QSL Card Collection

[Neumann Sennheiser]

Dxers will enjoy this I'm sure. This ex radio engineer from Montana has a collection of reply cards that goes back to the early 1960's ranging across the U.S. and includes more than a few from Canada and Mexico(towards the end of the scroll). As well, he has a number of excellent vintage color pictures of radio station buildings, studios and towers located on other pages of his site. I hope to post some of these here but,am awaiting an email reply from him in order to gain his permission to reproduce them. In the meantime, I'm certain he wouldn't mind your visit and exploration of the site.
http://www.johninmontana.com/dx/qslcards.htm

[Toomas Losin]

I was never into collecting QSL cards but many of them are works of art or embody radio history. It's nice to look over collections like this for the wide variety of cards. I'm struck by the obvious budget differences on display; it's interesting to see who has made the most out of a limited budget. Regardless of whether it's from a Ditto machine (remember those?) or is a four-colour job, a good card is a good card.

[jon]

I was never into collecting QSL cards but many of them are works of art or embody radio history. It's nice to look over collections like this for the wide variety of cards. I'm struck by the obvious budget differences on display; it's interesting to see who has made the most out of a limited budget. Regardless of whether it's from a Ditto machine (remember those?) or is a four-colour job, a good card is a good card.

At the time that I actively verified reception, from 1964-71, I was amazed also at the age of the QSL cards I received. Some appeared to be from the 1940s; KIRO-710 comes immediately to mind.

The ones that hit me as "funniest" were those where the Chief Engineer has corrected almost everything: power, frequency, number of towers, directional patterns, his predecessor's name and, yes, even call letters.

1-A Clear Channel KFI-640 Los Angeles even sent out their own version of EKKO stamps, though, in recent years, I've seen different versions which leads me to believe that KFI wasn't still sending out stamps printed in the 1920s when I received mine in the mid-1960s.

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Hi Everyone,
Somehow I missed this earlier posting which again is a very interesting topic. Yes the website with QSL Cards etc. from the past is excellent. I have sent out a lot of dx reports in the past and received letters and QSL Cards going back to Jan. 1967 when I first started AM Dxing seriously. You are right Jon some of those cards amazed me at being older ones the stations sent. I know what you mean with some data being crossed out and updated on the card or even in some letters (form letter) verifications I used to get. Toomas although it appears harder to get AM stations verified these days a lot still do. Having a QSL card or letter from the station increases the fun of dxing. However it does add up in time and postage costs of course. One of my longtime dxer friends Pat Martin in Oregon is an avid AM DXer and has well over 3000 radio stations verified by card or letter. He still sends out reports but has told me several times in the last few years that it is harder to get stations verified overall. Particularly USA AM stations who are sometimes much slower or just don't have as many fulltime staff as in the past. However having said that he still does get verifications in his mail box quite often from USA stations too! One of the newer ones in Southern Oregon I think on 1230 or one of the other graveyard channels, actually is was 1400 AM in Medford area of Oregon sent him a nice letter verification last year. They had just signed on the air last spring of 2012.

So if you want to take some time and send out a couple reports you might get some interesting results. You certainly have gotten some great dx from outside North America recently Toomas and some from here too!!!

Well best of dxing in 2013 to everyone. Take care with the winter weather!!! All the Best from Eldon

[jawbone]

I decided to tune into what I thought was an internet radio station (or something) being offered by the above poster through one of the many links he offers. I just heard 22 seconds of Gloria over and over.
Seems strange for someone who brands himself as a pirate. Seems more like an aquabus operator.

