Are 'QSL Cards' still in vogue? - Page 3 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

raditechman · 2nd Apr 2017, 12:53 pm

I have some QSL cards which I had printed decades ago soon after getting a licence, then-like a previous commenter- I moved QTH.
I am happy to use e-QSL cards nowadays. You can always print a copy of you want.

Although I am on the air several times a week it is mainly with either my local clubs nets or the RAOTA nets. Sometimes WAB for an elusive square. So I seldom need to send or receive a QSL card.

It is nice to visit the shack of an amateur operator who has QSL cards on the shack walls and they are a lasting reminder of the contacts.

John

dodgy-dxer · 2nd Apr 2017, 3:23 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'LIVEWIRE?'

I'm intrigued to know how come two of the QSLs from the then DDR have 'Y-36-XC', & 'Y-34-14-L' callsigns instead of the more usual 'DM3YI' and similar allocations.

They are Shortwave listeners sending a "heard" report to G4EBT

In that era and region it was a compulsory part of their training process and they needed replies from people in order to progress to being allowed to operate a club station and eventually getting their own station and licence

73 Fred
G4BWP

David G4EBT · 2nd Apr 2017, 3:24 pm

That's as I suspected - many amateurs in 'Iron Curtain' operated under supervision in radio clubs rather than as private individuals from home.

Always very pleasant, but you could never have a 'proper' QSO with them beyond an exchange of basic information such as name, location, signal report etc. Invariably along the same lines as though they were reading from a script, which maybe they were. EG: "Nice to have a QSO with you David, very best wishes to you and your family, please QSL via the bureau'. No use asking what equipment they were using or anything about their occupation, family, or the area where they lived, as one might do with say a French, Italian, Greek or Dutch amateur.

I notice that the amateur at the link above is a former serviceman. In some countries, WW2 veterans were allocated special callsigns - for example in Uzbekistan, U8+y-A-Z, and in Ukraine, 'U5'. I imagine that few are still around today.

Scores of what were DXCC 'countries' back in the 80s and earlier no longer exist as entities due to territorial changes brought on by warfare, gaining independence, or just renaming some countries. EG: British North Borneo became Malaysia in 1963, British Somaliland became Somalia, Papua Territory became Papua New Guinea in 1975. Zanzibar had been listed as a 'country' till 1974, but since then is just classed as part of Tanzania.
and quite a lot more.

I guess there's a lose parallel with stamp collecting!

Current list of DXCC Countries is here:

http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/terrestr...gn_series.aspx

More info on callsigns than you could shake a stick at here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_call_signs

G6Tanuki · 2nd Apr 2017, 7:28 pm

I never embraced the need to use old-style snail-mail physical paper as a way to 'confirm' a contact: it always seemed an odd idea to me ... here we are doing realtime voice-communications and you want me to write you a letter to prove it ??

So - I've never been part of any "QSL Bureau" or equivalent paper-chain.

These days if you want to play the QSL-game then www.QRZ.com is a good way to go. But - TBH - do you need to 'confirm' a face-to-face conversation, or a chat on the phone, with a "QSL Card" or electronic equivalent? if not, why expect to do the same for a radio-contact ??

carnivalpete · 2nd Apr 2017, 8:17 pm

This nostalgic look around the QSL card issue has stirred up a lot of long hidden memories for me. My older brother trained as a radio technician during national service in the RAF in the early 1950's and on his return started to teach me the basics as a 15yr old, starting with radio block diagrams. After a lot of fiddling with the SW section of broadcast radios, I built a one valve and was immediately attracted to 20m. I erected a 20m dipole down the back garden and started listening. Amazing as it may sound my first QSL was from Radio Sofia and they continued to send me Christmas cards for years afterwards. I have to admit that my first 1-valve regen was really crude. It was built on a wooden baseboard and driven by a 120v ever ready dry cell pack and a 6v accumulator off my brothers motor cycle. I found that I could vary reception simply by squeezing the aerial lead at different pressures. But boy was I proud. I heard a lot of GB amateurs, all on AM in those days. I had a copy of the RSGB address book and I spent all my pocket money writing to anyone I heard. Many did reply, and with the kindest encouragement. I really valued those cards. At over 70 now, I'm still only an eavesdropper with my trusty 888A and will probably never grow up. I have no interest at all in trannies. I lust after the smell of hot transformers and the entoxicating glow of the valve heaters. pete

