Thanks Fred, I caught that the other day. I have a call in about our website issue as well. FYI. Mark On Wed, Jul 31, 2019 at 9:17 AM Hopengarten, Fred, K1VR, (Dir, NE) < fred@antennazoning.com> wrote:
Mark,
The essence of your question is: “How would sponsorship of the ARRL QSL Bureau work?”
In case anyone missed it, with respect to the incoming bureau, N2RJ provided some answers.
For many years, CQ magazine sponsored QSL bureau envelopes for the NJDXA W2 incoming bureau. They would supply the envelopes to us free of charge. The envelope had a note on the back, saying return this envelope to CQ for a free sample issue. Eventually when CQ started seeing its current financial trouble it stopped giving us the envelopes but it was a good program for a very long time.
Also if you work major DXpeditions they will insert a thin paper advert for various vendors including commercial vendors and DX foundations. When Gennady, UX5UO was early on in the business he sent me the small leaflets with a QSL order. I put them in all of my card envelopes (for my personal QSL cards) and he gave me a small discount. This includes operations from 9Y and mobile operations from lighthouses and such.
In our bureau operation in W2 we do not take SASEs from subscribers. Instead, subscribers buy credits. We use our own envelopes and optimize them so that postage is optimal. When USPS began ramping up automation based rates for regular first class mail and imposed the 1/4" limit, we adapted and structured our mailings that way. So we could fit 10 cards in a 2Oz. mailing and in that we could still put a small leaflet.
So those are two ways - the envelopes themselves OR a small thin leaflet.
It is not my purpose to dictate the end result of sponsorship, but rather to begin the discussion. And thinking need not be limited to the usual national vendors (KIYFE, HRO, MFJ, DXE) – a regional store might welcome an opportunity to promote within its call area only.
*Fred Hopengarten, Esq. K1VR *
*Six Willarch Road*
*Lincoln, MA 01773*
*781.259.0088, k1vr@arrl.org <k1vr@arrl.org>*
New England Director
[image: cid:a4a12f0b-0468-4a39-b953-31b2a3da8564]
Serving ME, NH, VT, MA, RI and CT
*From:* arrl-odv [mailto:arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org] *On Behalf Of *Mark J Tharp *Sent:* Friday, July 26, 2019 11:56 AM *To:* Fred Hopengarten *Cc:* ODV *Subject:* [arrl-odv:28438] Re: Vendor Queries
Fred, I'm curious on two items here.
First, do you have a thought on what sponsoring the QSL Bureau would look like? Members send cards, and receive back via the local groups. How would a sponsor enjoy any return on investment with no ability to advertise to the users? Would we ask to have a IEASU, YCOM, KENCO, ALINWOOD "QSL Card" included in the inbound bundles to members?
This is a good idea, and thanks for taking the lead on it Fred.
Mark, KB7HDX
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