Introduction
Within the US, the ARRL DX QSL Bureau System is made up of numerous
call-area bureaus that act as central clearing houses for QSL cards
arriving from foreign countries. Volunteers staff these "incoming"
bureaus. The service is free; ARRL membership is not required. (Canadian
amateurs can use the
Radio
Amateurs of Canada's incoming QSL bureau.)
How the System Works
Most countries have "outgoing" QSL bureaus that operate in much the
same manner as the ARRL
Outgoing QSL Service The members sends his cards to his outgoing
bureau where they are packaged and shipped to the appropriate countries.
A majority of the DX QSLs are shipped directly to the individual
incoming bureaus where volunteers sort the incoming QSLs by the first
letter of the call sign-suffix. One individual may be assigned the
responsibility of handling from one or more letters of the alphabet. All
incoming QSL Bureaus have email addresses. Some Bureaus have active web
pages. Please follow the links to each Bureau at
the top of this page.
Claiming Your QSLs
Send a 5 x 7-1/2 or 6 x 9 inch self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE)
or money credit where applicable to the bureau serving your call-sign
district. Neatly print your call-sign in the upper left corner of the
envelope. Place your mailing address on the front of the envelope. A
suggested way to send envelopes is to affix a first class stamp and clip
extra postage to the envelope. Then, if you receive more than 1 ounce of
cards, they can be sent in a single package.
Some incoming bureaus sell envelopes or postage credits in addition to
the normal SASE handling. They provide the proper envelope and postage
upon the prepayment of a certain fee. The exact arrangements can be
obtained by sending your inquiry with a SASE to your area bureau. (A
list of bureaus appears below.)
Hints on How to Make the Bureau System Work Better
for You
Good cooperation between the DXer and the bureau
is important to
ensure a smooth flow of cards.
Remember that the people who work in the
area bureaus
are volunteers. They are providing you with a valuable
service. With that thought in mind, please pay close
attention to the
following dos and don'ts.
Dos
- Do keep self-addressed 5 x 7-1/2 or 6 x 9 inch
envelopes or
money credit on file at your bureau,
with your call in the upper
left corner, and affix at
least one unit of first-class postage.
- Do send the bureau enough postage to cover SASEs
on file and
enough to take care of possible postage
rate increases.
- Do respond quickly to any bureau request for
SASEs, stamps or
money. Unclaimed card backlogs
are the bureau's biggest problem.
- Do notify the bureau of your new call sign as
you upgrade.
Please send SASEs with your new
call, in addition to SASEs with your
old call.
- Do include a SASE with any information request
to the bureau.
- Do notify the bureau in writing if you don't want
your cards.
- Do notify the Bureau of a change of address.
Don'ts
- Don't send domestic US to US cards to the various
call-area
bureaus.
- Don't expect DX cards to arrive for several months
after the QSO. Overseas delivery is very slow.
Many cards coming from overseas
bureaus are over
a year old.
- Don't send your outgoing DX cards to your call-area
bureau.
- Don't send SASEs to your "portable" bureau. For
example, NU0X/1
sends SASEs to the W0 bureau,
not the W1 bureau.
- Don't send SASEs or money credits to the ARRL
Outgoing QSL
Service.
- Don't send SASEs larger than 6 x 9 inches. SASEs
larger than 6 x
9 inches require additional postage
surcharges.
Bureau Addresses
First Call Area
All first-area call signs:
W1 QSL Bureau
YCCC
PO Box 7388
Milford, MA 01757-7388
This QSL Bureau accepts money credits only.
NO SASEs. For specific
information on the W1
incoming bureau, please email
w1qsl@yccc.org.
This address can
also be used to send comments
or general questions to the W1 QSL Bureau
Manager.
See the W1 Bureau home page at
http://www.yccc.org/Resources/w1qslburo.htm .
Second Call Area
All second-area call signs:
ARRL 2nd
District QSL Bureau
NJDXA
PO Box 599
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
This Bureau accepts money credits only. NO SASEs.
For detailed
information on the W2 Incoming QSL
Bureau, please contact Douglas Rue,
W2EN, Bureau
Manager, w2en@njdxa.org.
