Communication comes naturally, it may even be a human instinct, so we are lucky to be living in an age when there are so many different, easy ways to communicate. It is not possible to list every form of communication and technological innovation is adding to that list daily. Barely 200 years ago there was no way to talk to anyone unless they were actually present. Like a run-away train new technology kept coming, the telegraph the telephone then mass communication via radio, each changed the world along the way. When television arrived it made it clear there was no stopping the technology train. Suddenly the world was a smaller place. Now as I type at my desk I can talk to colleagues in all corners of the globe and I receive their message on my screen instantly. If I press a button I can even see them as we speak.
With the good comes the bad unfortunately, and it has not been good news for personal written communication. The vast majority of emails are barely even read and certainly not cherished.
Yet some cb radio and ham radio enthusiasts have increased the use of the old written letter. Sure a cb radio operator or ham operator uses a radio but they also send cards to their far away contacts. These cards are refered to as QSL Cards. When broadcasting on radio, Q codes are often used. One is ‘QSL’ which means ‘did you receive my transmission’ or ‘I received your transmission’ as appropriate. QSL cards are postcards sent to confirm a conversation between two radio stations, or reception of a long distance signal. The first QSL cards were sent in 1916 to confirm a conversation between Buffalo and Philadelphia. Shortly thereafter the cards were standardized in 1919, even being used in Europe as early as 1924.
Roughly 3 inches by 5 and showing the call-sign, frequency and date of communication, most QSL cards are personalized in some way. They may feature a picture of the operator, the region, or sometimes original artwork. Soon collecting these cards became a hobby to many operators much like a child would collect baseball cards. These long distance communications are usually the territory of the ‘hams’ but when atmospheric conditions are right and the cb radio waves are skip shooting the long distance communications may result in cards being exchanged. To many operators these cards are badges of honor that display years of radio communications around the globe.
QSL cards can be sent though the ordinary mail, or they can go through a country’s centralized amateur radio QSL bureau, which distributes cards for that country. Expeditions to remote areas often appoint a volunteer QSL manager to keep up with all those who pick up their transmissions.
Inevitably the Internet is now involved. Website eQSL.cc allows members to send jpg and gif files as QSL cards, but don’t worry there’s no need to mourn the death of the QSL card just yet. Recipients can still print out the files they received and add them to their collections.
I was surprised to learn that getting involved is not really that expensive. A portable cb radio costs less then $100 and a quality 10 Meter Radio just a few hundred.
