I REGRET TO INFORM THE AMATEUR RADIO WORLD THAT AL, VE1AL, PASSED AWAY ON APRIL 11, 2013 AS A RESULT OF A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK.  AS A RESULT, ALL REQUESTS FOR QSL CONFIRMATION SHOULD BE PASSED VIA VE1BVD

IOTA NA010 CQ Zone 5 ITU Zone 9 LOC: FN96vd

George Crowell, VE1AL, was 61 years old, some 50 years older than I, when I met him in 1957. So I was 11 when one autumn day I presented myself on his doorstep and asked to see his ham radio station.

George was impressed that my name and initials had led me to his doorstep, not to see his model railroad setup like the other kids in the neighbourhood. I was the youngest of those he taught about ham radio and we became good buddies, the "OT" and the little kid.

After George became a Silent Key in 1969, I was able to change my call, in 1970, from VE1JN to VE1AL. Now I have turned 66 years of age but there are no youngsters knocking on my door asking to see my ham radio station. To me, this is very sad. Radio and its endless possibilities for communications no longer holds fascination in this new technological world.

From 1974 through 1987 I operated, first as VE1AL/3 and then VE3FRA and edited several DX publications, including the bi-weekly VE3FRA DX Report and the Canadian DX Association's monthly news magazine, Long Skip. VE3FRA was traded for VE3VX, a mistake on my part.

During the summer of 1988 I was the chief CW operator on the CY9DXX DXpedition to St. Paul Is. (NA094) and the following summer, 1989, the same group operated CY0DXX from Sable Is. (NA063). I've also activated quite a few Canadian special prefixes and am especially proud of VA1S, VF1L and CG1B all of which were active in the 90s.

As of Jan. 1, 2013, I am still using the same ICOM IC-761 (100W) that I purchased after breaking it in from CY9DXX in 1988. I also have a Collins 30L-1 (500W) that I seldom use and a Kenwood TL-922 that I'm getting ready to put on the air. Antennas on my tiny city property consist of a HyGain Explorer 14 triband yagi at 15m, inverted vees for 80, 40 and 30M, the driven element from a Cushcraft A3WS fixed E/W for 17 & 12M plus a GAP Titan 80-10M vertical that amazingly, on occasion, hears signals better than the other antennas. My dream is to be able one day to afford a country estate with many more antennas and another operation from North Korea (P5).

VE1AL (and all of the other calls I have operated in Canada) now has confirmed 339 of the 340 current DXCC countries active. Only P5 is left to be worked on the current DXCC List. Overall, I have 358/358 DXCC, including deleted countries.

Although I don't put in the same effort I did years ago, I also participate in many major CW and a few SSB contests each year. Otherwise, probably 95% of my on-air time is listening.

Please follow this request, based on Current Canada Post rates (subject to a 15% GST I must pay when purchasing stamps at the Post Office) if you would like a direct QSL for any of my calls from CF1AL, CG1B, CJ1AL, CK1AL, VC3FRA, VE1AL, VE1AL/3, VE1AL/VO1, VE1AL/VP9, VE1JN, VE3FRA, VE3VX, XL1AL or XN3FRA, or from any of the following stations for which I am QSL Manager: CY9DXX, CY0DXX, FW0DD (1980 only), VE1DXX/FP, VE3AII/SU, VE6CBJ/SU, ZK2DD, ZK2DJ or ZK2YL (ZKs in 1979 only). Note: I am unable to provide bureau service for those stations I manage.

USA: SAE with US$2.00, 1 current IRC --or-- SAE with Canadian postage of $1.10

All other countries: SAE with US$3.00, 1 current IRC --or-- SAE with Canadian postage of Cdn$1.85.

At the beginning of each month I upload my previous month's log to LoTW, Club Log and then to eQSL. If I need your card, I will send you mine direct with an SASE or SAE + IRC/GS.

I upload to eQSL only as a courtesy for those who use it because I am not interested in eQSL "confirmations" since I do not collect any eQSL awards. If you are going to use only eQSL then I can't use that confirmation for ARRL's DXCC, the only award I am interest in. Please also upload your logs to LoTW.

If we have worked, thanks for the QSO. If we have not, perhaps we'll meet one day.

73,

Al, VE1AL

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