2nd Apr 2017, 12:53 pm	#41
raditechman Heptode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: West London, UK. Posts: 867	Re: Are 'QSL Cards' still in vogue? I have some QSL cards which I had printed decades ago soon after getting a licence, then-like a previous commenter- I moved QTH. I am happy to use e-QSL cards nowadays. You can always print a copy of you want. Although I am on the air several times a week it is mainly with either my local clubs nets or the RAOTA nets. Sometimes WAB for an elusive square. So I seldom need to send or receive a QSL card. It is nice to visit the shack of an amateur operator who has QSL cards on the shack walls and they are a lasting reminder of the contacts. John

2nd Apr 2017, 3:24 pm	#43
David G4EBT Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 5,761	Re: Are 'QSL Cards' still in vogue? That's as I suspected - many amateurs in 'Iron Curtain' operated under supervision in radio clubs rather than as private individuals from home. Always very pleasant, but you could never have a 'proper' QSO with them beyond an exchange of basic information such as name, location, signal report etc. Invariably along the same lines as though they were reading from a script, which maybe they were. EG: "Nice to have a QSO with you David, very best wishes to you and your family, please QSL via the bureau'. No use asking what equipment they were using or anything about their occupation, family, or the area where they lived, as one might do with say a French, Italian, Greek or Dutch amateur. I notice that the amateur at the link above is a former serviceman. In some countries, WW2 veterans were allocated special callsigns - for example in Uzbekistan, U8+y-A-Z, and in Ukraine, 'U5'. I imagine that few are still around today. Scores of what were DXCC 'countries' back in the 80s and earlier no longer exist as entities due to territorial changes brought on by warfare, gaining independence, or just renaming some countries. EG: British North Borneo became Malaysia in 1963, British Somaliland became Somalia, Papua Territory became Papua New Guinea in 1975. Zanzibar had been listed as a 'country' till 1974, but since then is just classed as part of Tanzania. and quite a lot more. I guess there's a lose parallel with stamp collecting! Current list of DXCC Countries is here: http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/terrestr...gn_series.aspx More info on callsigns than you could shake a stick at here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_call_signs __________________ David. BVWS Member. G-QRP Club member 1339.

2nd Apr 2017, 7:28 pm	#44
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,998	Re: Are 'QSL Cards' still in vogue? I never embraced the need to use old-style snail-mail physical paper as a way to 'confirm' a contact: it always seemed an odd idea to me ... here we are doing realtime voice-communications and you want me to write you a letter to prove it ?? So - I've never been part of any "QSL Bureau" or equivalent paper-chain. These days if you want to play the QSL-game then www.QRZ.com is a good way to go. But - TBH - do you need to 'confirm' a face-to-face conversation, or a chat on the phone, with a "QSL Card" or electronic equivalent? if not, why expect to do the same for a radio-contact ??

2nd Apr 2017, 8:17 pm	#45
carnivalpete Tetrode Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK. Posts: 68	Re: Are 'QSL Cards' still in vogue? This nostalgic look around the QSL card issue has stirred up a lot of long hidden memories for me. My older brother trained as a radio technician during national service in the RAF in the early 1950's and on his return started to teach me the basics as a 15yr old, starting with radio block diagrams. After a lot of fiddling with the SW section of broadcast radios, I built a one valve and was immediately attracted to 20m. I erected a 20m dipole down the back garden and started listening. Amazing as it may sound my first QSL was from Radio Sofia and they continued to send me Christmas cards for years afterwards. I have to admit that my first 1-valve regen was really crude. It was built on a wooden baseboard and driven by a 120v ever ready dry cell pack and a 6v accumulator off my brothers motor cycle. I found that I could vary reception simply by squeezing the aerial lead at different pressures. But boy was I proud. I heard a lot of GB amateurs, all on AM in those days. I had a copy of the RSGB address book and I spent all my pocket money writing to anyone I heard. Many did reply, and with the kindest encouragement. I really valued those cards. At over 70 now, I'm still only an eavesdropper with my trusty 888A and will probably never grow up. I have no interest at all in trannies. I lust after the smell of hot transformers and the entoxicating glow of the valve heaters. pete