Re: [amsat-bb] Important QSL Card Information

["Bruce Paige" <kk5do@xxxxxxxx>]

Date sent:      	Sun, 02 Nov 2003 16:38:09 -0800
From:           	Emily Clarke <w0eec@AMSAT.Org>
Subject:        	[amsat-bb] Important QSL Card Information
To:             	AMSAT <amsat-bb@AMSAT.Org>

> 
> I went to have my (well your) QSL cards checked for VUCC - Satellite 

snip snip...

> - wrong callsign (person changed calls, sent out a card with the old call 
> but never wrote anything about the new one)

Well, duh... would you expect to get credit for someone elses qsl card? errors 
do happen when filling out qsl cards and, yes, you should be careful that it is 
your call. If not, send it back to the creator and ask for a corrected one. 
However, if you have had multiple callsigns, all the cards for any of your 
previous callsigns are valid as long as you list them at the top of the 
VUCC/WAS/DXCC application form.

> - missing grid square

Grid squares **DO NOT** have to be printed on the QSL card for you to get 
credit for the grid worked. If the other person is not a grid chaser and did 
not put their home grid on the card, then you write "IN PENCIL ON THE UPPER 
RIGHT HAND CORNER" of the card the grid. That indicates to the card checker 
that you have supplied the grid square. The Awards Manager can then check that 
grid with an online database or a grid square map to see if it is correct. 

> - wrong grid square (in fact, the grid on the card was at least 2000 miles from
> the address on the card) - wrong grid (someone moved, gave me their new grid
> over the air, which agrees with QRZ, but sent out a card with their old address
> and grid) - no indication that it was a satellite contact (either no satellite
> name or only one frequency) - no date/time of contact - one person didn't
> provide their callsign
> 

If the grid square printed on the card was EL29 and the person is now living in 
Africa, you must go by the grid that that have printed on the card and not 
where you think they might be today unless they have written on the card their 
new grid. If they have failed to update their FCC database, then no one knows 
where they really are today. If they did not provide their callsign, then 
boohoo, no way to know who you worked. Indicating the satellite is not 
necessary but some do put little arrows for 2m up and 70cm down. Otherwise, yes 
it is impossible to determine if the QSO was a satellite one or a direct 
terristrial one.

> The card checker indicated that there are four things they really require 
> to accept a QSL card.
> 
> 1) Callsign
> 2) Grid square
> 3) Contact method (either satellite name or frequency)
> 4) A signature from the sender (just a friendly greeting like "thanks for 
> the contact, 73, signature)

Yes, absolutely right, a signature is what sets a real QSL apart from an eQSL. 
You can tell the ones that come from eQSL and don't accept them either.

Been checking cards for many years and these are all good points. 

73...bruce



Bruce Paige, KK5DO                             
                     
AMSAT VP-User Services & Awards Manager        
  
ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE     
          
Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0100z on W0KIE AMC-7, 
T5, 7.5Mhz
Also streaming MP3 at http://www.amsatnet.com  
              
Latest satellite news on the ARRL Audio News   
http://www.arrl.org

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