GlobalQSL, part II

This week, I received the 100 blank QSL cards I ordered from GlobalQSL. The printing quality is outstanding and surpasses all my expectations! A nice glossy finish makes makes these cards really stand out.

Any remarks? Yes. When you design the back of the card, you must leave a certain part of the card (right hand corner) free of images or text, as this is the part where QSL information will be printed. However, I expected blank cards to be pre-printed with “To station”, “Frequency”, “RST” and such, so I could take a pen and fill in the blanks. Unfortunately, the right hand corner of the card is completely empty.

I’ll have to use stickers, I’m afraid.

The HBH Award

In case you’re thinking that this award actually exists: it doesn’t. Maybe it should. ‘HBH’ is an additional note I make in my log book. It stands for ‘Hi Bye Ham’, a special breed of radio amateurs. The typical HBH has only one line, which is something like “PD0AC, you’re 5/9, QRZ?”

Technically speaking I made a QSO, but after running into a Hi Bye Ham, I feel like I’m suffering from a very bad hangover. What’s the guy’s name? Where does he live? Is he married? What type of gear does he use? Has he ever been to Holland? Does he own a dog? Any subject would be nice! Any conversation with a duration exceeding three minutes would be great!

Most English HAMs don’t seem to suffer from the HBH disease, neither do American HAMs. I wish I knew why, but thankfully there are lots of them to talk to every day.

GlobalQSL, first impressions

Due to all sorts of reasons my new QSL cards weren’t printed, and I looked for ways to make things easier. One of them was to make use of eQSL (link), which I did, but not many amateurs use that service.

When GlobalQSL (link) came into the picture, I thought I’d give it a try. GlobalQSL is not an electronic service. I mean: it’s not an eQSL look-a-like. Cards are actually printed on high quality paper (full color, both sides) and sent through the bureau. Apart from that, there’s a lot of electronic processing going on.

After creating an account, you can download their QSL card design program. It takes a bit of time and experimenting to get it right, but working with the program is not too hard. When you’re happy with the results, you can upload your design to the GlobalQSl server. For $82, you will get 1000 cards printed, including distribution through the bureau.

You can enter your QSOs manually, or upload them in ADIF format. Multiple QSOs with the same station will be printed on one card, saving time, money and cards.

Pros (so far):

• Easy, saves a lot of time
• reasonably priced
• real cards
• price includes delivery (bureau)
• handles multiple designs and/or call signs

Cons (so far):

• Slow. Cards won’t be be printed immediately: the interval is every 2000 cards or 2 months, which ever comes first. (*)

If you are a fanatic DX or contest operator, 2000 cards is nothing. For an average Ham however, 2000 cards is something that could take a year or more. QSL bureaus are notorious for being slow, and 2 months of extra delay isn’t helping. Maybe the interval could be changed to one month?

I also ordered 100 blank cards, which will be sent to my QTH. Let’s see how fast they can print and deliver them. I’ll keep you posted.

(*) Update 10/11/2007, 14.34 UTC

Paul 4X6UU from GlobalQSL made a comment on this article about the “Cons”:

“GlobalQsl prints the cards every time there are 2000 cards to be printed to a IARU bureau. Having thousands of users uploading ADIF files every day, this means that we print cards every day for a few IARU bureaus. The only bureaus that are printed once every 2 months are the small and rare ones, like HB0 for example.

The every 2 month printing is done even if there are only a few QSLs for that specific bureau.”

Liberia DXpedition, 5L2MS

Three Dutch radio amateurs (Henk PA3AWW, Arie PA3AN, Arie PA3A and Ad PA8AD) will be on the air from Liberia, Africa (link). Antennas for 10,15 and 20 meters are up and running, antennas for other bands (including 160 meters!) are expected to be functional soon. The special event call sign will be 5L2MS.

After fourteen years of civil war, lasting from 1989 to 2003, the country of Liberia has been devastated and its infrastructure was ruined. The Mercy Ships organization offers free specialized surgeries, developmental assistance, and educational programs for the poor in Liberia. In cooperation with Mercy Ships the DAGOE Foundation deploys this Radio DXpedition. The DXpedition has adopted the ‘AIDS Prevention and Care for HIV infected Children’ charity project to be supported by your donations. With your generous help we are able to give the people of Liberia hope for the future.

14.195 is utterly quiet

Last week, I read a remark on the blog of MM0NDX (link) about the rumor that the license of IT9RYH has been suspended for six months. I felt reluctant to copy and paste this immediately, as it was just a rumor.

However, 14.195 has been utterly quiet for more than a week – quiet in the sense that there’s no QRM, no jamming, nothing of the like. Just rare DX stations, as this frequency was originally meant for. This morning, 5U5U was active there, very weak, barely moving my S-meter, but readable!

Wow.