The First QSL Card You Ever Received?

[KT4HX]

How about it? Anyone want to relate what the first SW broadcast QSL you ever received was? And when that was and what receiver you were using at the time? And, do you still have it? Rack those brains! \

I will start out. My first was the the inaugural broadcast of Radio Nederlands' relay on Bonaire. I just happened to stumble on it one night, during my first days as an SWL. Believe the year was 1969, and was using a Ross portable AM-FM-SW radio, with the built-in whip. Yes I still have the card - somewhere! 8)

 

[elk2370bruce]

That's an easy one. Had an old Hallicrafters unit that was loaned to me from my local Civil Defense office while recuperating from surgery. That was back in 1958. My dad put an end fed long wire in the attic and set the thing up by the bed. My first listening contact was Radio Moscow and 'Jolly" Joe Adamov. Sent a letter with the usual plus the fact that I was bed ridden and cabin crazy. Got a super QSL from R. Moscow along with a banner and a "personal note" from Jolly Joe that included a neat lapel pin. Listened to him ever since. Strill have all my QSL Cards from my ill-spent youth along with the banners, cards, pins, and other souveniers from the cold war radio years.
Sorry for the long-winded post but I remember that vividly.
Bruce

 

[ka2mek]

Thats an easy one!I still have it and the envelope it came in from
"RADIO AUSTRALIA".
Got the card,signed by the chief engineer,a map,and a poster with a calender!
My first HAM qsl is framed,hanging under my station license,from
JH1WIX-Taro Yagi,Tokyo Japan,15 meter CW.
73! & Thanks for the Memories.
Robert-KA2MEK

 

[VR500]

Voice of Turkey (TRT) back in about 1982. They included a sticker that said "I [heart symbol] Turkey".

I was 14 and wanted to put the sticker on the family car, and couldn't understand why the parents were against it...

First MW band one was WOWO in Ft. Wayne, Indiana about the same time.

Both got thrown out by aforementioned parents after I went to college... :roll:

 

[elk2370bruce]

Too bad about the tossed QSL cards. I'm lucky that I put them in plastic sheets and a binder so they stayed in my book case. I also have the WOWO QSL. My best medium wave was at the low end of the band for Saskatoon in Canada. Got that one on a brutally cold winter night. Really loved AM Broadcast dx. Getting back into again. Does anyone hear foreign broadcasts? Understand that they don't use 10 KHz spacing. :?: :shock:

 

[elk2370bruce]

Too bad about the tossed QSL cards. I'm lucky that I put them in plastic sheets and a binder so they stayed in my book case. I also have the WOWO QSL. My best medium wave was at the low end of the band for Saskatoon in Canada. Got that one on a brutally cold winter night. Really loved AM Broadcast dx. Getting back into again. Does anyone hear foreign broadcasts? Understand that they don't use 10 KHz spacing. :?: :shock:

 

[KT4HX]

Yeah thats a shame about the cards going into the trash. Not like they probably took up much space either. Anyway about spacing on foreign MW stations, they usually run at 9 KHz separation when you get away from the Americas. Therefore, you need not only a receiver with good selectivity filtering and controls (and using ssb receive helps), but you need a good antenna normally to get a lot of foreign DX. Plus being able to null out US stations is a real plus obviously. If you go onto the NRC or IRCA sites, you can get some good info, and see what those that regularly hear foreign MW DX utilize.

 

[elk2370bruce]

Great information. Thanks a bunch. Using a Grundig 800 into an inverted V at about 100 feet length and about 40 feet above the ground. While Grundig does have the SSB/AM capability, haven't heard foreigns. Assune band starts at 530 KHz and then 9 KHz steps? I will be looking at the site tonight.

 

[Thunderbolt]

Mine came from Radio Australia and I still have it along with all the other cool stuff they sent to me many years ago. That being said, the radio I used was a Hallicrafters WR-600 made around 1963. It has four tubes and the rest is solid state and was a very hot receiver in it's day. I picked it up at a garage sale in suburban Chicago in 1990 for only $12.00.

The person who found the radio among his uncle's possessions said, "the radio doesn't work...I turn it on and I hear nothing at all." He was too young to realize that tubes take a while to warm up and you need a wire antenna as well. Nonetheless, after cleaning the radio up a little, it was my main SW receiver for many years, and with a good outdoor antenna, she can compete with the best of them.

73's

Ron

 

[KT4HX]

Great information. Thanks a bunch. Using a Grundig 800 into an inverted V at about 100 feet length and about 40 feet above the ground. While Grundig does have the SSB/AM capability, haven't heard foreigns. Assune band starts at 530 KHz and then 9 KHz steps? I will be looking at the site tonight.

Actually I believe they start around 531 KHz and work their way up 9 KHz at a time for the most part. You might wanna do some searching on the internet for some basic info. But I know that the NRC and the IRCA both have some beginner info available on their sites for non-members, plus you can get a sample bulletin that they issue to their members. That way you can kind of see what people are receiving and what equipment they are using. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Waldo325mvfd]

I think theres to many forign stations and talk stations.

8)