KN