W3MCG/VE4 1958 Canada

Karl R. Medrow, W3MCG, changed his callsign to W3FA in the early 1970s.
He is listed as a Silent Key in the 1992 Callbook.

Patience Pays – W0 Ham Receives Bureau Card for 50-Year Old QSO

There was an exciting moment this month in my work as the Y-Sorter for the Zero QSL Bureau sponsored by Mississippi Valley DX/Contest Club in St. Louis. As I was sorting the November, 2008 QSLs and getting them ready to mail out to Y users, a card caught my eye. It wasn’t a rare country that got my attention, but was instead a VE station from Manitoba, Canada. The unusual thing about it was that it confirmed a QSO which the VE station had on November 15, 1958 with a W0 station from South Dakota! Yes, the QSO was more than 50 years ago! I’m sending the card to the W0 station, who is a user of the Zero Bureau.

I don’t know what the record is for the oldest QSO confirmed through the ARRL Incoming QSL Bureau System, but this one has got to be in the running for that record! It certainly gives new meaning to the advice we give to users on our web page: "Do not expect DX cards to arrive for several months or years after the QSO." I hope the W0 station will be as excited about receiving it as I was in handling it!

After this page went up, I received an email from K7ABV. Eric also said that he received this QSL recently (November 2008). The date on his card was Nov. 16, 1958. W3MCG is no longer listed on the FCC database. I wonder who is dropping his cards in the QSL bureau?

QSL and Story courtesy of Cliff Ahrens, K0CA, December 2008
Extra info courtesy of K7ABV.
Name & SK info courtesy of W5KNE