VP6DX News Release
2008 Jun 18 / 1715z

Highlights:

1 QSL card design
2 QSL processing status
3 Donors without callsigns in the database
4 Instructions for donors who have made an on-line QSL request, but have not received LOTW credit
5 List of donors without callsigns as of 2008 June 16 Monday

1 QSL card design

An earlier press release stated that we expected QSL cards to enter the postal system in mid-April. We must apologize for failing to meet that deadline.

Our printer offered us an opportunity to send an extraordinary QSL card. The direct-mail "card" will be a 36-page booklet, sponsored by the QSL-Shop and Knut Theurich DG0ZB (qslshop.com). This booklet has the same dimensions as a QSL card, and contains over 80 color photos and maps. The text in-cludes information about the major sponsors, Ducie Island history, and the VP6DX project. With a thickness of 1mm, the VP6DX QSL will fit in standard QSL card display holders.

Not surprisingly, it takes much more time to design and prepare for printing a 36-page booklet than a standard QSL card. We submitted the complete draft of the card design to the printer on May 14. Dur-ing the next several weeks we worked together with the printer to resolve technical layout issues and to proofread the final design. The final proof was approved on June 6 and printing of 20,000 cards be-gan on June 9. Last Friday June 13 more than 500 kg (1100 lb) of cards were shipped to the QSL team which should arrive around the end of this week.

We hope you will find this special card worth the additional waiting time. As you will read below, the QSL team has been using this time to complete other tasks for card preparation.

Note: Because QSL bureaus are not equipped to handle a booklet, VP6DX QSLs delivered via the bureau will use a normal card with color photographs.

2 QSL processing status

Over a dozen volunteers in Germany and USA form the QSL processing team.

In order to process the largest number of QSL requests in the shortest period of time, QSL requests are prioritized in groups. Several factors determine the priority of each request group:

• QSL requests for QSOs that match the VP6DX log exactly have priority over requests that require man-ual research. Manual research for busted calls is a time-consuming activity that can only begin after the owner of the logged callsign has been given time to request his QSL.

 • QSL requests submitted on-line through the website have priority over requests receive via postal mail. On-line QSL requests can be handled more quickly; the time-consuming steps of opening enve-lopes, entering QSO data, and checking for errors — all of which must be done by a QSL team volun-teer – are eliminated when the DXer uses the on-line QSL request form on the VP6DX website. In comparison, on-line requests require no manual data entry by QSL team volunteers. To submit a re-quest on-line, go to ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/oqrs/index.php.

• When sending confirmations, we transmit LOTW confirmations first as this is the fastest way for a DXer to receive DXCC credit. Next we prepare direct-mail QSLs. Bureau cards, the least time-critical, have lower priority.

• Requests from donors have priority over requests from non-donors. Everyone who requests a QSL will receive both a card and a LOTW confirmation.
The group definitions and order of processing are:

• Group A1: LOTW confirmations for on-line QSL requests from donors
• Group A2: QSL cards for on-line QSL requests from donors.
• Group B: QSL cards and LOTW confirmations for postal requests from donors.
• Group C: QSL cards and LOTW confirmations for on-line QSL requests from non-donors.
• Group D: QSL cards and LOTW confirmations for postal requests from non-donors with SASE or equiva-lent.
• Group E: QSL cards and LOTW confirmations for postal requests from non-donors without SASE or equivalent.
• Group X: QSL requests that do not match the log.

SWL requests will be handled in the same group as a corresponding amateur radio operator QSL re-quests. In order to preserve the integrity of the SWL confirmation, an SWL request must include data for at least two consecutive QSOs heard on the same band and mode. SWL requests should be entered in the on-line QSL request form on the website by putting the data in the “comments” field.

Note 1: 1,086 additional donors have not provided their callsigns; see the list at the end of this press release. We cannot process their QSL request without their callsign. If you are on this list of missing callsigns, please send us your callsign via the "Contact Us" menu option on the left side of the VP6DX website: ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/contactus/index.php.

Note 2: Requests will be processed in Germany as soon as the cards arrive from the printer. Labels and envelopes are ready. After preparation, cards for North American stations will be bulk-shipped by air to the USA for mailing direct to the DXer. Cards for the rest of the world will be mailed direct to the DXer from Germany.

Note 3: As these requests are entered into the database, LOTW credits will be uploaded to the ARRL server during the weekly upload. In parallel, direct-mail QSL cards will be prepared. After preparation, cards for North American stations will be bulk-shipped by air to the USA for mailing direct to the DXer. Cards for the rest of the world will be mailed direct to the DXer from Germany. – page 2 of 8 –

Note 4: If you are a donor and made an on-line QSL request before 2008 Jun 09 Monday 1800Z, and your LOTW confirmation is not present on the ARRL server, please see instructions below.

Note 5: As these requests are entered into the database, LOTW credits will be uploaded to the ARRL server during the weekly upload. The QSL cards for these requests will be delivered via the bureau.

Note 6: As these requests are entered into the database, LOTW credits will be uploaded to the ARRL server during the weekly upload. Cards for North American stations will be bulk-shipped by air to the USA for mailing direct to the DXer. Cards for the rest of the world will be mailed direct to the DXer from Germany.

Note 7: If a logging error at VP6DX is discovered, a QSL card will be mailed direct to the DXer and LOTW credits will be uploaded to the ARRL server during the weekly upload.

Donors without callsigns in the database

Before April, over 1000 DXers made on-line donations without providing their callsign. In almost all cases, this occurred when the donation was made via PayPal. To add to the confusion, some of these PayPal donations were made using business accounts. In late March an improvement to the website was made to avoid this problem for subsequent requests.

We apologize for not anticipating this problem, and want to properly acknowledge every donor on our website. And, without a callsign, QSL requests from these donors will not be prioritized correctly.

Please check the list of names attached below. If your name (or business) is listed, please send us your callsign via the "Contact Us" menu option on the left side of the VP6DX website: ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/contactus/index.php. Thank you!

Instructions for donors who have made an on-line QSL request, but have not received LOTW credit
If you are:
• a donor, and
• have made an on-line QSL request via the website, and
• your LOTW credit(s) does not appear on the ARRL LOTW server today then please follow these steps:

1. Check that your callsign is recorded together with your name as a donor on the VP6DX website: ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/sponsors/index.php. Donor names (or businesses) with no callsigns are listed below. If you are on this list of names without callsigns, please send us your name and call-sign via the "Contact Us" menu option on the left side of the VP6DX website: ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/contactus/index.php.

2. If:
• You have submitted on-line requests for confirmation of more than one QSO, and’
• Some QSOs are confirmed in the ARRL LOTW server but others are not confirmed; then your non-confirmed QSOs do not match the VP6DX log. Your non-confirmed QSOs will be re-searched manually later. You do not need to take any further action now.

3. If none of your on-line requests have been confirmed on the ARRL LOTW server, please check that your on-line request is in the database. Go to the website's on-line QSL request page ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/oqrs/index.php and enter your callsign. A list of all QSOs that you requested in the past will appear in your browser. If your desired QSO is not listed in this database, then follow the instructions on the webpage to complete the on-line request form for the additional QSO(s). Your additional QSOs, if matched in the VP6DX log, will be uploaded to the ARRL LOTW server during the next weekly upload.

4. If (1), (2), or (3) does not apply, please send us a note via the "Contact Us" menu option on the left side of the VP6DX website: ducie2008.dl1mgb.com/contactus/index.php.