TopBand: ZS8IR qsls

[Chris R. Burger]

VA3DX asked:
> Worked ZS8IR last March 17/97., wonder if any qsls from near this time
> period have started to arrive yet, Tks Glenn VA3DX / 8P9DX

ZS6EZ replies:
A large batch (something like 1000 cards) is ready to be mailed.  
Everything received up to the end of April (over 4500 cards) has 
already been mailed.

This statement covers 99% of all requests.  For the remaining 1%, the 
explanation below may prove useful.

Chris R. Burger
ZS6EZ
Manager for ZS8IR, V51Z etc.




ZS8IR and V51Z QSL Progress
16 June 1997

All ZS8IR requests received up to the end of April have been answered 
and mailed.  All cards received up to mid-May have been processed, 
and will be mailed this week.  

If you have not received your cards, please be patient for another 
few weeks.  I would advise not acting before mid-July, to ensure that 
enough time has passed for cards in transit to get to you.

I am spending every minute of my free time getting the cards out.  
Also, Chris de Beer, the operator at ZS8IR is now here to help me.  I 
expect that all outstanding cards will be taken care of by next 
weekend.

BEFORE YOU SEND ME INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS, please keep in mind that mail 
takes around three weeks typically.  If you mailed your card after 
mid-April, the reply has probably not been mailed.  Also, every 
minute I spend answering individual questions eats into the time I 
have for answering cards.

Status summary:

*  V51Z cards are in the mail, with the exception of something like
   40 potential "Not in Logs".  These will be processed this week, and
   either answered or returned.

*  ZS6EZ and other DXpedition calls are up to date as of today.

*  ZS8IR cards will be up to date within a few weeks.  Chris has just
   arrived in Pretoria, and will help me to investigate outstanding
   "Not in Log" QSLs.
   
I have mentioned potential reasons for not getting a reply, but let 
me add a few:

*  One of your QSOs is being investigated.  This may lead to a QSL, 
   failing which you will be notified.  If you had several QSOs in
   one envelope, of course the others will also be delayed.  A list
   of such QSOs was published on a previous occasion.

*  You didn't include adequate postage.  1 IRC pays the MINIMUM air
   mail postage to foreign countries.  In countries with differential
   rates, this amount does not cover mail anywhere in the world.  In 
   our case, 1 IRC does not cover air mail to the US, Japan or Europe.
   
*  Your DX Stamp Service is ill-informed.  Over 90% of SASEs that 
   arrive here are under-franked.  I have yet to decide what to do 
   with these.  I would strongly suggest not using DX stamps unless
   you are dealing with a country with known theft problems, or with
   a manager who is known to pocket "enclosures".
   
*  You used the Buckmaster address that places me on "Edward and 
   Marion Island".  If so, your letter is probably feeding fish in 
   the Indian Ocean off Durban.  Wait to see if the reply arrives--
   you may have been lucky.  In any case, complain loudly to 
   Buckmaster.  Their response to my complaints has been extremely
   flippant, and they continue to allow anyone to make alterations
   to their database.  Maybe it would make sense to use a vendor with 
   a more responsible approach to database editing.



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