QSLs & QSLing for newcomers to ham radio

Started by WA4STO, October 01, 2012, 09:37:26 PM

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piggybankcowboy

I'm going to attempt to convert a pocket-sized Moleskine graph book into one, but barring that, I can just whip up some spreadsheets as well.  Thanks for the offer, though!

gil

I received my first QSL card today! Didn't ask for it, but it was nice. I don't have one to send back  :-[

Gil.

gil


cockpitbob

Quote from: gil on October 03, 2012, 10:54:17 PM
What do you guys think about eQSL?

Gil.
I like it.  You can upload a picture and make your own (e) QSL card that the recipient can print.  It's much more user friendly than LoTW.  The only down side is it doesn't have the prestige or gravitas that the ARRL's LoTW has.  There are people that only do LoTW and there are people that can't stand LoTW's over the top security and will only do eQSL.
I try to be a good member of the Ham community so I do both LoTW and eQSL and for non-international contacts I'll usually mail one of my home printed cards.

cockpitbob

Quote from: gil on October 03, 2012, 04:57:03 PM
I received my first QSL card today! Didn't ask for it, but it was nice. I don't have one to send back  :-[

Gil.
Keep it in a safe place.  It doesn't seem like much today, but when you are old and grey your 1st QSL card will be pretty special.  And your grandkids will look at it the same way we look at our grandparent's quill pens and ink bottles.

WA4STO

Quote from: gil on October 03, 2012, 04:57:03 PM
I received my first QSL card today! Didn't ask for it, but it was nice. I don't have one to send back  :-[

Gil.

Gil - did he check the "pse qsl" box (if there is one on the card?) --

Unless he knew it was your very first, he likely wants  your card in return.

Which is easy to do.  Bring up Word or Open Office and make your own.

The point that it was your first should be mentioned clearly on the card -- he will cherish it forever!

73 de ex-KY1T, ex-WN4SNT, now-WA4STO

WA4STO

Quote from: gil on October 03, 2012, 10:54:17 PM
What do you guys think about eQSL?

Gil.

I happen to LOVE e-qsl.  For two reasons, really.

1.  A lot of guys who couldn't possibly afford the postage to obtain a particular certificate (try QSLing all 3077 counties by mail!) are delighted with e-qsl and I find that a far higher percentage will send me e-qsls without asking, rather than LOTW (which I also love but fully understand the severe problems in getting it going successfully)

2. I discovered, much later on, that e-qsl has a LOT of awards.  Every one of them requires qsls from (and only from) e-qsl.  Go figure, eh?  :)

73 de WA4STO

gil

Hello Luck,

No such box on the QSL. I did email the guy telling him I would send him one as soon as I got one. He is only 50 miles from me too!

Gil.

WA4STO

I had to chuckle today when I reached into the mailbox and pulled this out:



Now, that's one VERY clever QSL.  'Course, I rarely get them by mail any more and you just don't see this sort of thing in the "digital QSL" world, but I can tell ya that I'm certainly not going to forget this QSO, the fellow I made it with, or his callsign. 

73 de WA4STO

Sunflower

Quote from: Gambrinus on October 02, 2012, 09:59:01 PM
I wouldn?t have to worry about getting them till I got a MF rig. 
What is a MF rig?

Sunflower


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73 de ex-KY1T, ex-WN4SNT, now-WA4STO

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How did you get your call signed so many times? I read in a book that the call sign went with you when you moved. Hope you don't mind me asking. BTW, do operators have two or call signs? like email accounts?

WA4STO

Quote from: Sunflower on October 09, 2012, 11:39:44 PM


73 de ex-KY1T, ex-WN4SNT, now-WA4STO



How did you get your call signed so many times? I read in a book that the call sign went with you when you moved. Hope you don't mind me asking. BTW, do operators have two or call signs? like email accounts?

Hi Sunflower -- Yes, an FCC-issued callsign can go with you if you like.  So when I moved from Newington CT to Lincoln Nebraska, I was not required to change my callsign from a "1" to a "0" callsign.

However, I chose to do so.  See, my call at the time was KY1T.  But my fondest memories were from back in the 70s when I had WA4STO.  So I requested my old callsign back and that's what I have now.

It used to be (until the 70s, I think) that a ham could have two or more callsigns.  If your home was in Montana, you had one, and if your summer home was in Florida, maybe you had an additional one.  That's not the case any more.

Don't mind your asking at all.  This is how we all learn.  Or in some cases, RElearn what we used to know!  :)

73 de WA4STO