EA5URY: Tradition, Diplomacy, and Digital Pragmatism

BUÑOL, VALENCIA — At first glance, the town of Buñol is best known for its annual tomato-throwing spectacle, La Tomatina. But nestled in its quieter corners lies a far more orderly—but no less passionate—community: the Sección Comarcal Oeste de Valencia de URE, known on air as EA5URY.

Under the leadership of Salvador Benito Gil (EB5HGK), the club has embraced a unique balance between digital modernization and the enduring ceremonial nature of amateur radio—especially its long-standing attachment to QSL cards.

Cards That Matter (And Cards That Don’t)

Unlike many clubs that continue to distribute QSL cards indiscriminately, EA5URY has adopted a pragmatic policy. Since January 1st, 2016, only contacts that are explicitly required by diploma programs will receive QSL cards. The reason is simple: many awards now manage confirmations digitally, and printing physical QSLs en masse is neither economical nor environmentally sustainable.

That said, for traditional awards where QSL cards still carry weight—such as the Diploma de Parques Eólicos—the club obliges, but only through the URE bureau or self-addressed envelopes. It’s efficiency without disregard for the collectors and award chasers who cherish paper confirmations.

A Calendar of Activations

The club’s hallmark is targeted, high-visibility activations. On June 2nd, for instance, they celebrated Yátova’s Feria Gastronómica with a special call: EH5FGY, complete with municipality and comarca references. Logs are swiftly uploaded to GDURE, and QSLs are, once again, available via bureau or direct mail—for non-members who are willing to play by the rules.

It’s not about denying access. It’s about directing effort where it counts.

Diploma-Oriented Thinking

Their operational philosophy aligns closely with Spain’s rich ecosystem of radio diplomas: Estaciones de Ferrocarril, Vértices Geodésicos, Castillos, Ermitas, Monumentos, Vestigios, and Municipalities. For these, electronic confirmation suffices, and the club works closely with award managers to ensure logs are properly dispatched.

No bureaucratic lag, no ink-stained fingers—just results.

A Bureaucracy of Reason

Where other clubs may drown in nostalgia, EA5URY is carving out a model of administrative clarity. While they still respect the traditions of radio—offering bureau confirmations and celebrating on-air events—they are not bound by the romanticism of excessive QSL sending. In a world increasingly defined by digital logs, centralized diploma databases, and efficiency, EA5URY is proof that tradition can evolve without being discarded.

So if you find yourself chasing Spanish diploma references or working a special event station from Valencia’s western hills, don’t bother sending QSLs unless the diploma demands it. Instead, upload your log, verify your contact, and perhaps, if you're lucky, get that coveted paper card—only when it truly matters.