QSL Cards Why Collect Them

A QSL card is a written confirmation of either a two-way radio communication between two amateur radio stations or a one-way reception of a signal from a shortwave broadcasting station. They can also confirm the reception of a two-way radio communication by a third party, the Shortwave Listener.

QSL Cards are needed as confirmation for Awards WAS, DXCC and many others They are also a great tool for learning about other cultures and geographic areas of the world. Plus there fun to send and receive.

Amateur radio operators exchange QSL cards to confirm two-way radio contact between stations. Each card contains details about one or more contact, the station and its operator. At a minimum, information includes the call sign of both stations, the time and date when it occurred (always specified in UTC), the frequency or Band used, the mode of operation used, and a signal report.

Some Cards can be hard if not impossible to get! 7O1AA is from Yemen

Scarborough Reef has not been activated since 1997 because there is a political dispute over who owns it, China or the Philippines.

Top 10 Most Wanted for DXCC Subject to Change 1 P5 North Korea 2 VU4 Andaman 3 A5 Bhutan 4 BS7 Scarborough 5 7O Yemen 6 3Y Bouvet 7 VU7 Laccadives 8 VK0 Heard Island 9 VP8 South Sandwich 10 3C Equatorial Guinea VU7 Lakshadweep Islands

Its very difficult to hear a good signal from the Indian Ocean area to the Western US. If you can’t hear them short path you can always try long path.

Some QSL cards are Quite Easy to get

QSL cards are a ham radio operator's calling card and are frequently an expression of individual creativity — from a photo of the operator at his station to original artwork, images of the operator's home town or surrounding countryside, etc. They are frequently created with a good dose of individual pride. Consequently, the collecting of QSL cards of especially interesting designs has become an add-on hobby to the simple gathering of printed documentation of a ham's communications over the course of his or her radio career.

From Far Away Lands Chad

Collecting QSL Cards can be fun and Rewarding To Next Door Neighbors Collecting QSL Cards can be fun and Rewarding

QSL Cards are a Great Resource for Learning a little bit about different Cultures, Places and People

From Worked All States

The Worked All States (WAS) Award was first introduced in January 1936 QST at the time for working and confirming all of the 48 states of the USA in play at that time. Since then, several rule changes have occurred including the addition of Alaska and Hawaii making today's award available for all 50 states.

To DXCC

Rich in history, DXCC is the most prestigious award in Amateur Radio

From Space Did you know, One can actually send an E-Mail via packet radio through the International Space Station that indicates it was forwarded from the ISS to the recipient. When my daughter was in the 5th grade she thought it was so cool, to get an E-mail message from her dad through the International Space Station

QSL Cards can be very interesting Where do you get started

Get on the air, make a few contacts

Ask the station operator if they will send you a QSL Card for the contact, get ready to reciprocate with your own QSL Card

Before you know it your Mail Box will be full of QSL Cards

Various ways to send and receive QSL Cards Paper QSL Cards Direct through the Mail or QSL Bureaus. Electronically through E-QSL ARRL Logbook of the World Even E-Mail Each method has advantages and disadvantages

Willamette Valley DX Club Inc PO Box 555 Portland, OR 97207 Volunteers from the Willamette Valley DX Club Inc. of Portland, Oregon handle the ARRL Incoming QSL Bureau for the 7th call area. The WVDXC has handled the 7th Area QSL Bureau since 1962. These folks are Awesome http://wvdxc.org

Having 100 Paper QSL Cards Printed cost between $10 to $75 depending on design complexity, the more cards you have printed the less each card costs. Cost of postage and or green stamps to help insure you get a return card from some foreign countries can be an added expenditure. Some DX stations won’t even return a card direct unless they get $2.00 or more for return postage

E-QSL A lot of Hams Use E-QSL E-QSL can’t be used for ARRL awards.

E-QSL has tools to help you design your own QSL card

eDX100tm eDXtm eGridtm eWAStm eZ40tm E-QSL has a number of different Awards available and is free to join. If you make a donation, you get more Award privileges eDX100tm eDXtm eGridtm eWAStm eZ40tm

Logbook of the World

Advantages Easy to collect a lot of confirmation credits for ARRL Awards, Free to Join More and more radio operators around the world use LOTW as time goes on

You don’t always get a real QSL card to tape to the wall of your shack LOTW Disadvantages You don’t always get a real QSL card to tape to the wall of your shack

Logbook of the World helps keep track of Station standings for WAS and DXCC among other awards

The Antenna I Want on my .2 acre lot, however my neighbors may disagree. Approximately 140 foot boom 270 foot elements tip to tip

The Centennial QSO Party During 2014 W1AW will be on the air from every state (at least twice) and most US territories, and it will be easy to work all states solely by contacting W1AW portable operations. This would be a fun Award to receive. Think about working W1AW in all 50 States, I’m sure many amateurs will try.

QSL Cards can be very interesting

Now go out and start building your own Collection, and remember Have Fun!

Questions ?