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Reviews For: The Complete DXer by W9KNI, 3rd Edition

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Review Summary For : The Complete DXer by W9KNI, 3rd Edition
Reviews: 43MSRP: $19.95
Description:
One of the most popular DX book ever written, "The Complete DX'er" is both the highly entertaining diary of a serious DX chaser, and at the same time full of lessons for DX'ing success. Written in a warm, personal style, this is a work you will read again and again. It very much respects and honors the traditions of DX'ing, yet brings a sense of excitement to the chase. The new 3rd edition has been revised to take into account the realities of DX'ing in the 21st century.
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# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00435
N0SS Rating: 2003-09-01
Wonderful reading, for seasoned and newbie ops Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I really don't like to read! It all dates back to my early childhood, which is not worth discussing... but I've never enjoyed just sitting down and 'reading'.

This having been said, I've gotta say that I thoroughly ENJOYED reading Bob Locher's (W9KNI) book "The Complete DXer" 3rd Edition"..!

Ever since the first edition of this book was released (1983), I'd managed to avoid reading it. I mean, by that time I'd been licensed for 25 years, I'd been DXing for 23 of those years, and I knew all the tricks. What could Bob know that I didn't already know?

Well... a friend sent a copy of "The Complete DXer" to me as a gift. I put it in "the Reading Room" (you guys KNOW where that is), so I could skim thru it when I was able to sit 'n think, figuring that I'd not spend much time going thru it... 'cause I knew it all.

What I noticed first about the book was Bob's very casual, "as it happened" manner of writing. Easy to read, as if it was just rolling out of his head, onto the page... kinda like we (well, most of us) think... and talk.

It didn't take me long to realize that I'd missed a LOT in the preceding 40+ years... Oh, I knew how to "listen up", and (generally) where to place MY transmitter so the DX would 'find' me as he tuned away from his last QSO. But Bob's narrative give me a bunch of really helpful hints on how to better track the DX, how to better find the guy's he's working, and little ideas on more strategically placing my signal so the DX falls into my trap. He also showed me how to more effectively LISTEN for the DX, something I thought I knew, but now that I think back on my methods, I'm sure I missed a BUNCH of countries I could have worked much earlier had I known how to better listen for them.

Bob pretty well covers the entire gamut of DXing, from hunting the rare DX QSO to getting his QSL as the end result. He has great instructions for all of us, especially the newbie DXer. But obviously, there's a LOT of very useful information for many of us more 'seasoned' operators as well. Certainly a LOT more than I'd have expected to have found.

I read a few pages each time, taking time to let the wisdom soak in a bit before I read on. As a result, I retained a lot more than if I'd blown thru the book, which is how I usually read non-technical documents.

Would I recommend "The Complete DXer" to my friends? YOU BET I WOULD! And I now do!

Whether you're a seasoned DXer of just thinking about getting into this fascinating part of our hobby, "The Complete DXer" is a MUST READ book. Informative AND entertaining at the same time.
KC2LBO Rating: 2003-08-19
Reads like an adventure novel! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This book has already been described at length in the other reviews. I just wanted to add my 2 cents - what a great, fun, entertaining, and informative read! It really does read like a great adventure novel - he really captures that excitement of tuning around and snagging the rare ones. I've gotten a few of the other DX books - they're more like self-printed brag books, some tips, but not too professional. THIS is a REAL book, written very well! And along the way, loads of great tips. I learned some important new stuff in just the first few pages! Nice work, excellent for new hams and OOM's alike....
ON5ZO Rating: 2003-08-18
Enjoyed reading this! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just finished reading this book, it reads very smoothly and is written in a clear and amusing way. I turned the last page before I knew it.
Now, the book is not really a manual by definition, nor a series of step by step rules - the author tells in a narrative way how he operates to find, chase and log DX - and get that QSL on the wall. He adds a lot of stories, both true and imaginary, just to get his point across. These stories tell things that can and will happen to all of us while trying to boost our DXCC score. Some of them have already happened to me in my rather short career on the bands. So I can relate to the stories told...

I must say that, if you've been serioulsy involved in DX'ing, the book will not contain that much news. Although what is said is true and helpful, it's something I myself either learned the hard way or read somewhere while browsing the internet (there are a lot of similar stories or tips 'n tricks on several ham's personal websites). Nevertheless, the book is fun to read and honnestly: when I turn on my rig and spin the dial, W9KNI seems to be looking over my shoulder, whispering 'listen listen listen and find that weak DX signal'...

