I hope this isnt too dumb a question but here goes.
On a few occasions I have received EQSL card from a shortwave listener. What is the right way for me to fill out my EQSL back to him? In other words there is no contact on my end to confirm, and also no signal report I can give him or her.

Thanks, and 73's
Joe
N2ONJ

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N2ONJ Joseph Giglio

Basically the same question. I know that the SWL station is supposed to indicate such in his profile. eQSL says that the proper SWL report will be placed on the eQSL to a SWL station. However I find that the report I am being requested to fill out for a SWL eQSL is the same as for a QSO with an amateur radio station. Also I get eQSL's from European amateur radio stations that are not in my log. When I reject the contact they e-mail back saying it was a SWL report and will I send them an eQSL.

I don't mind sending eQSL to SWL stations but there should be some way to recognize them as such. Should the eQSL acceptance information I fill out read " Confirming our QSO"?

73, Bruce, K0ARY/VP9

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K0ARY/VP9 Bruce B Quayle Jr

fair points from both of you as a swl ,i send eqsl,s to stations like yours but in sure my qsl card states that im a swl, but i havent put it in my text on the report. i think i should to make it obviouse to the station im sending it to.as replying and how just conferm you where on that band that day and time , and thank the swl for his time for sending a report to you , thats i everwant.they are as important to us as to you,it proves we hear far away stations , even if we cant chat to them. 73,s ww26.swl

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WW26 andrew brand

I simply use my stand QSL and state that I am confirming the SWL report of contact between my station and the other station that he/she reported.

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N8UZE Dee D. Flint

When you confirm an SWL card, the card he receives automatically says "Confirming SWL report" so it is not necessary for you to add a special comment unless you want to.

It’s up to you to decide whether or an SWL report is valid. We do have one known SWL member who collects information from on-line logs and cluster spots and sends out bogus SWL reports. His name is Alex and his current call is RA6-2256. Every time eQSL expels him he re-registers with a new variation of his call. You might say that he is the rotten apple that spoils the barrel.

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73, Rich - W3ZJ

I do receive SWL reports from time to time on eQSL but so far, I have not received any SWL report that has been confirmable.

I QSL all correct SWL report whether they arrive via the bureau, direct or via eQSL. However, I do expect the SWL to indicate

*) Who I was talking to
*) When the QSO was made, date and UTC time
*) What band and what mode I was using.

All the SWL reports received on eQSL have, so far, not stated the callsign of the station I was in QSO with. Sorry... incomplete SWL reports can not be verified.

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CU2JT Gary Wikstrom

This is a vexed question. Some SWL's have an id which is obviously not a licence. G-14020 is my "International Short Wave League" ID for instance, used for many years as a SWL. But what about DE2PLL or DE0RST which are both SWL id's. Some times it can be quite difficult to identify SWL reports with such ID's that come close to a normal call. If I can't find the call of the eqsl in my log, I check to see if it could be a SWL report.

When I get a card from a SWL, I check DX Summit cluster spot history for the time and date. I check to see if a spot was made on the cluster from myself or if anyone placed a spot about me. If so I do not confirm the reception.

73 Mike G-14020 G8VHB
http://www.iswl.org.uk/internat.htm
http://www.qrz.com/g8vhb

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Michael Fitzgibbons G8VHB

As a young boy I have been a SWL quite long time. I was very pleased to receive QSL-cards from hams all over the world. It was great that my Listenings cards were replied to.
So please consider one or two "rotten apples" as a fact and do not deny all those good boys and girls who are SWL's and attending to become a ham in future too. Thanks and best DX, 73,
Bob Klaucke , PD2BKL

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PD2BKL Robert E.Klaucke

Many QSL cards have a check box for 1Way or 2way QSO. I always respond to SWLs, as it is usually very good information...and the "final courtesy"

