T88WA November 2022

1 November 2022

A team of five Western Washington DX Club members will activate Palau as T88WA Nov 3-14, 2022.  6m – 160m and CW, SSB, and FT8 modes.

The team will keep the Twitter updates going @T88WA
November 3, 2022 – First of all, a big thank you to DX Engineering for emergency donation and shipping to Palau of an MFJ Ultrasonic RFI device for tracking down RF noise at the Bai near Choll Village where we were going to make our QTH. It was intractable S9 noise across all bands coming from underground cable and telephone wires running all along the island under the power poles.

Our big news after being shown six other sites is that we found a killer site with an expansive view across the ocean to North America. We can’t report on every detail of the twists and turns of our 
continuing attempts to get on the air, but an episode of Survivor was filmed here so we decided to call our adventure episode Ham Radio DXpedition Survivor. We reasonably expect sometime tomorrow we will get our first station on the air and continue building out the antenna field from there. We know the high bands have been hopping and we are also going to work hard to bring you the low bands, including 60m FT8. Our grid square will be PJ77hr and we will be operating at the entrance of the Badrulchau Stone Monoliths, a very unique archeological site akin to the monoliths on Easter Island.
We have much work today and tomorrow to transfer our 1500 lbs of gear and get our first station on the air. 
We are working out new operating and basic survival logistics on our new “Field Day” style operation, sans air conditioning, running water or electricity. It’s all coming together. We will work you soon.

See our photos on Twitter. New photos coming soon… @T88WA
@T88WA Twitter:
@T88WA Twitter: This evening we arrived for our 23h layover in Guam. One leg of the #JourneyToPalau left tomorrow evening. We were informed that due to the storm, our equipment delivery is delayed to the morning of Nov 3 instead of Nov 2 as previously planned.

Full QSL INFO here: 

QSL Via M0URX OQRS

Bureau Summary Update

24 October 2022
Since our last Bureau dispatch, shipping costs have now started to reduce as freight availability begins to return back to pre covid levels which is really great news.

Also good news is the benefits of Brexit, we no longer have to pay 20% VAT, shipping cards from one part of the European Union to another, this has saved our QSL work around £1,000 a year since leaving the EU.

However, the World Customs Organisations new regulations means that Bureau QSL boxes are now considered as a “Commodity” and are therefore subject to a customs tax on arrival at the destination country, they are no longer Value “0”. Some Bureaus will not pay the tax and some cards will be destroyed or returned to sender. We are working with IARU Bureaus to try to ensure these cards arrive with the recipients.

I recently discussed this matter of customs tax on Bureau parcels with the President of IARU, Tim Ellam VE6SH while he was at the 2022 RSGB Convention, Tim informed me that he had discussed the matter with the UPU (Universal Postal Union) and there was no way that the IARU could intervene to help resolve the issues.

It is clear that while most of the Bureaus are providing a world class service in supporting their members in their QSL exchanges, some Societies are either no longer financially able to provide the service or are really struggling to meet those costs. Regardless of what many of you believe, the Bureau QSL service is NOT free, the road ahead is uncertain for the Bureau. I urge you if possible, to QSL direct so that you are not disappointed should your bureau QSLs not arrive.

I would like to thank Tim Ellam VE6SH for looking into these matters and thank you to all the volunteers doing an amazing job at the world IARU Bureau societies. THANK YOU!

Bureau Mailing October 2022

24 October 2022
QSL cards have been posted to 82 World Bureaus – Monday 24th October 2022
This mailing is a joint mailing between M0OXO Charles & M0URX Tim. (also thanks K3ZO Fred)
I would very much appreciate feedback from you when the QSL cards start arriving at World Bureaus or received by hams around the world? 

This mailing had been delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Also due to issues caused by the World Customs Organisation regulations.

The parcels are sent by Priority Business Mail to get to the Bureaus quickly.

