The COVID lockdown / shutdown has generated many, many stories. From tragedy and sorrow to isolation and worry to just plain wacky. Here’s my recent amazing experience with a lengthy QSL journey.
Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Courier, Postal Service
On May 15 during an excellent Sporadic E opening, I worked YS1AG, Dr. Andres Goens, for a new DXCC on 6 meters. Looking at his QRZ page I found that he doesn’t do LoTW.
So I sent an email thanking him for the QSO and letting him know my card and greenstamps were on the way. He responded saying postal services were shutdown in El Salvador.
Once I saw that the USPS listing showed El Salvador open, I sent along the card. On June 16 he sent another email to several hams that he’d received our cards.
On August 14 he sent yet another email reporting that there was no outgoing mail.
This week, November 12, he sent this email:
I got fed up with the impasse at my local postal services. Still no way for sending a single letter out of the country. I was holding over 30 envelopes with cards inside and asked a friend who was going stateside for some business to take them, He in turn mailed the batch to Sid Shusterman K3SX and Sid has already posted all of them, one of those cards is for you. It should be reaching you by now.
Stay safe
Andy
YS1AG/G5AYU
The same day the QSL arrived!
What an amazing example of persistence, first to complete our QSO and second to get that QSL into my hands! Thank you, Andy, YS1AG, for overcoming all obstacles!
Logbook of the World
One takeaway here is to use Logbook of the World (LoTW). Andy states he has too many paper logs to upload. I’d just suggest to everyone — start now and make it happen going forward.
I’m reminded of my own challenges with LoTW on a few issues. But they were always sorted out either through my own searches of the help files or direct assistance from the ARRL staff.
I’ll also note that I set up a separate certificate for K5ND/R. That helped a number of people with new grids.
It can be a bit of a hassle after a contest separating things into upload files by grids. But it’s worth it to provide ops with a new grid and encourage them to work me in the next contest.
During these stay-at-home times, please use the opportunity to get setup on Logbook of the World and greatly simplify the QSL process.
Or you could do what Andy does and send a paper QSL by international courier!