Eric

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KL7AJ Eric Nichols

from Dusan/SWL OK2-9329

Dear OM Garry CU2JT
I read your message for SWL about theirs eQSL cards. I agree with you, that SWL eQSL
must have a station in QSO with. I quote you:“ All the SWL reports received on eQSL have,
so far, not stated the callsign of the station I was in QSO with. Sorry... incomplete SWL
reports can not be verified.” But a long time as SWL OK2-9329 I couldn`t give that infos
into a SWL eQSL card. I used the MixW2.07 program for making ADI files with
COMMENT for example: “YOUR QSO WITH K1AR. 73 ES GL” but never it was in eQSL.
I asked eQSL manager and he gived me this advice (It is for other SWLs, too):
It is need the COMMENT in ADI file replace with QSLMSG and all is OK.
An example correct ADI SWL text:

MixW v 2.0
<EOH>
<ADIF_VER:4>1.00
<CALL:9>HA7TM/HI9<QSO_DATE:8>20060121<TIME_ON:6>133300<TIME_OFF:6>221504<FREQ:8>18.10000
<MODE:2>CW<RST_SENT:3>599<NAME:6> Tibor<
QSLMSG:32>UR QSO WITH OK2SWD GL OM TIBOR <QSL_SENT:1>N<QSL_RCVD:1>N<EOR>

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OK2-9329 Ing.Dusan Hanak

I am afraid there are more "rotten apples". A couple of days ago I received two SWL reports from IE3-802SWL. He said he had heard me on 20M in QSO with W4MBD...

I did not work W4MBD (but it was W4MBD that spotted me on the cluster) and at that particular time the path into Italy was totally closed: he could not have heard me.

So beware of this cluster-sucker....

BTW: I appreciate SWL-reports and will reply when they are genuine. Especially CW reports are welcome.

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VK2GWK Henk Tobbe

To VK2GWK,
You are right and your post is correct, perhaps all the OM were like you.

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I0049RM Alessandro Colalelli

Usually i send a comment with the eQSL including the callsign of both side of the QSO and i copy/paste some part of the QSO (Logged at, Tx, ...) . but i send eQSL for PSK31 only, so it's easier. :)

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SWL-11935 laurent laborde

As a dedicated SWL, I would like to call to all ham operators. Please do respond to reception reports by SWL's. It is important to us and could be useful to you.
I agree that a proper reception report should contain date, UTC time, both callsigns making the QSO, band and mode as well as any other additional information that can be useful to the ham operator (notes on modulation, fading etc).
So, please, just because of a few dishonest individuals, do not cut the connection between hams and swls. After all written communication between transmitting and receiving stations was very important in early radio days and even today gives a romantic aura to the hobby.

73, good DX and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your Families
Evgeni
LZ10002SWL

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LZ10002SWL Evgeni Poptoshev

As an amateur that started out in the hobby as an swl I always confirm an swl report PROVIDED THAT a lot of detail is included.

As an swl - then and now - when I send a report to an amateur I include details of AT LEAST 5 qso's if they are in contest/expedition mode. If it is a ragchew style qso then I have/will include details from the discussion. This is PROOF that you have heard the details and not just picked up the information from the web or a magazine.

In the past 30 years this method has enabled me to receive many rare dx qso cards when most other swl reports go unanswered.

This is also the standard I require when I receive cards from listeners.

Don't just drop onto a qso, listen to one exchange of callsigns then spin the dial to the next station and expect a card from me.

I WANT/NEED useful information in your report. Include levels of QRM/QRN/QSB. Wx conditions MUST be included. Include the callsigns of other station you can hear - especially those in my country/area. Give me a REAL signal report. If you rate me as a 3 x 2 ssb then TELL me. Don't just put 5 x 9 because I MAY NOT believe it.

In my transmitting log I keep detailed information on stations/countries I can hear but do not work. This will not prove that you cannot hear my signal but it does give me a very good indication of which reports I can trust.

Amateur Radio is a hobby and what you get from it will depend on what you put into it.

When I send a reception report to an amateur I use my ISWL callsign, G-16345, and expect to have to earn the trust of that station. I want to send my card to more swl's but they must earn it.