Bottom line is: if you like DXing and like something to read other than books filled with formulas, diagrams and schematics: buy this book, you can't go wrong.

One remark for buyers outside USA: after 5 weeks I still did not have the books delivered. I was beginning to worry a bit, and send an email to IdiomPress. They answered me right away that shipments by surface mail take 6 to 8 weeks to arrive. Indeed: on day 1 of week 7 the books were in the mailbox, in pristine shape. Good service!

73 es DX de Franki ON5ZO
N6HVP Rating: 2003-08-14
Recommended with a Slight Reservation Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have to confess a bit of disappointment with the 3rd edition of this book. The first edition accompanied me to Germany where I was on assignment for my company in 1985 and it, along with my TenTec Corsair, were fond companions. It was upbeat and inspirational and helped drive me to aquire my Extra class license soon afterwards.

But I find the third edition to be more of a lamentation about amateur radio. I agree things have changed quite a bit in recent years but the spark of wireless communication still keeps the child inside me alive, where it seems it have waned in this book. It might just be me but I missed the enthusiam that grabbed and held my interest the first edition had. That, and the annoying use of "The/Your author..." that is repeated thoughout almost suggests being written by someone else since I don't recall the frustration from my previous reading experience.

The above are minor rants as there is an abundance of operating experience and information contained in these pages making this book a permanent resident in every ham's library without reserve.

Mike, N6HVP

W4ZYT Rating: 2003-08-06
A DX Classic Updated for the 21st Century! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The Complete DX'er (3d Edition)

By Bob Locher W9KNI

Idiom Press, Box 1025,
Geyserville, California 95441
ISBN 0-9617577-0-1
Trade paperback, 223 pages

