Pages

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Special QSL of the Week


William Patalon of Fallston, Maryland in the United States tell us that the first QSL he ever received was from CBX, the CBC Canadian Broadcasting Corporation mediumwave station located near Edmonton in Alberta Canada.  He states that he heard station CBX with 50 kW on 740 kHz some 40 years ago, on the night of December 18, 1974.  He also states that the distance between the transmitter in Canada and his receiver in the United States was nearly 2,000 miles, his best ever distance record on mediumwave.
            William Patalon, in referring to his QSL card from Canadian mediumwave station CBX, mentions several items of interest regarding the history of this station.  Originally, CBX with its 50 kW on 1010 kHz, was located near Lacombe, approximately half way between Edmonton and Calgary, around 100 miles distant from each city.  The station was launched in 1948 with studios in Edmonton.
            However, to improve reception within the city of Edmonton itself, a slave relay station was inaugurated with just 100 watts on 740 kHz.  Three years later, the power of this unit was increased to 250 watts.  Then in 1964, a new CBX with 50 kW on 740 kHz was constructed near Edmonton itself, and both the Lacombe high power station and the low power CBXA were closed.

            The QSL card that William received from CBC-CBX Edmonton is their familiar blue bulls eye card and it verifies the reception of the second CBX with 50 kW on 740 kHz at the more recent location near Edmonton.  As the first QSL card that William Patalon ever received, it remains a treasured item in his QSL collection.