Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ulis (K3LU), who shares the following note:
I have one of the most detailed SWL QSL cards that was given to me by Fred Laun, K3ZO who is a very well known Contester and DXer. A retired USIA officer, Fred had an amazing career.
Fred runs the ARRL Third Area QSL Bureau and I am one of his sorters. We have long shared many common interests and one day he surprised me with this QSL card (see below). [L]ike you and I, Fred started out SWLing as a kid.
I suspect the SWL who wrote this card is now QRT. But it’s spectacular that he wrote all of this and with a real typewriter:
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Wow, Ulis! What a treasure of a QSL card! Thank you so much for taking the time to share it with us.
I can’t imagine using a typewriter to pack so much information onto a QSL card. I struggled using a typewriter for letter sized pages!
I am curious if anyone knows the SWL who created this card: Mr. Hank Holbrook. If so, please comment!
Obit seems in this link:
https://www.schoechi.de/obituary.html
I would have loved to have had an evening to chat and look through his QSLs with him
That is a fantastic QSL card, and indeed a treasure. There’s gotta be other reports from Mr Holbrook. What a great card to receive.
SWLs and hams can still hear Fred, K3ZO, on sked every Wednesday at 1200UTC on 14.169 MHz attempting to talk with friends in Thailand such as Tony, HS0ZDX. He and his buddies in Thailand have attempted to keep this sked for more than 20 years! It was my privilege to stop by and visit Fred at his home in Maryland a few years ago. Amazing man. Amazing station and antennas! I sometimes join him and the group on Wednesday (evening in Thailand and Hong Kong) and enjoy those rare occasions, especially these days, when Fred can hear me. with a vertical and 100 watts.