Turkey’s Digital QSL Museum
QSL Museum, is a special museum project created as the product of a long-standing passion for collecting, with the aim of preserving the history of QSL cards in Turkey and passing it on to future generations. In our museum, alongside QSL cards that shed light on the amateur radio past of the Republic of Turkey, thousands of cards from all around the world and thematic collections are brought together. At present, tens of thousands of QSL cards are being meticulously scanned and transferred to a digital environment. Very soon, our entire collection will be made accessible to everyone through our website, and the rich heritage of the amateur radio world will meet visitors under a single roof.
The first QSL story
The story of QSL Museum began with a single QSL card received in 2018. This card, belonging to 1B1AD Mustafa bey, was delivered by hand during the visit made by TA7H Furkan Bey. This special card became the first piece of the QSL collection that would grow over time and formed the foundation of the idea of a QSL museum. Today, it is still preserved as one of the most valuable pieces of the collection; it is regarded not only as a memory of amateur radio, but also as a spiritual legacy symbolizing the beginning of the QSL Museum project.
What Do We Offer at the QSL Museum?
QSL Museum was designed to keep the history of radio amateurism alive and carry this culture into the future. Below, you can explore the main features of the museum and the opportunities offered by the digital collection.
Digital Archive
Tens of thousands of QSL cards are being scanned in high resolution. Each card is tagged together with call sign, country, date, and theme information.
International Collection
QSL cards with hundreds of different prefixes from all around the world are exhibited. It sheds light on the history of global radio amateurism.
History of QSL in Turkey
Cards, call signs, and historical information documenting the past of radio amateurism in Turkey are brought together.
Online Access
The entire collection will be made accessible on the website very soon. Visitors will be able to view the cards by categories and search.
Why Should QSL Cards Be Preserved?
QSL cards are not merely confirmation of communication between two radio amateurs. Each card is a historical document reflecting the technology of its period, the understanding of design, operator culture, and worldwide friendship in amateur radio.
Over the years, thousands of QSL cards have been lost, damaged, or completely destroyed in attics, shoeboxes, for various reasons. Especially those belonging to operators from earlier periods, the failure to preserve the cards causes the history of amateur radio to quietly disappear.
The aim of QSL Museum is not only to preserve these cards physically, but also to transfer them to a digital environment and pass them on to future generations.
How Does the Process Work?
Cards delivered to QSL Museum are included in the archive through individual donations, operator collections, and special albums, and after their physical condition is checked, they are scanned and transferred to a digital environment. The scanned cards are categorized according to call sign, country, DXCC, theme, and collection types, and are then added to the digital collection system and made available to visitors. Thanks to this process, QSL cards that may physically wear out over time can be preserved and passed on to future generations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Website management and the storage and archiving of QSL cards are carried out by TA7H Furkan ÖZEN.
Only QSL cards delivered to our physical archive are included in our digital museum. Our aim is not for the cards to remain only as digital images; it is for them to be physically preserved and passed on to future generations as well. For this reason, scanned image uploads from outside are not accepted.
Each QSL card is stored in a dry, moisture-free, and clean environment to be placed in photo albums. All QSL cards are archived in Giresun. Work is continuing to establish a physical museum in Istanbul.
Yes, you can send cards to our collection. Each QSL card is very valuable and will be preserved under the best conditions in this virtual museum and physical archive. All postal and shipping costs will be covered by us.
Volunteerism and passion lie at the heart of radio amateurism. Accordingly, the museum is a completely non-profit initiative with no commercial income of any kind. In order to enrich the archive, we occasionally purchase QSL cards from international platforms (eBay, etc.) with our own means. Although our greatest motivation for the growth of the collection is your valuable QSL card donations, if you would like to transfer the cards in your possession for a fee, you can contact us at iletisim@furkanozen.com.tr or by الهاتف 0552 580 28 61
After the cards you send are included in the digital archive, they can be viewed on our website. Thus, both you and other visitors can examine the cards.
Apart from sending cards, promoting our museum digitally and recommending the site to your friends is also very valuable to us. We look forward to your suggestions about the website and your visitor comments.