How To Participate...

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What is the BC Incoming QSL Bureau?

The British Columbia Incoming QSL Bureau handles QSL cards being delivered to Amateurs in this province. That would generally be Amateur Stations with a Canadian call-sign starting with VA7 or VE7. 

This bureau does NOT process cards that are outgoing. Amateurs wishing to send cards should consult the Radio Amateurs of Canada  QSL Bureau website.

How do I use this service?

QSL cards sent to the Bureau manager will be sorted for delivery. When a card is received, the recipient's call-sign will be posted on the BC QSL Cards Awaiting Pickup page. If your call is there, you should contact the Bureau Manager using the information provided at the bottom of this page to arrange a delivery method. This may include direct pick-up, delivery, or mailing. 

Backlog

At this time there are many cards, dating back years, that have not been picked up. We will attempt to deliver these and to notify the recipient via this site. Future plans are to  list cards in a database you can access on our website. Your assistance is requested to make this site address known to other stations so that we can contact as many Amateurs as possible to make them aware of this service.  If you see a call-sign listed with cards waiting, and happen to have contact that person, please make them aware so that we can expedite delivery.

A link to this URL on your club or organization website would also assist in getting the word out.

Do you have an interesting QSL card to share?

We would like to feature QSL cards received by local Amateurs that are unique, rare or particularly attractive. If you have such a card and would like to share it with others visiting this site, please forward an image to the webmaster, ve7ti at rac.ca via email. Selected cards will be featured in a gallery on the QSL Card Gallery page.

Ideas or Suggestions?

We welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this site as useful as possible. Please contact us at the addresses listed below.

Contact Information 

BC QSL Bureau Manager

Ken Clarke, VE7BC

E-mail ve7bc27@gmail.com

Telephone: (604) 816-5775

Bureau Mailing Address

VE7-VA7 Incoming QSL Bureau

Ken Clarke VE7BC

P.O. Box 1109

100 Mile House, BC

V0K 2E0

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How Does the BC Incoming QSL Bureau Work?

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Its Really Pretty Simple!

Using a QSL bureau is by far the least expensive way to collect QSL cards. Most major Amateur Radio countries have a bureau where cards are collected from hams within the country and then forwarded in bulk to the destination country. Using bulk mail to send your cards to the bureau and for them to forward the cards to other countries cost much less for postage than mailing individual cards. Both RAC in Canada and ARRL in the U.S. offer QSL cards outgoing services for amateurs who are members. Incoming cards can generally be received whether or not you are a member but membership alone is worth the cost of the bureau's service. The  RAC - BC Incoming QSL Bureau only accepts incoming cards for distribution to area Amateurs.

QSL'ing Direct

To QSL direct you fill out your QSL card and mail it the the person you contacted. So, if you had a QSO with VE3RAC and you would like his QSL card, you need to find his address. This can be done by searching an online callbook such as Buckmaster or QRZ!, or you can use a CD-ROM callbook from these organizations or others.

Fill out your card, address it, using an envelope to protect it, affix a stamp and drop it in the mailbox. Usually in a few weeks you can expect a card in return.

If you are sending a card to a DX contact it is generally good practice to include a self addressed envelope and return postage. Do not use the postage of your country as it will not be valid for use in the DX country. Instead include either a U.S. dollar bill (known by hams as a green stamp) or an International Reply Coupon (IRC) which you can purchase at the post office. We Canadians cannot use a loonie to pay for return postage as it is heavy and therefore subject to theft. Some countries require more than the equivalent of a dollar for postage. One example is Germany where you should send two dollars or two IRCs. Remember that DX amateurs, especially those in rare countries, get a lot of requests for QSL cards and so it is only fair to them that you provide the cost of postage.
QSL Managers

Active stations often use a QSL manager when mailing to a foreign country. With some less developed DX countries this is difficult. Using Managers in Canada and the US  makes postage less expensive. You can often obtain the QSL manager when looking up the address of the  call or on the Internet.

You send a card to a QSL manager in the same way as above. A return envelope and postage is a must.

Contents of a QSL Card

Some of the content that should be on each card is:

• your call sign
• your name and address
• a place to write:

       - the call of the station you contacted
       - the date (use DD/MM/YY to comply with most countries). 
         Be sure the date used is the UTC date (see note below).

• time in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)
• frequency or band
• mode (SSB, CW, FT8, RTTY, etc.)
• RST
• a request to QSL or thanks for a QSL received.

Some optional items you might include are:

• your station (maybe even a picture)
• your CQ and ITU zones
• the county you are in
• your grid location (primarily if you operate above 50MHz)

If you plan to send a lot of QSLs you might find that using a computerized logging program such as N1MM (free) or others can help you keep track of your contacts and also print labels for your QSL cards.

Contact Information 

BC QSL Bureau Manager

Ken Clarke, VE7BC

E-mail ve7bc27@gmail.com

Telephone: (604) 816-5775

Bureau Mailing Address

VE7-VA7 Incoming QSL Bureau

Ken Clarke VE7BC

P.O. Box 1109

100 Mile House, BC

V0K 2E0

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What Is A QSL Card?

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Confirming Our QSO...

A QSL card is a written confirmation of a two-way radio communication between two amateur radio stations or a one-way reception of a signal from an AM radio, FM radio, or television station. QSL cards can also confirm the reception of a two-way radio communication by a third party. A typical QSL card is the same size and made from the same material as a typical postcard, and many are sent directly by mail or via a QSL Bureau.

The RAC - BC Incoming QSL Bureau is a repository of cards received from stations, awaiting distribution to a recipient living in British Columbia, Canada. Please note that this bureau does not receive and distribute outgoing QSL cards, that remains the responsibility of the individual station. 

QSL cards derived their name from the Q code "QSL", which means "I acknowledge receipt." Most are collected by amateur radio operators,shortwave listeners, TV-FM DXers, and other radio hobbyists. A limited market exists for older QSL cards, especially those from rare locations or famous stations, as collector's items.

Amateur radio operators exchange QSL cards to confirm two-way communications between stations. A QSL card sent from one amateur radio operator to another contains details about the contact and the station.At a minimum, this includes the call sign of both stations participating in the communications, the time and date of the contact (usually specified in UTC or 'Zulu'), the radio frequency used, the mode of transmission used, and a signal report. The accepted standard for a QSL card is 89 mm by 140 mm (3½ by 5½ inches). Most QSL cards contain an image, often something associated with the station or the operator. Please check the featured card page for a gallery of noteworthy or unusual QSL cards received through this bureau.

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