{"id":43771,"date":"2020-06-08T20:24:52","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T00:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=43771"},"modified":"2020-06-08T20:25:01","modified_gmt":"2020-06-09T00:25:01","slug":"is-there-such-a-thing-as-too-close-when-requesting-a-qsl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/06\/is-there-such-a-thing-as-too-close-when-requesting-a-qsl\/","title":{"rendered":"Is there such a thing as &#8220;too close&#8221; when requesting a QSL&#8211;?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Radio-Prague-QSL-vysilac_liblice-e1579439960188.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-41679\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Radio-Prague-QSL-vysilac_liblice-e1579439960188.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"707\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Many thanks to <em>SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Dziugas, who recently contacted me with the following question:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Hello,<\/p>\n<p>I have a question \u2013 what is the legit distance to ask for a QSL card? As a Lithuanian, I have sent (and succeeded) with requests to Hungarian, Czech and Estonian stations. But would it be fine according to DX etiquette to send QSL requests for local\/national FM stations? It would be nice to get a collection from them as well.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Thank you for sharing your question, Dziugas. I hope that readers will comment with their input, but I&#8217;ll share with you how I feel about the matter.<\/p>\n<p>I personally believe if you&#8217;re sending an honest, courteous, and <em>detailed<\/em> report, you can request a QSL from <em>any<\/em> station. The station could be in your neighborhood for that matter.<\/p>\n<h2>Include the basics!<\/h2>\n<p>It is very important, however, that you include some basic information in each listener report. Obviously, you&#8217;re already doing this Dziugas, but for the record&#8211;and others reading this post&#8211;I always include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When and where I heard the station (date and time in UTC)<\/li>\n<li>The broadcast frequency (important too for national broadcasters that use local relays)<\/li>\n<li>Details about the broadcast from my own informed listening:\n<ul>\n<li>Including specifics about the topic being discussed<\/li>\n<li>Noting any names of presenters or interviewees<\/li>\n<li>Noting music titles (you can use your phone or an app like Sound Hound to help you ID)<\/li>\n<li>Noting times I heard details (time stamps)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>A signal report&#8211;I always use <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SINPO_code\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the SINPO<\/a> code\/system. Of course, with local stations, this might not be as necessary, but I&#8217;d still give them an idea of their signal quality.<\/li>\n<li>How I heard them, giving them details about my receiver and antenna. If it&#8217;s an online station, I&#8217;ll also let them know if I&#8217;ve listened to their stream before (although, I base the QSL on my over-the-air listening&#8211;not online listening)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If I&#8217;m making a request by email, I&#8217;ll often include an MP3 recording, too.<\/p>\n<p>For a more thorough overview though, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dxing.com\/reportin.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fred Osteman&#8217;s guide to reporting and QSLing at DXing.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Frankly, I think it&#8217;s a good idea to request QSLs from local and regional stations because these may actually be some of your most cherished QSLs in the future.<\/p>\n<p>Also, keep your expectations in check. You may find it very difficult to get an actual QSL card from broadcasters today&#8211;typically, only international broadcasters still send these. I would also send your request via the post if you want a letter or paper reply.\u00a0 Even then, it can be quite challenging to get a reply these days, but go for it and know that when you send a request, you&#8217;re representing radio listeners and DXers everywhere, so be a top-shelf diplomat!<\/p>\n<p>With all this said, it sounds like you&#8217;re already doing all the right stuff, so I say go for those local QSLs!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Post readers:<\/strong> Please comment with your thoughts and suggestions!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dziugas, who recently contacted me with the following question: Hello, I have a question \u2013 what is the legit distance to ask for a QSL card? As a Lithuanian, I have sent (and succeeded) with requests to Hungarian, Czech and Estonian stations. But would it be fine according to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[373,56,433,3,894,43],"tags":[8589,248,8588,1795],"class_list":["post-43771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-am","category-broadcasters","category-mediumwave","category-news","category-qsl-gallery","category-shortwave-radio","tag-listener-reports","tag-qsl","tag-qsling","tag-qsls"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-bnZ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":52489,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/stations-that-accept-reception-reports-and-qsl\/","url_meta":{"origin":43771,"position":0},"title":"Stations that accept reception reports and QSL?","author":"Thomas","date":"April 16, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Hyun Woo P., who writes: I\u2019m interested in SWLing and I have collected some station QSLs and confirmation (RFA, VOA, NHK, RTI, and time stations such as BPM, and HLA). I would like to know of other stations that I can listen to and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;International Broadcasting&quot;","block_context":{"text":"International Broadcasting","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/international-broadcasting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/PL-680-Sync-Detector.