Post Your QSL Card

[NQ6U]

I got tired of my old QSL card—I designed it while I was still studying for my ticket so I didn't realize that it was a bit of a ham cliché. I wanted something a bit more contemporary and, besides, I donated some of the original art for use in the Island's new logo. So, I sat down the other day (working nights this week) and here's the result:

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz79/gyrogeerloose/QSLCard-1.png

Anyhow, I think it might be fun see other Islander's QSL cards. Post a scan of yours here.

[W2NAP]

http://www.hamqth.com/w2ibc

^its on there.

[NQ6U]

What's that building?

[KG4CGC]

Nice yous toos.
I keep saying I have to make one and settle on what I want.
Then I did this in a matter of seconds the other day. http://www.hamradiocats.com/ and I said, "That looks like a quesell card."

[W3WN]

Here's two that I'm using right now:
52105211

[W3WN]

Two more... (All four of these (including the 2 above) are screenshots clipped from the Publisher output via PDFCreator, so they're not exactly to proper scale)

These were used when I sent cards to certain stations that I worked in Sweepstakes, and/or the 10 & 160 meter contests... I'll leave it to your fertile and vibrant imaginations to figure out who those guys were, and where they hang out online...
52145215

[KB3LAZ]

Not on my home pc but if you look up my Bio on the zed it is listed there.

[N8YX]

I need to design some and have them printed. Anyone have suggestions as to a printer?

[W5GA]

I need to design some and have them printed. Anyone have suggestions as to a printer?

Check out Cheapqsls.com

[W2NAP]

What's that building?

http://www.emporis.com/building/first-merchants-bank-building-anderson-in-usa

1st merchants bank building. pic is taken from the other tallest building in anderson looking north slightly north east. which is the direction i live from the building

[KG4CGC]

I need to design some and have them printed. Anyone have suggestions as to a printer?

Support your locally owned camera shop and have them do it or a local lithographic printer. It will cost a little more but you'll appreciate the archival quality. In either case, they should be able to copy the image from a CD or what have you.

[NQ6U]

Mine's set up for real offset printing—color separations, trapping and the whole enchilada. I thought about serigraphing them myself but it would probably cost too much to buy the tools and materials to make it worth it.

[kf0rt]

Here's mine:

http://westton.com/misc/RT-1-sm.jpg

Used about half of the cards I bought a few years ago, but haven't been on the air much lately. Printed by QSL Works. The picture was taken in Golden Gate Canyon State Park; a few miles from here.

[w3bny]

Home station


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/Bunnieman/w3bny.jpg


and mobile


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/Bunnieman/w3bny-1copy1.jpg

[W3WN]

I need to design some and have them printed. Anyone have suggestions as to a printer?Well, when no one's looking, I use the Xerox 7535. The 7775 is a touch better in quality, but it's a busier printer. (My boss doesn't mind as long as I buy my own cardstock and do it a few sheets at a time)

And I'm finding that Office Depot's Avery 8387 equivalent for 4-to-a-sheet (each 4 1/4" x 5 1/2") perforated "postcard" card stock is actually a better quality cardstock than the Avery product.

...or did you mean a commercial printer? I hear a lot of good things about CheapQSLs, and in years past I was very happy with W4MPY.

Here's another design I use. This is often for contests, or DXpeditions that aren't going to be that impressed by the graphics on a card. I also use it as the "back" for some of the other designs that don't show the QSL information on the front:
5220
This is all done in Microsoft Publisher, pulling the merge data from an Excel spreadsheet... although I could easily do it from a dBase databawse table if I wanted. Oh, and the broom is there from this year's Pa QSO & Sweepstakes contests...

[kb2vxa]

Here's the face of a rather crude old one, no point designing anything new since I became SK rather prematurely.

[n0iu]

Not exactly the heighth of creativity, but actually, I don't send out that many paper cards any more.