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Greetings Everyone,
Although this has nothing to do with the topic QSL CARD Collection I will address the comment anyway. It was made by Jawbone regarding the automatic playing of the song Gloria on the jigsy cfay website. Absolutely No music is supposed to be coming on when you go to that site and was taken off a month or so ago. My friend Jim who is the webmaster obviously erred and let it come on again playing over and over. I have been in touch with him and it is to be turned off and you will not get it unless you click a special link button on the jigsy website for cfay. Personally I am sick and tired of hearing the song Gloria by the Shadows of the Knight but my friend Jim seems to think its great. Actually its not that bad a song but has been played to death. Hopefully it will be replaced by a more interesting obscure oldie from the 60s or 50s that has not received much airplay. Again though you will have to click a certain button on the site to hear it. No music will be playing automatically on this site!!!
\
If you had checked out the cfay wordpress site you would hear no music on that one period unless you clicked certain places on the site!!! The CFAY websites are not Streaming Audio Internet radio stations Period!!! They are information websites which provide tons of information on the technical and program sources for Part 15 and Independant Commercial AM and FM licensed stations. Also some pirate radio station books, links etc. are given. There is also a considerable amount of technical info. about current scientific news, weather for Murrayville-Langley Township. There is no current intention on either site to provide pirate radio streaming audio internet programming!!! In the future we may do that, provide internet audio streaming programming but not at this time. So if thats what you or anyone else is looking for you won't find it on the cfay websites!!! Sorry about that but with all the radio station links to other stations on the website there is plenty of programming, some of it very unique from lots of other local, independant radio stations throughout North America and elsewhere. By the way the cfay jigsy site is the older one and has not been updated as well as the main wordpress site. The wordpress site offers much more interesting radio information and links. So that in summary gives you an idea what the purpose of the sites does.

Thanks for checking it out. Take care and hope the dxing is still good wherever you are!!! 73s Eldon

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Greetings,
Just thought I would add a little more info. about the history of the cfay websites and purpose. Basically they were started in the late spring of 2009 as a tribute site to our old part 15 and pirate station in North Surrey from the late 60s to the early 70s. Over the past 3 years the cfay websites have evolved into a information website providing history of cfay in North Surrey complete with old photos and links to various historical threads about the station. There are also more current photos and links to a lot of technical information about Part 15 AM and FM stations throughout North America and where you can buy equipment , transmitters, studio equipment etc.. As well some books, magazines about pirate radio, dxing etc...

The sites also provide a lot of links to independant commercial AM and FM stations as well as Part 15 stations, and a few non-commercial licensed ones. We add new stations every month or so. Generally they are Independantly owned stations that focus mainly on local programming!!! We usually do not list any large corporate licensed AM and FM station links on the cfay website. Our focus is the independant stations that are providing good local programs. The cfay websites never have provided any regular or even sample programming like many stations do with streaming audio. If thats what you want there are plenty of other radio station links on the cfay website to stations that do provide great local programming and streaming. Stations like CFSI FM 107.9 Saltspring Island, B.C., WBCB 1490 Levittown, Pennsylvania and Asas Do Atlantico (Portuguese Radio for Toronto) FM 90.5 provide excellent local programming and streaming. So if you want that check out one of the many station links on the cfay wordpress site. There must be at least 20 different stations on the site currently and we add new ones every month or so.

In addition to all this we more recently have made the cfay site a tribute site to our current and future location in Langley Township, Murrayville with a local weather link, current science and technological news stories etc... Its all in written form, no audio so you must read it on the site or of course you can print it out if something interests you. There is also quite a bit of humor regarding cfay promo. photos, pet photos of dogs and cats etc.... A lot of the humor is webmaster Jim's design so if you don't like it blame ve7rox!!! I*m not much of a comedian and take things far too seriously to create any of that stuff. Some of it is pretty funny though. There are quite a few interesting photos and music type designs on the site which are very colorful as well. Some of that is again Jim's design and fairly nice! I basically supplied a lot of the information but Jim is the more creative artist between the two of us!!! I am more into the technical and program information and dxing aspect of the site!!! So I hope that gives you a better idea of what the cfay site is about and for! It is definitely not a streaming audio internet site for cfay programming at present!!!

So take care everyone and good listening dxing or in your internet radio pursuits!!!

73s from Eldon

[VE7ROX]

I just heard 22 seconds of Gloria over and over.

oops, during a website edit, the soundbox was accidentally left on "Autoplay", and was not supposed to be there. On top of that, it was in repeat mode with a modified bit-rate from 44,100 seconds to 8000 seconds, and cut at 22 seconds. That is what happens when you do things in a hurry and don't double-check. Back to normal now. - rox . . .

