Here are a couple of notable QSLs I’ve received recently:
I got this about a month ago. It’s an SWL QSL for the Space Station QSO we conducted from the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.
I blogged about my W1MX QSO recently. W1MX is the station of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Amateur Radio Society.
The operator at W1MX was Chris, KA8WFC, who used to live here in Ann Arbor. On the card, he says, “It was great to hear your signals booming in on 40m, just like I was back in Ann Arbor.” It was nice to get such a great signal report, but I suspect the strength of my signals was more the result of the three-element Yagi they’re using at W1MX rather than the 75W I was running that evening.
You might ask, “Why is there a beaver on the QSL card”? The beaver is, of course, the MIT mascot.
The LBJ High School ARC, K5LBJ, in Austin, TX, received their QSL card for the Space Station contact with Garrriott as well. It will have to be framed or something. I don’t think we’ll have a chance like that again…at least not any time soon.
Always great to hear about your activity. My class spoke with an M.I.T. professor one day. At the time, he was mentoring a bunch of 1st graders at an elementary school. Can you imagine an M.I.T. professor playing radio with a bunch of little kids. If only they knew the title and academic prestige he carried. Of course, I’m sure it impressed them that we talked with them from 2 thousand miles away over a piece of wire without connecting it to anything. Wireless really is cool.
Have a great summer.
73,
Ronny, KC5EES
Austin, TX
The Pro-96 is a nice antenna and all, but W1MX’s location is pretty bad from a QRM perspective. Plus there are these tall buildings that while nice to hang antennas from (or operate a VHF contest from, but that’s W1XM) are great at getting in the way of your HF.
Well, they were certainly booming in here.
GREAT Cards…..those are special!
I once worked the MIR station, from a cow pasture, using a “portable packet” station I carried in a packpack.
One of these days….maybe the ISS with SSB?
Just need to be in the right place at the right time.
John N8ZYA (QRP)
Charleston, WV
If the W1MX card is special, it’s because we’re really bad about sending them out. “We’re actually very sorry.”