COVID-19 UPDATE

Due to COVID-19, like many other organizations, the NIDXA has suspended in person meetings. This has directly impacted the distribution of cards for the incoming bureau. While the amount of incoming cards has slowed, due to other countries pausing their services, we do still receive occasional shipments of cards. These cards are still being sorted and distributed to the individual dispatchers, however it is not being done on a monthly basis like normal, and some additional delays are to be expected.

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The Ninth District Incoming QSL Bureau is sponsored by the Northern Illinois DX Association and staffed by dedicated radio amateurs who volunteer their time to distribute DX QSL cards to you.

General information which applies to all the ARRL supported U.S. incoming QSL bureaus is available from the ARRL Web pages. Although the incoming bureau system operates under the guidance of ARRL, you are not required to be an ARRL member to use it.

A few things specific to the ninth district QSL Bureau are:

1. The ARRL ninth district QSL Bureau is run by Northern Illinois DX Association members and volunteers.  Each of us is interested in DX’ing and service to amateur radio.  We handle thousands of DX QSL cards per month for 9th district amateurs and your cooperation in making our job easier by attention to the information in this web site is appreciated.  
2. The ninth district QSL Bureau does sell envelope and postage credits, as indicated on the ARRL page. In fact, most of the individual Ninth District sorters prefer that you send credits rather than SASEs since they are easier to keep track of, postage rate changes are much less of a hassle, and we can use exactly the postage which is needed for your shipment. Please review our page on how to apply funds to your bureau account.
3. Your account is maintained by, and cards shipped from, an individual letter sorter as determined by the first letter following the “9” in your call sign. The individual sorters are literally spread throughout the ninth call district. When you send credits or an inquiry, it may be several weeks before your individual letter sorter receives the credits or inquiry. We pick up mail from the Post Office box every 2-3 days, presort the cards, make out the envelopes for the credits and distribute them to the sorters at the monthly NIDXA meeting. Depending upon timing, it is possible that it will be 6-7 weeks before your sorter receives it. If he or she sends you a shipment of cards in the meantime, your account status would not show your latest submission; it should appear on the next shipment however. If you would like more information about the status of your account, please check your letter status.

If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us using the form on the letter status page or at the mailing address above.

73 and Good DX,
The Staff of the Ninth District Incoming QSL Bureau