TopBand: W1BB

[Dennis Shapiro]

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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