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv124/scottaschultz/qslcard.jpg

[NQ6U]

Hey, I picked up 40,000 pounds of pasta in Wentzville once! Took it to PA.

[n0iu]

Hey, I picked up 40,000 pounds of pasta in Wentzville once! Took it to PA.

We are pretty much known for three things...

1) The home of Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry.
2) A GM assembly facility that did NOT close when GM went bust.
and....
Andoro and Sons Pasta!

[NQ6U]

We are pretty much known for three things...

1) The home of Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry.
2) A GM assembly facility that did NOT close when GM went bust.
and....
Andoro and Sons Pasta!

I kept my eyes peeled for a truckload of tomatoes the entire time but, alas, did not see one.

[n6hcm]

these are easily the coolest QSLs i've ever seen.

i don't have a card ... partly because i'm not yet active on HF, and partly because i did not get the design gene that my people are reported to get so i don't have the skill to make something cool.


Two more... (All four of these (including the 2 above) are screenshots clipped from the Publisher output via PDFCreator, so they're not exactly to proper scale)

These were used when I sent cards to certain stations that I worked in Sweepstakes, and/or the 10 & 160 meter contests... I'll leave it to your fertile and vibrant imaginations to figure out who those guys were, and where they hang out online...
52145215

[n6hcm]

Support your locally owned camera shop and have them do it or a local lithographic printer.

you'll find them right next to the locally-owned record shop.

[NQ6U]

you'll find them right next to the locally-owned record shop.

Which is right upstairs from the locally-owned bookstore and down the block from the locally-owned hardware store.

[kf0rt]

Back when I researched QSL printers (maybe 8 years ago), the very best printers were eastern bloc hams. I forget the calls now, but there were a couple of them. Real high quality printing on good stock and very reasonable prices. Hint: Look through the cards you've RECEIVED.

Don't know if QSL Works is still around, but they did well for me -- card (front and back) is my design and they helped out with picking some better fonts as I recall. Kind of an iterative process where you send them the art and it can go back and forth a couple times till they're sure you know what you want. ;) No regrets.

Seems to me that eHam has a review section for QSL printers too -- worth checking out if you're in the market.

Back in the old days, it was H.L. Raum or nuthin'. Little Print Shop? Pffffttt.

[KG4CGC]

you'll find them right next to the locally-owned record shop.
We still have a couple of those here and there around here. Some are local icons as well as one of the printers.

[K7SGJ]

Back when I researched QSL printers (maybe 8 years ago), the very best printers were eastern bloc hams. I forget the calls now, but there were a couple of them. Real high quality printing on good stock and very reasonable prices. Hint: Look through the cards you've RECEIVED.

Don't know if QSL Works is still around, but they did well for me -- card (front and back) is my design and they helped out with picking some better fonts as I recall. Kind of an iterative process where you send them the art and it can go back and forth a couple times till they're sure you know what you want. ;) No regrets.

Seems to me that eHam has a review section for QSL printers too -- worth checking out if you're in the market.

Back in the old days, it was H.L. Raum or nuthin'. Little Print Shop? Pffffttt.


Do you remember C. Fritz? He used to do my QSLs way back. He's long gone, but he was one of the few who did good work. In those days, 50 cents would get you a bunch of samples you could look over. Now, 50 cents won't buy you a dime.

[kf0rt]

Do you remember C. Fritz? He used to do my QSLs way back. He's long gone, but he was one of the few who did good work. In those days, 50 cents would get you a bunch of samples you could look over. Now, 50 cents won't buy you a dime.

Fritz rings a very faint bell here; probably missed the timeframe.

When I was really into this (early-mid 70's), Raum was about the only printer that did photo cards (B&W at the time). It was common to get a solicitation from the "Little Print Shop" before you even received your license from the FCC. I knew a lot of new hams who learned their callsign from the Little Print Shop before they received it from the FCC. Cheap cards and they all looked the same except for the callsign and address. If I recall, LPS was out of Austin and they'd send you a sample pack faster than the FCC could issue the license.

