If you’ve been reading for a while you know my hobby is ham radio. It’s supposed to be the fun stuff! But even that does not escape the ravages of anxiety. In a recent post I went on a bit of a rant about how the paperwork associated with the hobby is very stressful to me. For a long time I have been slowly backing away from the aspects of the hobby I have always enjoyed most (the pursuit of various operating achievement awards and contests) due to the post-enjoyable-activity misery of paperwork.
About a year ago a friend introduced me to a facet of the hobby I was rather unaware of: the building and operating of antique ham radio equipment. The thing about it that really sparked my interest was learning there is a contest every December specifically for using this old time equipment. While the object is to make as many contacts during a specified period of time as possible (using pre-1929 type equipment), it is not the “all out 48 hour war in an attempt to be top dog even if it kills you” contest style I am accustomed to. 😉 Since learning of that, I have spent a great deal of time and money gathering parts and building a setup that qualifies as pre-1929. I was very much looking forward to making as many contacts with it as possible in the contest coming up over the next two weekends. Until today that is.
Today I learned most participants will be wanting QSL cards from me after the event! Uh-oh! So much for that. It should have been obvious to me from the outset that this would be the case. Perhaps I was blinded by ambition and having too much fun to see the obvious. I’m at least a year behind on cards despite cutting back my on air activities, and don’t wish to accumulate an even bigger backlog. Nor do I wish to alienate my new friends in this part of the hobby whom I have met through a Yahoo Group devoted to this activity. Thus I will not be participating, despite this event having been the catalyst and driving force behind my new interest.
I am more than a little saddened by this turn of fate. I’m downright bummed out! It’s not that I had any delusions of winning the contest. This one isn’t so much about winning as having fun. But I was very much looking forward to finding out what my hand full of 85 year old parts screwed to a board could do. This was to be my opportunity to do it in a comfortable way, with short two-way exchanges of information between participants.
People do use the antique stuff outside of the contest event, “just for pure fun”, but I already found that is not for me. Outside of a competition (no matter how friendly and laid back it is still competition), these folks want to have lengthy on-the-air conversations! Horrors! Even though it is using Morse code, one of my more comfortable methods of communication, I break out in a sweat and start shaking like a leaf in a hurricane two minutes into a conversation with someone I haven’t known for years! No, that is clearly not for me.
Well, onward and wherever-ward! (like me new word?) I enjoy hunting rare antique parts and building the old stuff, so I will be continuing to do that. I expect there will be some questions as to why I was not heard during the upcoming operating event. I have not yet come up with an answer, but I’m working on it!
Hi Paul,
I like to see such situations like this: it did not work this time. I’m not ready to deal with this stuff yet. But as I continue making progress, in the next opportunity I may be able to.
I can think of many goals in my life that seemed absolutely impossible at some point but later on I managed to achieve.
It took me six months to be able to get a therapist last time I tried. From researching to planning a phone call, to writing down what I would say in the phone call, to getting the nerve to call…etc etc etc you get the picture. But then I did it and now it seems like the easiest thing on earth to find a therapist and whenever I can afford it again, I know I’ll do it. 🙂
Now not so long ago making that phone call seemed impossible to you, right. But then you did it!! So there it is. These miracle-like events do happen. No, seriously, they do.:)
I’m glad you’ll continue to build the old stuff as you said.
As always, thanks for writing your blog. Your honesty is very generous and helpful.
Best wishes, always,
Nadia
Hi Nadia,
You are correct of course. And I have been thinking “maybe next year I will be in a different place and be comfortable with this”.
I’m glad you will be able to find a therapist again when the time comes, and hope that time comes soon (only if you feel the need of a therapist, of course).
Very best wishes,
Paul
Hey Paul I’ve never sent qsl’s to those I worked in the bk qso party nor do I think any one expected a qsl from me. Folks are more than happy just to make a contact with another OT rig and to log them then worry about a qsl. I wouldnt dwell on the qsl aspect and let it prevent you from having fun. Your rig is a beauty and you should put it on the air. The linc cundall is around the corner so you have another shot to put the rig through its paces.
The fellows in the group are a good bunch I’m sure and I highly doubt they will shun you for not qsling.