Regards and Happy New Year to all

Ron.
G6BMY

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G6BMY Ron Satterthwaite

I think that those who want both stations mentioned in the QSL report are missing the point of reception reports. They seem to see QSL cards simply as a collecting activity.
A QSL is indicating that you are being heard, maybe in an unexpected location.
I don't see why both station details are needed in a QSO to confirm a QSL. The QSL indicates a reception report at a particular location even though the 'other' station may not be readable. The lack of reception of the 'other' station might be due to them having a lower power, poor antenna, wrong propogation direction etc, which is all irrelevant to the reception of your signal. The point is that my report is telling the main station that he is being heard at a certain RST at my QTH. The information I send to him is for him, not both stations.
To confirm that you did hear the station a short comment on the content of the qso should be given. I think that reporting RST is rather crude, a SINPO report would be more useful to access prorogation conditions so that degree and freq of fading can be indicated and QRN distinguished from QRM.

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2E0LRC Lionel Carter

I've had people (well, person) send me QSL cards based on DX cluster spot. How do I know this? I got a card from an SWL who said I was chatting with a station I had spotted... when I was just listening, heard an unusual DX and had the telnet window open.

So I like an SWL's QSO info to be detailed enough that I am convinced he actually heard me, and didn't just read my call off a cluster server.

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VE3OIJ P. Darin Cowan

I don't have any problem with giving a qsl card to swl's. I on occasion have been an swl. IE right now i am just setting up an hf station after a 5 year absence from the hobby due to illness in my family. I send my qsl card to the station that i heard but i clearly mark on it that this is a swl card as I did not talk to the Station. I do this because i collect qsl cards, I don't have many now but hope to fill the shack with them. Also like many on here i have been into radio in some form for many years. SWL and dare i say it CB then onto bigger and better Ham radio. I don't know about you guys but i wasn't born with a licence, we all start somewhere. I know there are bad apples out there. There are bad apples in every hobby, but there are swls out there that just like to collect cards like me.
73's
Greg Johnson VE9MAC & SWL

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VE9MAC Greg Johnson

copying the cluster : those lie to theirselves , but as stated bad guys are everywhere.
I was a SWL for more than 20 years before i made my licence .

To me QSLing to SWL reports is a matter of course and I will not hang up the apple so high hardly anyone can catches having to state spoken details during QRM/QSB , details of which myself will not remember them either later on . We should not discourage SWLs but give them any chance , and if a cheater gets a card , he does more bad to himself as he did not understand a bit of what ham radio is about . But because of few I will not start judging upon
SWLs honesty in general .

73 Uli

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DG7LAE Uli Schmidt-Kufeke

Hello all .
I have read some interesting posts above and as a IRTS REGISTERED SWL, I now know why some hams don't reply to my eQSL.
Actually I don`t blame you for not replying when this sort of behavior is going on.
I have been involved in radio for the past 20 years. I have worked 11m and become an SWL and at the moment I am studying for The Licence over here in Ireland.
The biggest problem was to find a club that was near, My club is 1 hours drive from my QTH.
I have competed in and am still going to compete in dx contests and I do hope that if I swl your station and send you an eQSL ,that you would have the courtesy to return one back.
After all THE FINAL COURTESY OF A QSO/DX IS A QSL.
By the way , UNLESS I am IN CONTEST I am not obliged to supply both sides of the conversation for swl reception.
On the 01/01/2009 I entered the IRTS 80m Counties Contest, which consists of the 32 counties in Ireland. My final score was over 1200 points which makes me eligible for the WEICC Award.
Also my 11m dx group is one that requires ASCERTAINED QUALIFICATIONS,so I don't need to make up qso`s.
Why not get a 5/9+40 report from Ireland , something to boast to your ham friends about hi hi.
Also thanks to all the Hams that have returned my eQSL`s . I am trying for all of the eQSL awards. To some it is no big deal but to us IT IS.
Also thanks to all the Hams that encourage SWL and help us to progress to Ham-land.
Best regards to all de EI1571 SWL

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EI1571 Alan Buckley
Edited by EI1571 Alan Buckley on Jan 15, 2009 at 01:40 AM