Raum is gone now, too. From what I gather it was a one-man shop in PA and failing health / old age killed the business. If I get a chance, I'll post my old WBØAMJ cards from the era.

Always kind of enjoyed the QSL aspect of the hobby; lost on many today I guess.

[W3WN]

Another now-gone one-man printing shop was SamCards. I knew Sam, although I can't recall his call offhand. He worked for Duquesne Light, his job was walking the power lines (underneath them, actually) checking for potential problems and obstructions. He did the cards evenings and weekends. When he became a SK, that was the end of the business.

Here's some examples of some of the cards of the era: https://plus.google.com/photos/114355217637476553545/albums/5261527938566577841?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1#photos/114355217637476553545/albums/5261527938566577841

[W3WN]

these are easily the coolest QSLs i've ever seen.

i don't have a card ... partly because i'm not yet active on HF, and partly because i did not get the design gene that my people are reported to get so i don't have the skill to make something cool.My dad was the artist in the family. And now my daughter's got his artistic genes, plus her mother's singing voice. I'm just happy that I can take a decent picture from time to time.

If you'd like one of those designs done up with your name & call, just let me know.

[mw0pob]

Won my cards on fdsqsl, 1000 of them, its on my zed page. Just got the 2w0 call sign then i bought a 1000 more from him. they should mast me untill i get the mw0 ticket later this year

We are being given 2 special event callsigns this year for the queens jubilee and the olympics so i will get some nice cards done for that.

[W5GA]

Here's mine, just substitute the call etc. These come from cheapqsls.com
I use these as sending out a boatload of them post contest gets pretty expensive.
5235

[W3WN]

Here's mine, just substitute the call etc. These come from cheapqsls.com
I use these as sending out a boatload of them post contest gets pretty expensive.
5235That's why I now "roll my own." I can do large or small quantities as needed, and using the merge print functions, I can print the QSO information right out of the database onto the cards. (And with my handwriting, believe me, you don't want me to print the info on the cards, you'll never read it!)

What I did last year, and plan to do this coming year... I'll generate a small pile of cards beginning of May, bring them with me to Dayton, and drop them off at the ARRL Outgoing Bureau at Hamvention. Anything I "need" will already have been sent direct, and any of the "big guns" (PJ2T, HC8A, etc.) that I work every contest... and have confirmed on just about all bands and modes... I simply don't bother to print.

Now... here's an example of how you can do something simply and without fuss:
5236

Now, the calls are all on the "Master Page" as background. One highlighted to stand out, the rest in a very light tone so that the foreground shows through. Then I simply put the neccesary information (name, address, etc.) on the foreground. The grid is a simple table with the cells highlighted (if I were setting this up to write in, I would make them bigger).

What you don't see is that if there is a QSL manager in the database, it prints "via WX3XYZ" right on front, below the "Confirming 2X QSO" block. And there's also a block to print any notes or comments (usually thanking the person the contact) if needed.

The basic template is set up in Microsoft (Office) Publisher 2003. Anyone who'd like it, just let me know, it's a decent sized file.

[W4RLR]

The scanned version of my QSL is outdated, as it reflects my old Florida QTH. I plan on incorporating this picture in the new one, it's taken from the ridge of the Cumberland Plateau just west of my new house.
5242

[KG4CGC]

Damn, Richard ... nice view.

[W5GA]

That's why I now "roll my own." I can do large or small quantities as needed, and using the merge print functions, I can print the QSO information right out of the database onto the cards. (And with my handwriting, believe me, you don't want me to print the info on the cards, you'll never read it!)
Are you doing them on an ink jet or a laser? If it's ink jet, it's cheaper to buy them.

[W3WN]

Are you doing them on an ink jet or a laser? If it's ink jet, it's cheaper to buy them.Both. Depends on where I am when I need a few.

