I don't know whether we shall have a new W1BB, but while W1BB is
uniquely Stew Perry I want to share with you my all-time favorite QSL
card.
On June 11, 1977, after being licensed for 30 years, I finally put up an
antenna that would work on topband and was QRV. It was 2125GMT, which
was 5:25pm local, and there were no stations to be heard. I called CQ
and back came W1BB/1.
We exchanged reports, etc. Stew said he was operating from his summer
QTH in Harrington, Maine. I told him that this was my very first 160m
QSO. He came back with a congratulations and commented that this was
special and needed something special in commemoration. During the QSO,
we discovered that we were both MIT graduates. We signed and I
felt exhilarated at the warm welcome from Mr. Topband, himself.
A few days later I received in the mail a hunk of birch bark, roughly 6
1/2 by 3 1/2 inches. It was written in longhand on both sides:
Harrington, Maine
Villa Mon Repos
QSL
to W1UF--Dennis
YOUR FIRST EVER 160 QSO
W1BB/1 Maine
June 11, 1977 2125 GMT 1.8MHz RST 5 6/7 9
Congratulations and Welcome
to 160--Happy Times
73 de Stew, MIT '26
The reverse side:
This QSL Grown on
my Farm--Villa Mon Repose
25 Acres of much woods.
73! Stew
Hope you Always
Enjoy 160!!
I've had this mounted between two pieces of plastic, 6x9 inches, with a
spacer in-between so as to protect the bark. It is one of my proudest
possessions.
Dennis, W1UF
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