[CKOK Rock Jock]

This topic brings back fond memories. I was the 'official' QSL signer for CKOV Kelowna when I worked there in the late 1970s. The station didn't have QSLs at that time so I would send a verification letter back on CKOV letterhead and include some decals, buttons and whatever I could find around the station that I knew I'd be happy to receive in response to a QSL request.

I did the same thing for a short time when I worked at CKOK Penticton in the 1980s.

I think a sort of highlight for me at the time was, as a member of the IRCA, having my name listed in their DX manual as the person to send QSL reports to at those stations when I worked at them. I don't recall seeing many requests, but it was fun to do for fellow DXers.

[jon]

CKOV and especially CKOK were tough stations for DX'ers to hear at much of a distance.

Although they were 10,000 watts during the day, CKOK was only 500 watts at night -- the price they paid for having a single tower, i.e. - non-directional. And 800 was a tough frequency, in that CKOK had to protect KINY in Juneau, CHAB in Moose Jaw and, once they switched from 850 to 800, CJJC in Langley. Although they were far enough away not to not need protection, 150,000 watt XELO also made CKOK difficult to hear at night.

630 was no fun either at night, and CKOV was only licensed for 1000 watts at night, again because they had a single tower without a directional pattern to protect other stations. CHED Edmonton, KIDO Boise, CKRC Winnipeg, KJNO in Juneau, KHOW in Denver, KOH in Reno.

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Hi Everyone,
I used to hear both CKOV 630 and CKOK 800 on a regular basis near sunset and even after sunset for CKOV. Of course with CJJC on 800 all through the 70s it was difficult to hear CKOK certainly at night. One thing though Jon I did get them verified way back in the 70s somehow, must have been during a CJJC silent period!!! You know whats weird and Pat Martin in Oregon commented to me about this in recent phone calls during the past several years, at night CKOK in the 2000s seems a lot stronger than say 20 or 30 years ago. Pat thinks maybe they do not always power down to the 500 watts. Out in Langley I get them as a regular at night too and not gangbusters but certainly listenable. Once in awhile CHAB Moose Jaw comes blasting in over them later on overnight in Langley. As far as XELO Mexico I hardly ever hear them anymore. Years ago I did before CJJC went to 800. Also heard them a few times when I lived in Calgary throughout the 1980s but not recently. Here in Ontario I have yet to hear Ciudad Juarez on 800 here, mainly Canadian stations. I*M wondering if XELO or current calls which are not those on 800 has lower power than they once had in the 1960s! Do you get them in Edmonton Jon? But Penticton has been a regular at night in Langley throughout the 2000s and Pat gets them on the Oregon Coast regularly too with a much stronger signal than before, different stuff done possibly to the antenna/ground transmitter site???? or higher power now used at night possibly!!! Who knows. Maybe with cutbacks to staff etc. particularly technical people at some stations they just forget about it and leave day power on!!!!

Anyway just thought I would let you know what I have noticed about stations on 800. Have you ever heard CKOR (actually those are the current and recent calls) on 800 Penticton up in Edmonton and what time of day or night Jon? Most interested in that. I just can't remember ever hearing them in Calgary but might have forgotten. I do recall hearing Ciudad Juarez there in the 80s though. Oh fairly often in their null I get Portland on 800 KPDQ at night but I think they are a higher power and night operation now unlike in the 70s!!!

Take care everyone, 73s Eldon

[jon]

Most of the "border blasters" (Mexican stations near the U.S. border) stopped using full power as the listenership of AM stations on skip went down the drain in the 1980s. In fact, there is some question whether many of those stations ever used full power in the daytime, since that extra groundwave coverage was pretty much uninhabited. But that is another story. The Tijuana area is the obvious exception since those stations are aimed at the San Diego market and never were licensed for more than 50,000 watts.

My comments about CKOK and CKOV were based on my experience in the 1960s. Now, here in Edmonton, 800 is a lost cause with CFCW-790 now 50,000 watts with a pattern that favours Edmonton night and day.

CKOV is now on FM, but CHED runs 24/7 on 630, so I never heard CKOV here when they were on AM.

But, yes, we have examples here of small market stations that went for more than a year in the 2000's with faulty equipment that failed to switch to night pattern at sunset.