If I'm doing a few hundred, let alone thousand, cards at once, you're absolutely right. When I'm doing them a dozen at a time or less? Nah. And I don't have to wait weeks or months for cards, nor do I have to deal with mistakes by the printer.

[W5GA]

Both. Depends on where I am when I need a few.

If I'm doing a few hundred, let alone thousand, cards at once, you're absolutely right. When I'm doing them a dozen at a time or less? Nah. And I don't have to wait weeks or months for cards, nor do I have to deal with mistakes by the printer.
Gotcha. If you're only doing a few, you're right that it makes sense. In post contest mode, I may be shipping several hundred at a time to the outgoing bureau. When I buy them, cheapqsls.com sends me a proof before printing, so any mistakes are on me.

[W3WN]

Well, I got burned once on an order of 2000 WN3VAW cards, quite a few years ago (circa 1990). I paid the printer extra for some customization, and they didn't do it. Now they did offer to replace the batch of cards... if I sent the bad batch back on my dime, and was willing to wait another 8 - 10 weeks (I'd already waited 3 months), or they'd refund the extra. I opted for the refund... and got a credit towards my next order instead. By the time I was thinking of another order, the printer was no longer in business.

And to be honest, I am considering the Global QSL option. They're a printer based in Israel. But they will take an ADIF file of your log, print the QSO information you provide on the cards (basically what I'm doing, only on the commercial level), and forward those cards on to the appropriate bureaus. They had some initial hiccups, but I hear they've been pretty good lately. For the total costs involved, this may be effective for stations that I've worked in contests that I don't need cards from in a big hurry. We shall see.

[W7XF]

Here is mine....also not to card scale...as it is on my editor (Print Explosion for Mac)...as I also roll my own:

5267

[NQ6U]

Ren, what do you think about the Spanish grammar of "El Uno Minor?" What I think they're trying to say is "The Little One," but would any native Spanish speaker say it that way?

[w2amr]

5286

[n6hcm]

i think that, if i ever get to make cards, they'll probably feature this guy:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2763/4504263639_12173b2ee4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/henare/4504263639/)
marcus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/henare/4504263639/) by henare (http://www.flickr.com/people/henare/), on Flickr

[N8YX]

i think that, if i ever get to make cards, they'll probably feature this guy:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2763/4504263639_12173b2ee4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/henare/4504263639/)
marcus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/henare/4504263639/) by henare (http://www.flickr.com/people/henare/), on Flickr

His twin is here in the shack with me, albeit sporting a lion cut.

[kb2vxa]

Try this one.

[Jeff K1NSS]

Looks like it might be time to have another OP competition on Dashtoons. I invited readers to submit one picture of their Old Pal pet or pets in the shack or posed with some radio prop. I posted said snaps. And at the end of a decent interval, I put all the names in a hat and selected winners. First prize was an original photo-based Old Pal drawing, second and third were nice Dash! pet dishes from Cafe Press, from whence the mugs come. Shocking as it might seem, the entry pool was not of Publishers' Clearning House proportions, so entrants stood something of a chance to win. This time around, I'm also thinking pet dishes, plus instead of just a drawing, a QSL card front side design, integrating my original art based on your photo, or your photo itself. Anybody interested? I tell ya, for purposes of a card picture, what works best is the pet the dominate element of the photo, with just enough recognizably radio background to establish context, like the two cats above. If you're interested, take your best hi-res, well-lit shot, and send it to K1NSS@dashtoons.com. Viewers of this thread are the first to know. Think I should start a new thread to publicize this, and if so, in what forum?

[W7XF]

Well....my APRS is back up and running!!!! W7XF-5
(will NOT be on if I'm hauling certain classes of loads)

[W2NAP]

Well....my APRS is back up and running!!!! W7XF-5
(will NOT be on if I'm hauling certain classes of loads)


down in georga eh?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZW_VgFXm_w