As a side note I’ve always had a fear of public speaking and talking on a microphone and I was often asking myself why do i want to be ham if Im afraid to talk to someone. My solution: I operate primarily CW.
Hey George,
Thanks for the comments. Very interesting. I wish I had heard that perspective prior to the event. I asked about QSLing in a forum a few days before the first leg of the BK. I got only three responses, but all said they do send and/or want QSLs for BK QSOs. It was enough to scare me off, despite having looked forward to this so long. I’m trying to work through a backlog of QSLs which is a constant source of shame and embarrassment. Meanwhile I have cut my operating to near zero.
I realized right away that phone was uncomfortable, and concentrated on CW. It wasn’t until years later I realized why I instinctively gravitated toward forms of operating that involved very short exchanges of information.
Best regards,
Paul
George & Paul,
I do not understand the concept of QSL cards. I looked it up online. It seems like a very silly little thing to me. If someone talks on the radio or uses morse code…and the other person hears it & responds…communication is established. So why does there need to be written confirmation? Honestly, it sounds like a waste of paper to me.
If people really wanted to know the information from the communication…they could save it in their own files.
I get that some people use it as a form of ‘getting to know you’ cards. Artists trade ACEO cards. But it doesn’t seem necessary.
Please explain so I can understand why its important in the first place. Thanks, Jules
Hi Jules,
Let me see if I can explain.
The practice of exchanging QSL cards after a two-way radio communication started way back in the early days of radio. I wasn’t around then 🙂 but I’m reasonably sure it was exciting to those early radio pioneers to have these cards for far away places that they could proudly display on their wall. I’m sure it was a pure thrill for visitors to see these things when they visited a ham radio operator. No doubt it filled them with awe. That holds true even today. I often get a “wow!” feeling when visiting other hams and seeing their collection of QSL cards. Somehow actually seeing the cards promotes this magical feeling more than just the person’s affirmation that they have made all those exotic contacts. It is a little hard to fully explain the phenomenon.
The other (and these days, bigger) consideration is operating achievement awards. Many decades ago, large national and/or worldwide organizations devoted to ham radio decided to begin offering achievement awards for things such as having made contact with other hams in all 50 U.S. states or 100 different countries. Not wanting to rely solely on the honor system, they decided some “proof” of having made the contacts should be provided by the applicant seeking an operating achievement award. That proof took the form of QSL cards, which by then were a very well established tradition anyway. It made perfect sense.
For these reasons, the exchange of QSL cards following a radio contact has long been a tradition and important courtesy in our beloved hobby. It is often said “The final courtesy of a QSO (radio contact) is a QSL”. It really makes me feel bad when I get behind on them. Yet I constantly do fall behind.
Chasing after awards remains extremely popular today. Some hams don’t care about them, but many of us do. The challenge, the thrill of the chase, the sense of pride and accomplishment when we finally get that last needed contact for an award is a powerful force in our lives. Although we are starting to see some transition toward an electronic means of “verifying” radio contacts, the exchange of QSL cards is still vital in many cases.
QSL cards are not exchanged for every contact. Usually they are only exchanged when one or both parties in a contact “need” the other person’s card for some award they are trying to earn, or in special cases where a contact holds some particular personal significance for one or both parties.
I understand these things. I have worked very hard chasing rare and challenging contacts over the past 30 years, with the intent of getting some of those handsome award certificates and plaques for my wall. Even though I desire the awards very much, I have given up hope of ever actually getting them. At this point I am only several MONTHS behind on replying to card requests that I have received from others, but I am YEARS behind on sending out requests for cards I need for my awards. I have been forced to admit I will never catch up. This brings to my heart a great sadness which I cannot expect any non-ham to understand.
Perhaps just knowing in one’s heart and mind that they have made contacts in all 50 states, 100 countries or whatever SHOULD be enough. I do not propose to be able to explain why we feel the need to have our achievements verified, recognized, or validated by others (I’m speaking of those who issue the awards). Yet we do. I think it is just human nature.
I hope this helps to shed some light on why this exchange of QSL cards is considered an important part of our hobby.
I often wish this whole business of exchanging QSL cards and awards had never been started. But I’m not sure the hobby would be what it is, or nearly as much fun to many as it has become if this practice were not an integral part of it.
Very best wishes,
Paul