There are two ways to submit QSL cards. You can send the QSL cards themselves, or you can send copies of the QSLs. If you plan to send the QSLs themselves, then you might want to send them by registered mail and include enough postage in addition to the Basic 25 Countries award fee for their return in a like manner. I've never lost any in the mail yet, but when I send "Rare" QSL cards thru the postal system, I want to know they get there and back. With the "not so rare" cards, I just send them via regular post. I've found that the 6X9 brown envelopes work very well when more then 10 cards are being sent. A #10 business envelope with 25 cards might be "too stuffed" and torn open going through the automated mail sorters.
If you elect to send copies of cards, I won't return the copies. They will be put into your file for the records. Besides, I would have to make "copies of copies" and that doesn't work out very well. There are a few other things that you need to do also. On some QSL cards, you only need to copy one side because all the information is there. On others, you need to copy both sides because the other station's information is on one side, while the QSO data is on the other. **Good, clear, whole images are a must**. When coping cards that have a white or very light colored face, sometimes the outline of the card won't show up. If this happens, use a light-colored background paper with the cards instead of turning the darkness control up on the copier. **Remember that when you send copies, you are not just submitting proof that you have the card. You are submitting a document that is suppose to be just as good as the card itself.** If the copies are blurred, shaded, or incomplete, it will delay the processing of your award while I request better copies or the cards themselves to be sent in. If you are having trouble producing good crisp images it is better to seek out a different copy machine or just send the cards instead.
Remember that the 10-10 contact is on the honor system. You know if you exchanged numbers with the station or not and the QSL verifies the contact. But many 10-10 DX stations and DXpeditions with 10-10 members, use QSL managers to handle the huge amounts of QSL requests. In some cases, the manager provides the QSLs for the DX station and he may not have had the 10-10 number printed on the card. When sending for a QSL from a manager, always include a note asking that he put the DX station's 10-10 number on the card for you. The manager may not know what the station's 10-10 number is. I have always included a note to them saying something on the order of, "Please put Joe's 10-10# of XXXXX on the QSL for me. I plan to use it for the 10-10 DX Award and would like to have the 10-10 number on the card if you don't mind. If his 10-10 number is already on the QSL, please disregard and TNX." **MAKE SURE YOU PROVIDE THE QSL MANAGER WITH THE CORRECT NUMBER** A QSL card with the wrong 10-10 number on it doesn't look like a legal and valid 10-10 contact.
Some managers hesitate to mark on a QSL that was expensive to print and is a color photo card. If he puts the 10-10 number on something else other than the card, send it with the QSL. If you have a QSL card for a legal and valid 10-10 contact and the station or manager didn't put the 10-10 number on the card, it is better to send for another card and request that the 10-10 number be put on the QSL. 99.9% of the DX stations or their managers will be glad to accommodate you. But there may be a special case from time to time where it is difficult or impossible to get it done. Let me know if you run into this type of situation. It may be possible for me to contact the DX station, manager, or someone that can help via E-mail. Many of them have e-mail access or a contact person that does have e-mail access for just such problems.
Please understand that Ten-Ten International has adopted a policy of "ZERO TOLERANCE" where it concerns cheating on Awards. Never try to alter or change a QSL card because a DX station or manager made a mistake on it or left the 10-10 number off. It's much better to just send for another QSL when this happens so as to avoid any problems that might arise.
The $5 fee covers the cost of the Basic 25 Countries Award and "ALL" future endorsements. For any endorsements or "Bars" in the future, all you need to do is send an SASE with enough postage for return of the materials in the manner you like. I will send a new application for your next endorsement with each return but not the rule sheet unless you request another one. The endorsements after the Basic 25 Award are for 10 countries each until you reach the 75 endorsement, then they are in groups of 5. For example: 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, then 80, 85, 90, 95, and so on. You can send as many countries as you like at one time. You can also send in extras towards the next endorsement. For example; you might decide to send 31 cards to start with. 25 of them will be credited toward the Basic 25 Countries Award and the other 6 will be in your file toward the 35 endorsement. Then, you need only send 4 more to get the credit for the 35 Country Endorsement. **Please do not forget to include a copy of your membership card or a mailing label from the back of a current issue of the Ten-Ten News to provide proof of paid dues**. Applications without proof of dues will be returned without action.
One last item: per rule #5, computer printouts (from logging or database software) are okay. Use the format which is used on the submission sheet: CALL, COUNTRY, MMDDYY, 10-10#. No need to add any other fields (like Time, RST, Freq, and so on) as they will all be on the QSL cards (or copies of QSLs). This will eliminate your having to use a small printing font just to make it all fit on a 8.5" wide sheet. Please do not use condensed print. Make sure that you attach a copy of the Application cover sheet (the one you date and sign) to your computer generated printout. If you need extra copies of the cover sheet let me know with an SASE and I'll provide them. You can make photo copies of it for future applications if you prefer.
If you have any questions about the 10-10 DX award program that
are not covered in this Tip File or the rule sheet, please drop me a note in the
mail and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
73 and happy hunting
Mike Davidson, N5MT
3518 Bellfontaine
Houston, TX 77025-1310