Additionally, the W2
Bureau has its own
home page
that contains a world
of QSL Bureau information.
Third Call Area
All third-area call signs:
National Capitol DX Association
NCDXA
PO Box 1149
Clinton, MD 20735-5149
Comments or questions on this bureaus operation
may be directed to
NC3DX@arrl.net
See the
W3 Incoming QSL
Bureau web page.
Fourth Call Area
All fourth-area call signs with single-letter prefixes (K4, N4, W4):
Mecklenburg Amateur Radio Club
Call Box DX
Charlotte, NC 28220
Comments or questions on this bureau's operation may be directed to
k4dxa@bellsouth.net. See the W4
QSL Bureau home
page.
All fourth-area call signs with two-letter prefixes (AA4, KB4, NC4,
WD4, etc):
Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club
Call Box 599
Sterling, VA 20167
Comments or questions on this bureau's operation may be directed to
rwmaylott@aol.com.
See the WA4 Bureau Home page:
.
Fifth Call Area
All fifth-area call signs:
The ARRL W5
QSL Bureau
OKDXA
P.O. Box 2591
Claremore, OK 74018-2591
Comments or questions on this Bureau's operation may be directed to:
k5yaa@okdxa.org
See the W5 Bureau home page (http://www.okdxa.org/buro)
Sixth Call Area
All sixth-area call signs:
ARRL Sixth
(6th) District DX QSL Bureau
P.O. Box 970
Fairfax, CA., 94978-0970
Comments or questions on this bureau's operation may be directed to
kc6awx@arrl.net
See the W6 Bureau home page (www.QSLBureau.org)
Seventh Call Area
All seventh-area call signs:
Willamette Valley DX Club Inc
PO Box 555
Portland, OR 97207
Comments or questions on this bureau's operation may be directed to
w7qsl@cs.com.
See the W7 Bureau
home page
Eighth Call Area
All eighth-area call signs:
8th Area QSL Bureau
PO Box 307
West Chester, OH 45071-0307
Comments or questions on this bureaus operation may be directed to
k4zle@arrl.net
See the
8th Area QSL Bureau home page.
Ninth Call Area
All ninth-area call signs:
Northern Illinois DX Assn.
P.O. Box 273
Glenview, IL 60025-0273
Comments or questions on this bureaus operation
may be directed to:
k9qvb@sbcglobal.net.
See the W9 QSL Bureau
homepage.
Tenth Call Area
All tenth-area call signs:
WØ QSL Bureau
PO Box 907
Florissant, MO 63032
Comments or questions on this Bureau's operation
may be directed to
ac0n@arrl.net.
See the WØ home page.
Hawaii
All Hawaiian call signs:
KH6 QSL Bureau
Big Island ARC
Att: Barbara Darling, NH7FY
PO Box 1938
Hilo, Hawaii 96721-1938
Comments or questions on this bureau's operation
may be directed to
nh7fy@yahoo.com.
Alaska
All Alaskan call signs:
Alaska QSL Bureau
P.O. Box 520343
Big Lake, AK 99652
Comments or questions on this bureaus operation
may be directed to
rkh@alaska.net
Puerto Rico
All Puerto Rico call signs:
Puerto Rico QSL Bureau
PO Box 9021061
San Juan, PR 00902-1061
Comments or questions on this bureaus operation my
be directed to
kp4wi@arrl.net
US Virgin Islands
All USVI call signs:
Virgin Islands ARC
GPO Box 11360
Charlotte Amalie VI 00801
Comments or questions on this bureau's operation may be directed to
Paul Jordan NP2JF np2jf@yahoo.com
Guam
All Guam Calls
Guam QSL Bureau
Marianas Amateur Radio Club
P.O. Box 445
Agana, Guam 96932
Comments or questions regarding this Bureau may be directed to Danny
Pobre KH2JU Pobre@guam.net
All US SWL calls
SWL QSL Bureau
Mike Witkowski, WDX9JFT
4206 Nebel St
Stevens Point, WI 54481
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