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/PL-680-Sync-Detector.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/PL-680-Sync-Detector.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14338,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/08\/obtaining-qsls-from-am-broadcast-stations\/","url_meta":{"origin":43771,"position":1},"title":"Obtaining QSLs from AM broadcast stations?","author":"Thomas","date":"August 12, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"SWLing Post reader, Paul Grodkowski, writes: \"Just a quick question to anyone at the SWLing Post: Is the practice of sending a reception report to a AM broadcast station in return\u00a0for a QSL card still accepted in the age of the internet ? So many stations are broadcasting online now\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AM&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"RCA-Dial","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/RCA-Dial-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/RCA-Dial-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/RCA-Dial-1024x576.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41675,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/2020-radio-prague-qsl-cards\/","url_meta":{"origin":43771,"position":2},"title":"2020 Radio Prague QSL Cards","author":"Thomas","date":"January 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who writes: \"These are the new 2020 QSL Cards from Radio Prague International. The theme of this year is \"Transmitters\" (Antennas):\" (Source: Radio Prague) The three letters - QSL - constitute one of the codes originally developed in the days of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/QSL-Radio-Prague-domamil_vysilac_moravske_budejovice-1024x723.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/QSL-Radio-Prague-domamil_vysilac_moravske_budejovice-1024x723.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/QSL-Radio-Prague-domamil_vysilac_moravske_budejovice-1024x723.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26961,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/guest-post-night-of-nights-july-12-2017\/","url_meta":{"origin":43771,"position":3},"title":"Guest Post: \u201cNight of Nights\u201d July 12, 2017","author":"Thomas","date":"July 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian Smith (W9IND), who shares the following guest post: \u201cNight of Nights\u201d 2017 by Brian D. Smith, W9IND \u201cNight of Nights XVIII\u201d \u2013 radio\u2019s answer to \u201cNight of the Living Dead\u201d \u2013 will again unfold on July 12 (July 13 UTC) with the return\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ham Radio&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Night-Of-Nights.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Night-Of-Nights.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Night-Of-Nights.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Night-Of-Nights.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59604,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/05\/dans-digital-archive-of-qsl-cards\/","url_meta":{"origin":43771,"position":4},"title":"Dan&#8217;s digital archive of QSL Cards","author":"Thomas","date":"May 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Greenall, who writes: Hi Thomas In addition to digitizing many of my old SW and BCB audio files, I have begun setting up some of my QSL galleries on the internet archive in order to help preserve radio history. I am sending along\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/El-Salvador.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/El-Salvador.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/El-Salvador.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/El-Salvador.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/El-Salvador.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55284,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2023\/01\/radio-prague-qsl-cards-for-2023\/","url_meta":{"origin":43771,"position":5},"title":"Radio Prague QSL Cards for 2023","author":"Thomas","date":"January 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who shares the following announcement from Radio Prague: Radio Prague's QSL Cards (Radio Prague) The three letters - QSL - constitute one of the codes originally developed in the days of the telegraph. All codes consisted of three letters beginning with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Radio-Prague-QSL.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Radio-Prague-QSL.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Radio-Prague-QSL.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Radio-Prague-QSL.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Radio-Prague-QSL.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43771\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}