SMØYBY QSL Policy

This page is an attempt at summarizing my QSL policy. There are exceptions to every rule and these are no exception to that, but this should give you an idea of when you can expect to get a QSL card, and when you need to send one in order to get one back. Short wave listeners and others who merely heard me on the amateur bands, see below for my SWL report QSL policy.

• If I have worked you before on the same combination of band and mode (for example, 144 MHz SSB), I generally will not send a QSL card. However, all valid incoming QSL requests are honored. Whether or not a QSL card counts as valid depends on whether I can find the corresponding contact in my log book. Invalid cards get returned with a short note giving the reason.
• If you worked me simplex, you can expect to get a QSL card via the bureau. See below on contest QSOs, however.
• If you worked me duplex but not over a terrestrial repeater (this condition includes satellite contacts and terrestrial cross-band QSOs), you can expect to get a QSL card via the bureau. Also, see about contest QSOs below.
• If you worked me over a terrestrial repeater, sorry. I very rarely QSL those contacts, and when I do, it is definitely via the bureau.
  If you absolutely want a QSL for such a contact and cannot wait, send me a QSL card with a SASE (SM stations only!), or a SAE along with one green stamp (1 US dollar or 1 Euro) to cover for postage. QSL cards for repeater contacts, even if received direct, will only be responded to direct if the costs are covered (SASE, or SAE plus green stamp). Other repeater QSLs will be answered via the bureau. However sent, the QSL card will clearly indicate that the contact in question was via repeater.

Contest QSOs

If you worked me in a contest, you might not get a QSL without a solicitation. This is simply due to the potentially huge number of contacts made during a contest. I will send QSL cards for contacts I deem interesting for one reason or another, but if you want to be sure to get a QSL, send one yourself. Include a SASE (SM stations only – foreign stamps are unusable to me) or SAE and a green stamp (1 US dollar or 1 Euro, to cover for postage) for DX stations. Cards sent via the bureau will be responded to in the same way.

Reception only reports

If you heard me in QSO with someone (short wave listeners, listen up!), whether in a contest or rag chewing, you can send me an e-mail (or, of course, a letter in the ordinary mail – but as you are reading this, you probably have access to e-mail) with the information. My contact information is available elsewhere. Please include as much as you can of the following:

• Frequency, preferably to within 1 kHz or so, but at the very least what band you heard me on.
• Date and time, preferably in UTC. (Remember to check at what local time the UTC date changes!) If you have to give date and time in your local time, remember to explicitly state so and give your time zone offset from UTC. Better yet, do the calculation yourself, and save me the grief. The less work I have to do to confirm your report and/or the more useful the information is to me, the more likely you are to get a QSL.
• A signal report (standard RS or RST is fine). Be honest, please! It's not very useful for me if you give a 59 when you could barely hear me. Then, give a 31 or whatever is appropriate. If you tried to work me but couldn't for some reason, state so. That could be interesting information.
• Your location, in some universally accepted form. Maidenhead locator (six digits preferred, like AB12cd) or WGS-84 coordinates (longitude and latitude as given by any GPS receiver) is preferred, but distance and heading from a large city (give city name, state if applicable, and country) is also OK.
• Preferably, the call sign of the station I was in QSO with.
• Your call sign or SWL number, to send a QSL via the bureau.

If I can confirm your report against my station log, it will be noted, and a QSL card will be sent via the bureau as a sign of appreciation. Note that I will generally not QSL reports of contacts via terrestrial repeaters unless you heard me on the repeater's input frequency or it is a very unusual contact for some reason. Such requests should be sent to the person or club operating the repeater instead.