Total amount of QSL cards dispatched: 16,607 
Via M0URX 9,476,  Via M0OXO 7,131. 
,Total Weight: 67240g
Total Shipping Cost: £355.59 – £5.29 per kg. (gross weight)

Average postage cost 2.14p per QSL card. Dispatch listed below in grams to each destination.
The below volumes are measured in grams per parcel

UK United Kingdom   1650
Europe Austria  1000
Belgium  2020
Bulgaria  193
Croatia  530
Cyprus
Czech Republic  1190
Denmark  260
Estonia 46
Finland  52
France 11860
Germany  14,000
Greece  330
Gibraltar
Hungary  355
Italy 5,544
Ireland  83
Latvia  63
Netherlands   2400
Malta  7
Norway  335
Poland  2,020
Portugal  275
Romania  200
Slovenia   295
Slovakia  375
Spain  2970
Sweden  900

R.O.W Andorra  ROW
Algeria
Argentina   350
Armenia
Aruba
Australia   235
Barbados
Belarus  62
Bermuda
Brunei
Bosnia Herzegovina  71
Brazil  156
Canada 530
Chile 23
China  145
Colombia  11
Costa Rica 
Cuba  81
Dominican Republic  10
Ecuador 20
El Salvador
Faroe Islands 
Falkland Islands 
Guatemala
Georgia 
Honduras 
Hong Kong  14
Iceland  7
India  29
Indonesia  50
Iran
Israel  50
Japan 14,990
Jordan
Kazakhstan  11
Kyrgyzstan
Kuwait 20
Lebanon
Liechtenstein  7
Lithuania  126
Luxembourg   135
Macau
Macedonia 17
Malaysia 14
Mexico  10
Moldova  20
Monaco
Mongolia
Namibia
New Caledonia
New Zealand 43
Nicaragua
Oman
Kazakistan
Panama  15
Paraguay
Peru    8
Philippines  17
Qatar
Russian Fed 2410
Saudi Arabia
Serbia  345
Singapore
South Africa 26
South Korea  305
Sri Lanka
Switzerland  665
Taiwan  17
Tajjikistan
Thailand 60
Trinidad
Tunisia
Turkey  250
United Arab Emirates
Ukraine  695
Uzbekistan
Uruguay
Venezuela  190
Fiji 23

USA W0, W1, W2 W3, W4, WW4 W5, W6, W7, W8, W9 5,550
WP3  26
WL7 24
WH6  46
KP2

V47FWX QRV October 2022

18 October 2022

K800 QSL-V47FWXNext Operation V47FWX October, SSB ONLY

Please note this is a holiday type operation. G0FWX, Gary will be operating at the QTH of John V47JA.
Gary visits St Kitts a couple of times a year, beautiful island with lots to do and i get to play radio whilst here.

Activity will be when time allows.
QSL Via M0URX OQRS.

Bureau In October 2022

16 October 2022

700 Bureau cards received from RSGB 07/10/2022. Processed for next dispatch. 

Please use OQRS only! – Sending us bureau cards wastes time, money and labour. Please USE OQRS only. Thank you

LoTW Inquiries

21 August 2022

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is “Why can’t i see my LoTW match?”

In most cases this is because you have not uploaded your Qs to LoTW from your log. OQRS sends to LoTW automatically or depending on the DXpedition QSL policy.  So ALWAYS first check your LoTW account to be sure that YOU have uploaded your QSO to LoTW before contacting me.

I do not upload to LoTW. OQRS does it. So, if you have checked your LoTW account and you have uploaded, you can also check on OQRS by searching and requesting QSL, you will see the LoTW status from OQRS.
If you think there is an issue use “Not in Log?” button but only if you have checked your LoTW first!
Sorry that I am not able to upload logs to eQSL or QRZ.log, please do not ask.
Please always remember to use OQRS for your inquiries as emails may not be answered. Thank you

V47FWX August 2022

4 August 2022

K800 QSL-V47FWXNext Operation 21st – 30th August 2022, SSB ONLY

Please note this is a holiday type operation. G0FWX, Gary will be operating at the QTH of John V47JA.
We visit St Kitts a couple of times a year, beautiful island with lots to do and i get to play radio whilst here.

Activity will be when time allows.
QSL Via M0URX OQRS.

QSL Route Update 5Z4VJ

30 July 2022

Update from Andy G3AB / 5Z4VJ. Andy is no longer a member of RSGB and Bureau cards will NOT be received Via Bureau. Please ONLY make your Bureau request using OQRS:
The last 1,000 bureau cards incoming have been processed in July.

Welcome M0TNX Kev

29 July 2022

Welcome to United Radio QSL Bureau to Kev Haworth, M0TNX. The QSL has been designed and OQRS is open.