Most short-wave listeners want nothing more than the basic service provided by broadcasters: music, news, and information. But for some DXers, collecting QSLs is a major reward of short-wave listening. A QSL is a card or letter from the station slating that you indeed heard them. And you get a QSL after sending the station an accurate reception report. One of the many rewards of short-wave listening, besides music and news from faraway places, is writing to the stations and collecting their QSLs that come in reply. A QSL is a card or letter from the station saying that you did hear them. To get a QSL you must write a reception report to the station.
Writing a reception report is no more difficult than writing a one-page letter. And it really shouldn't be any longer than that. Some DXers use pre-printed forms and fill in the spaces for all necessary reception information, but this lacks the personal touch. However, pre-printed forms in languages other than your own are useful. A good way to send reception reports with a personal touch is to use your own form letter as a guide for each letter you write. And if you can't type your letter, it's best to print by hand to make it easy to read. 
There are three Main/basic things a reception report requires: A report of the signal, a brief description of program details to prove it was their station you heard, and a description of your receiving equipment and antenna. Right now, we'll concentrate on how to report the station's reception. This includes 5 things: The signal strength, interference, noise, fading, and the overall rating. You can do this verbally in a paragraph or use the SINPO code. S-I-N-P-O, Signal, Interference, Noise, Propagation, and Overall reception.

You simply use numbers on a 1 to 5 scale to describe each one, with 5 being excellent, 4 meaning good, 3, average, 2 poor, and 1 being unusable. Many major broadcasters prefer to have the SINPO code used, and some DXers use it in their logbook entries. 
For Signal, you'll never use a 5 unless you can see the station's antenna from your house; it is perfect. For Interference, 5 is in the clear, 4 is light interference, 3 is moderate, 2 is heavy, and 1 is severe where the station cannot be enjoyed at all. For Noise, we're talking about atmospheric noise, like thunderstorms or distant static. 5 is None, 1 is Severe. For Propagation, you're generally describing how the ionosphere is treating the signal on its path to reach you, and you will be describing the severity of fades. If the signal is rock solid, it's a 5, but again you probably won't ever use a 5 description; that only happens on local signals. 1 is unusable.
Let's take a moment to look at why signals are subject to lades and why they sound the way they do. The sky wave you're listening to may be subjected to different kinds of fading and distortion. Each bounce that the signal makes off the ionosphere alters it a bit, so really distant stations have that distorted sound. The uneven quality of a signal because of last fades and peaks is called Random Fading. A flutter sound on the signal is called Flutter Fade, and that is caused by the signal traveling thru the polar regions. Selective lading is where the sound remains but becomes distorted while the signal seems to drop out. That is caused by the signal taking more than one path to reach you. One of the paths is shorter and the signal arrives earlier. It meets the later signal and the two briefly cancel each other out. And of course a Fade Out is simply caused by the ionosphere changes caused by sunrise or sunset.
Finally in the SINPO code is 0, which is an overall summary of the reception. It never is higher than the other 4 ratings, and usually is the average of the first 4. Again, the scale is 5 for excellent, 1 for unusable. Remember to be honest in your appraisal of how a station is being received. II it's bad, say so. Giving false information to help build up a station's confidence in their signal will not help you get a reply.
Here's what your form should include, from start to finish. Begin with your complete return address at the top, complete with your country, and today's date. Next, include an inside address to the station. Many stations broadcast their mailing address. Your opening paragraph should state that you are sending a reception report, and might mention how you came across their station on the bands or why you listen if you're a regular listener. Then start a paragraph detailing the reception, always beginning with the frequency, date, and time of reception. Convert the time to Universal Coordinated Time first, abbreviated UTC. Remember to match up the date in your conversion to UTC if it passes midnight. And to make these three items stand out, underline them.
Your next paragraph should be a brief description of the signal. For most international broadcasters you can simply use the SINPO code. For others, write a verbal description of the signal strength, interference, and fading heard.
Your next paragraph will describe the programming you heard. List each Programme or announcement, beginning with the time each item began. Give more than the basic programme names and their times by describing what the programme was about, announcer names and other specifics that can be recognized immediately by the station. This will confirm that you were indeed hearing them. A minimum of 20 minutes of listening time is required.
Next, include a line or two describing your receiver and antenna. Then write a paragraph asking politely for the QSL if your report checks correctly with the station's records. Never demand a reply! Remember that no stations has to to answer your letter; they do so out of courtesy.
Finally, tell something about your self and your community. It is always interesting to the people at the station. You might tell how old you are, what you do, how long you have been enjoying short-wave, and what you think of their station and programmes. Also include some information  on where you live such as where your city is located, and the major industry there. End your letter with a hearty thank you. And if you would like a programme schedule, ask for one. Sign it and mail it. Keep a log of reports sent out and check off the replies.

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Parts of This Section is Copyrighted by World Christian Broadcasting © 1992, published under approval from KNLS, Alaska