N5AU IS the QSL manager for: VP2E, VP2EC, VP2EH, VP2EW. (These 4 callsigns only) QSL to: N5AU Box 842 Rockwall, Texas 75087 USA.

N5AU cannot help with any VP2E QSO's prior to Jan 1, 1998. The VP2E call was assigned to other contest groups. See below for more info.

--> QSL services are currently: [ x ] active [ ] suspended. All logs from the FEB-MAR 2013 trip have been uploaded to LOTW. As of April 29, 2013, all paper QSL's possible are now in the return mails. Please allow at least another 2 weeks for postal delivery time prior to sending any e-mails or duplicate QSL's. All QSL's received at this time will turn around the next day.

Please do NOT send or expect  QSL's via any bureau, unless your bureau sends cards direct with SASE included. Please do not e-mail requests or inquiries about QSL's via bureau. QSL's will be direct only. No E-QSL's. Confirmations without direct QSL's are always available via the ARRL LOTW website. (see comments below) The station makes around 100,000 contest and other QSO's in the active years. Do the math on the return postage and/or ARRL bureau expenses and you should understand.

To receive the fastest possible return QSL, you should choose the option below that applies to you:

USA stations: include a SASE with 46 cents postage or use a "forever" stamp.

All other DX stations including VE and XE: include a SASE with $1.10 US postage or use the new Global Forever Stamp, or a SAE and a valid* IRC or one $USD PLUS 10 cents more. Please note: $1 USD no longer covers the return postage. If only $1 USD is sent, the return card will be mailed with $1 USD postage attached. You may get lucky, or you may not.

Return envelopes with return postage are required for a return QSL in all cases. If you don't need a DX QSL enough to send a SASE, please don't expect a reply.

SPECIAL NOTE TO IRC USERS: The only valid IRC is currently the Nairobi series expiring Dec 31, 2013. The new IRC's expiring Dec 31,2017 do not go on sale until July 1, 2013. Once they do, they will be valid as well.

The USPS has petitioned to be allowed to stop selling IRC's. Per UPU regulations, they will continue to redeem IRC's purchased in other countries, however, they may NOT redeem IRC's purchased in the USA after Jan 27, 2013. Please send only non-USA IRC's as return postage. The IRC re-sale market is very spotty and we cannot invest the time to pursue this. Any IRC's which can be exchanged at the post office for stamps will be good for return postage. Any IRC's which cannot be exchanged for stamps will not be valid.

QSL requests received without any return postage (this includes expired IRC) are not processed as the post office will not forward them anywhere. If return postage sent is inadequate, the QSL will be mailed and you may get lucky, or you may not. Current US postal rates are listed above for those who prefer a sure thing.

Please take precautions to conceal return postage carefully in the envelope. Try to make your envelope appear like regular mail. Do NOT put callsigns anywhere on the envelope. Dishonest postal workers in all countries have learned what QSL cards usually look like and they know to search for the $$ inside. If they spot yours, it always results in the "loss" of the QSL sent. This is certainly bad luck, but the only option is to try again. Very few QSL's out of thousands are lost. If you send your QSL by registered mail, the contents will be safe, but please be aware registered mail requires a signature at the receiving end. If we are still in Anguilla when your QSL arrives, the US post office will only hold it for a very short time, then return it to you unopened and unclaimed. Please check above to be sure QSL services are marked [ X ] active prior to sending anything registered.

You may also use any QSL service (or any other method) that includes a SASE or a SAE and return postage. All logs are computerized and QSLing starts immediately upon return to the USA. If you are in the log and provide valid return postage in the correct amount, you will certainly get a card. (assuming the post office delivers it back to you properly) If you are not in the log, you will receive your SASE back notifying you of this. You can check for good QSO's at the ARRL LOTW site prior to sending QSL requests to avoid wasted postage. Please be patient as we normally stay for many weeks if not months, and there will be NO QSLing until we return. Sending duplicate QSL requests costs you more and slows down the entire process for everyone. Please QRX until the notice is posted above stating all QSL's received are now "in the mails", and then wait at least 2 weeks more for mail delivery time before assuming yours is "lost". It probably isn't.

We have finished uploading the VP2E and VP2EC and VP2EH logs for all QSO's through Apr 30, 2013 into the ARRL LogBook of the World (LOTW). This will allow confirmation of all VP2E and VP2EC and VP2EH contacts without the extra expense of obtaining written QSL cards. Please see the ARRL LOTW website for further details. If you are not presently a LOTW user, you should investigate it. It is a much faster, cheaper and better way of collecting confirmations for all the DXCC awards. VP2E and VP2EC and VP2EH paper QSL's will always be available under the guidelines listed above.

Prior to Jan 1, 1998, the callsign "VP2E" was routinely issued (as a contest callsign only) to any visiting group requesting it. This has been the source of much confusion as there are many previous QSL managers for these operations. Here are some of the previous VP2E operations we have heard about and possible QSL routes: (no guarantees!)

WPX SSB 1996: QSL to UA3DPX. ARRL DX 1995 and 1996: QSL to W0SHL. CQ WW SSB 1995 and 1996: QSL to WJ5DX. CQ WW SSB 1994: QSL to N1RR. 1991 area or before: QSL to KC8JE.

A SPECIAL REQUEST:

Please work us in the next contest on as many bands as you can. We contest for the fun of it. It is certainly nice to win, but it's great to operate, win or lose. If you operate, you can't lose. You only lose when you don't. It's a world-wide party and you are definitely invited!

SOME VP2E CONTEST HISTORY for the CQ WW SSB:

2001: Set a new North American M/M record which remains to the current day.

Operators: KC5EA,N5HGB,N5AU,K5MR,W5WW,N5QQ,K5NZ,K5AB,K5AAH,N0AT,JA3USA,K4UEE,NH7C,NH7CC

2003: Set a new WORLD M/S record which stood until 2011. The score now reverts to the North American record. Congrats to the 2011 CR3A team.

Operators: KC5EA,N5AU,N5TJ,N5KO,K5MR

2004: Set a new WORLD M/2 record which remains to the current day.

Operators: KC5EA,N5AU,N5TJ,K5MR,K1DG,N2NT,VE3EJ

2008:Set a new North American single-band 20 meter record which remains to the current day.

Operator: N5TJ