Dayton Party with Sultans - Thursday!

[KA9FOX at aol.com]

PARTY WITH THE SULTANS OF SHWING

Thursday, April 27th, 8pm to ??? (very late!)
Stouffer's Suites - 12th Floor (we hope - look for posters)

- Hosted by the Sultans of Shwing (Mike N0BSH, Chad WE9V & Scott KA9FOX)
    -- also helping out:  room-mates WX9E and NP4Z)
- Plenty of Cold beverages (by donation of course)
- N6TR TR simulator competition - top two scores get free copy of program!!
- Beavis & Butthead reruns and other cool flicks.

If you'd like to see what the Sultans of Shwing actually look like and you
can't make it to Dayton, check out my web site:
 http://www.infoanalytic.com/ka9fox/

See ya there!  (my last Dayton single!  SHWING!!)

73 Scott KA9FOX
ka9fox at aol.com

>From ironsp at fox.nstn.ns.ca (Phil Irons)  Tue Apr 25 02:11:18 1995
From: ironsp at fox.nstn.ns.ca (Phil Irons) (Phil Irons)
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 21:11:18 -0400
Subject: IRCs versus "Green Stamps" -- The Good, the Bad and the Expensive
Message-ID: <199504250009.VAA28044 at Fox.NSTN.Ca>

The following is uploaded by request of Alan, VE1AL, for information
purposes. Unfortunately, Alan is at present bereft of the benefits of the
Internet, except for the morsels I deign to toss his way from time to time   :-)

However, having also suffered some of the indignities that he metions, I
feel that it is timely, in view of the recent chatter concerning the cost of
QSLs, and in view of the recently past contests.

>On the afternoon of April 16, I was listening to a QSO on 20M during which 
>a participant was talking about the cost of Airmail postage from Germany to 
>the United States. The guy said it was at least 2 IRCs. And this got me to 
>thinking...
>
>Quite frankly, some people are being taken advantage of and I'm of the 
>opinion that the demands of some QSL Managers are getting very out of hand, 
>but...
>
>My reason: OE2DYL's April announcement that the "cost" of a QSL for PY0TUP 
>for US DXers will be the equivalent of $3.80!!! That doesn't cover the cost 
>of the DXers' QSL card, envelope, the SAE and the postage...an unreasonable 
>total of something close to $4.50 for ONE card!!! And HZ1 somethingorother 
>is demanding that 7O1AA requests are to be sent by "registered mail."
>
>In a recent message on the Internet and DX Packet Cluster to US DXers, JA1BK 
>(QSL Manager for the recent BS7H DXpedition) said a US dollar won't buy 
>enough postage to get an envelope from Japan to the US by Airmail but that 
>IRCs would do the job. And its true that many countries have devalued the 
>US dollar to the point that it will not purchase a stamp to get a card back 
>to the States. You almost have to be a rocket scientist to figure it all 
>out. As Chod Harris pointed out in his CQ Magazine column last December, 
>for some countries the IRC(s) is the best method of pre-paying return 
>postage. 
>
>Please note, however, that the English paragraph on the IRC clearly states 
>"This coupon is exchangeable in any country of the (UPU) for...stamps...for 
>a priority item...sent by air to a foreign country." In other words, A 
>SINGLE IRC will purchase enough postage to get the item back to you via 
>air. I haven't had a translation done of the other five languages but I 
>expect they read the same. Any other interpretation is WRONG!
>
>However, there is a however. Even with currency exchange rates fluctuating 
>wildly and postage costs spiralling upward in virtually every country 
>except the US, one begins to question the cost of QSLing. While each 
>situation is different, I'd like to review a few things from a Canadian 
>QSL Manager's point of view. For Canadian QSL Managers, the IRC is NOT the 
>best way.
>
>First, Canada is one of the few countries whose currency is actually valued 
>lower than the US dollar. This is a good reason to visit Canada on your 
>vacation, but this isn't a commercial for that...
>
>Second, US Postage is not valid in Canada. In fact, US Postage cannot be 
>legally used in any other country except the United States and its 
>possessions. Don't send US SASEs to Canada...whenever I've sent them 
>through the Canadian system they appear to have been "lost."
>
>Third, the current rate of postage from Canada to the US is 50-cents per 
>ounce, for an envelope up to #10. Anything larger requires more postage, 
>depending on the weight.
>
>Fourth, the current redeemed value of one IRC in Canada is:
>
>	Canadian issued ($1.35)= 43-cents (Canadian Domestic Rate)
>	US issued (95-cents)  = 50-cents (Rate to USA/Possessions)
>	International (varied) = 88-cents (Foreign Airmail)
>
>Fifth, at the cost of 95-cents for an IRC in the US, the sender would be 
>doing the Canadian QSL Manager a great favor by enclosing a "green stamp" 
>instead. The nickel difference could be the cost of the gas to get to the 
>post office. For overseas hams, paying whatever local rate, the devalued 
>US dollar is a bargain.
>
>To recap, there are three letter rates in Canada: currently a VE IRC buys 
>a 43-cent stamp, a US or Mexican IRC gets a 50-cent stamp and foreign IRCs 
>get 88-cent stamps...every First Class Letter goes Airmail from Canada to 
>the country of the addressee. Incidently, in Canada, all postage is subject 
>to the hated Canadian Goods and Services Tax of 7%.
>
>In a nutshell, for Canadian QSL Managers, the "green stamp" is far more 
>cost effective than an IRC! But please note that coins cannot be exchanged 
>for dollars, and the very favorable exchange rate is lost if quarters, 
>dimes, or nickels are sent for postage. Personally, I accept Silver 
>Dollars because neat...but it will cost you more to send an envelope 
>containing one 'cause they're heavy.
>
>Also, a couple of things to remember: Canadian dollar bills are now 
>collector's items...anyone who has one should save it for posterity; the 
>cost of sending letters from the US to Canada is 40-cents (not 29-, 32-, 
>50-cents or anything else); and, some sharp-eyed guys in the USPS will 
>turn back letters with G-stamps because they're not supposed to be used 
>for mail sent out of the US.
>
>To return to the OE2DYL situation, I'm certain, even in Austrian and in 
>Germany, one IRC will buy, at the very least, the lowest class of air 
>postage to the US. And I suggest the two bucks and that 2nd IRC are for 
>Deiter's pocket. I, for one, won't be paying for a PY0TUP QSL so that he 
>can visit Dayton! I hope there are many, many others who feel the same way.
>
>Just learn some patience...work a couple of stations in each country, read 
>the ads, do some comparison shopping and figure out which QSL Manager 
>offers the best deal. Then send your QSL. Kind of like buying a new or 
>used rig or a car.
>
>Or, maybe there's a much less expensive system, like, ah, the bureau?
>
>??
>
If anyone wishes to make his/her feelings known to Alan, please feel free to
e-mail me direct; flames are welcome, but probably will be ignored or
spammed.  Please understand that *you* are not being flamed, but rather alan
& I are trying to clear up some obvious (to us) misunderstandings.

73 de Alan, VE1AL &

Phil Irons           VE1BVD at VE1PAK           ironsp at fox.nstn.ns.ca
       The only stupid question is the one you *DON'T* ask!


>From John Pescatore <jpescato at CapAccess.org>  Tue Apr 25 02:46:24 1995
From: John Pescatore <jpescato at CapAccess.org> (John Pescatore)
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 21:46:24 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: ARRL contest scores online
Message-ID: <Pine.3.07.9504242123.E17361-7100000 at cap1.capaccess.org>

No one's ever accused me of being a Democrat before.  hi.

(Rich Boyd KE3Q)