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USI would like to announce a change in policy regarding QSLs to confirm island contacts. Previously, USI required a station to confirm all island contacts by written QSL. As we exceed 1000 activated islands for USI, it is easy to see how this could become cost prohibitive and time consuming for many island hunters, especially those residing in foreign countries. Since USI operates the Awards Program on the "honor system" (that is, stations need not send their QSLs in for checking), USI has adopted the exchange of contact information by e-mail (eQSLs). Please note: USI eQSL is not applicable to other awards programs!
Your eQSLs should contain all the necessary QSO information that a standard written QSL contains. Upon receipt of an eQSL, the eQSL should be printed and retained for your own records.
USI has not changed its policy regarding the necessity of confirming island contacts. You must confirm every contact with a US island via either an eQSL or a written QSL. You cannot receive credit for having worked an island until your QSO has been confirmed by one of these two methods. Although QSLs do not need to be submitted to receive USI awards, USI reserves the right to inspect any QSLs. In these cases, either a typical written QSL or a printed eQSL must be presented to the Awards Manager (AM) upon request.
Island activators are encouraged to consider using this mode of QSL exchange, especially with stations outside the USA, for which QSLing can become an expensive proposition. However, USI will not demand that any island activator use eQSLs. This is a personal choice. It is also worth noting that USI is the first program to adopt such an eQSLing policy. Therefore, if you need confirmations for contacts made with US island stations for other programs such as IOTA or the US Counties Award, you should obtain a written QSL from the station worked.
To aid in the use of eQSLs, USI has compiled a list of operators who have or continue to activate US islands. These operators have been asked and all willingly accept eQSLs. In addition to a list of operators who accept eQSLs, USI has developed a standardized form for submitting up to five contacts with any of the operators on the list. If you activate an Island and would like to be included on the USI eQSL List to accept eQSL's, please send the USI Webmaster your email address.
Follow the "eQSL Menu" link below to enter our online eQSLing forum.
Color certificates and handsome metal on wood base plaques (9 x 12) are available through the AM. Refer to the Awards information on the Rules and Regulations page.
The postal address of the AM for awards submissions is:
Jay F. Chamberlain - NS4J
27 Fox Run Lane
Fredericksburg, VA 22405
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