By Don Lynch W4ZYT

In January 1991, I was recalled to active duty for Operation Desert Storm. In the thirteen weeks which followed, my duties took me to Navy medical installations in eastern Virginia, Washington DC, Turkey, and Guam. Although I had been licensed since 1959 and had a DXCC certificate dated 1970, I had been largely inactive most of the 20 years preceding my recall, busy raising a family and getting my medical education and surgical training. When my Desert Storm assignment took me overseas, I brought along a small transceiver, and ultimately operated extensively for 4 weeks from my quarters on Guam. That experience reignited my interest in ham radio and more specifically in DXing, and my activity on Guam allowed me to complete a second DXCC as a portable KH2. I was hooked, but much had transpired in the 20 years I was in radio hibernation, and I was finding the new calls, prefixes, technologies, and practices all very confusing.
Enter W9KNI and the second edition of The Complete DX'er. Enroute back home from Guam, I stopped off in the San Francisco area to visit my sister and her family and picked up a copy of the book at a local radio dealer. I was fascinated. In 1968-69, there had been no packet cluster system, few solid state rigs, no 2-meter DX spotting nets, no DX list operations, a significantly different set of ham prefixes, and far fewer DX countries (not entities) on the air. I was also astounded by the quality and flexibility of the newer gear. My old stalwart home station had been first a Hallicrafters SX-101A and a Johnson Viking II, followed by a Heath SB-102/SB-200 combo built while I was in medical school, and keyed with a Vibroplex "Original" bug. As a journeyman DXer in the mid-60s, I had spent hours and hours tuning and listening, eking out a total of about 150 countries. I had done this by trial and error, following bits of advice from older hams and contemporaries, calling each other by phone in the middle of the night when some interesting or much-needed station appeared on the bands, trading tips and hot information in the aisles of the local A and P or Seven-Eleven, or comparing QSLs and pileup stories at the monthly ham radio club meeting.
It was the tone of the original Complete DX'er - so much like those chats and calls with fellow DXers in the old days - that really impressed me at first reading and continues to impress me with the 3d edition. The writing is direct, accessible, and not at all preachy, pedantic, or condescending. This guy - W9KNI - comes across as a friend, a fellow DXer, an "Elmer", just as keen as you are to get "the new one" in the log, and genuinely interested in seeing that you get the "new one" as well. Given the quality of the second edition, I knew the third would be even better.
The book is organized very much like a college elective course, except that it involves DXing rather than French, math, or American literature. It succeeds brilliantly, because - like a well-taught college course - it takes many complex issues and presents them in small segments and in simple terms, building progressively upon the DX tactics and techniques it describes, until you find yourself possessed of a wealth of valuable and practical information about DXing. Starting out at the simplest levels, The Complete DX'er conveys the allure of DXing and clearly and succinctly lays out for the novice or journeyman DXer the basics of how to listen, what to listen for, how to recognize DX, how to organize available time on the air, what to do when you find the DX, how to approach a pile-up, and how to use contests and other operating activities to help achieve your DX operating goals. Part I - the first 114 pages - comprises a thoughtful and thorough "DX 101" course while maintaining a warm and engaging style. While intended for beginners, Part I is also a terrific review for us old dogs. With the 3d edition, as in 1991, I came away with many useful refinements for my own DXing practices.
Part II - chapters 14 through 26 - is aimed at the more seasoned DXer and discusses topics such as QTH location, basic antenna information, safety, and the fine art of hunting DX on the bands. Also included are a nice discussion about using other languages to assist with the chase, and a very thoughtful discussion on balance, sportsmanship, manners, and the value of DX as a part of one's life ("Playing the Game"). Since the original and second editions, the chapters have also been updated to include contemporary technical advances - packet, computers, logging and contest software, DSP, QRP rigs, and so forth. There are references to standard reference books, currently available DX bulletins, a few selected useful websites, and some equipment, all of which are helpful without overwhelming the reader with minutiae. Throughout the entire book, the text conveys both Bob Locher's enthusiasm and his affection for ham radio and more importantly, his respect for a hobby and a group of fellow hobbyists that he is clearly proud to be part of.
In the last few years, I have come to know W9KNI personally, and he is very much like his literary persona - pleasant, enthusiastic, and deeply committed to the hobby. As a part owner of Bencher - maker of keyer paddles, filters, and the novel Skyhawk beam antenna - and as the founder of The Idiom Press, which in addition to publishing ham radio related books also makes a fine line of keyers, rotor accessories, and audio filters - Bob remains involved with the technology of ham radio on a daily basis. A long time member of FOC, he is widely known as one of the best CW operators on the bands. He is also a consummate DXer, and has for years been at the top of the CW Honor Roll and a prominent leader on the Mixed and Honor Roll. He is a teacher who teaches well because he knows as well as anyone the material he is teaching, because he loves the hobby, and because he has been in the trenches as a DXer for his entire ham radio career. All of this comes across in The Complete DXer, and makes it a book no DXer - novice, journeyman, or expert - should be without.

Vy 73, Don Lynch W4ZYT
KU4BP Rating: 2003-07-31
Must Reading!!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I read the 2nd edition in 1995 when I got my Advanced license and could not put it down. Originally written before the explosion of packet clusters, it teaches what many call the first 3 rules of DXing.

1. Listen!
2. Listen!
3. Listen again!

It ought to be required reading for anyone who passes a General class test and above because it teaches you HOW to listen. Knowing what to listen for is key to finding what you want. Not all signals are 59(9). Bob doesn't hold your hand in this book. Instead, he relates his experiences and makes you think.

To sum up this book is easy.

1. Read it!
2. Read it!
3. Read it again!


Ed KU4BP



KC7MM Rating: 2003-07-10
Get it! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I also bought the 2nd edition soon after it came out and thought it was tops. The new 3rd edition is even better. It contains both classical and topical information at the same time from a man who recently worked over 300 countries Qrp in three years. I just finished reading it cover to cover and am starting all over again with yellow marker pen in hand.

My advice to all who love DX is to: buy it, read it, then reread it. Highlight the good stuff; use index taps. Use all the tips Bob gives you. Keep it next to your station. Wear it out.

One of the key ideas that I have relearned from Bob is that although packet DX spotting can sometimes help you find DX, the key to getting new ones in the log is to learn how to listen, listen effectively, but listen.

Thanks W9KNI/6. I can't wait for the next edition.
DL4AAE Rating: 2003-07-10
Exciting and entertaining reading Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
From the first to the last page Bob's book is an exciting and entertaining reading. It includes a lot of tips to catch the "rare ones" and really gives you an appetite for instantly tuning the bands and digging out new DX. Great book!
K6SDW Rating: 2003-06-23
Don't buy this book! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Please don't buy this book unless you strive to be a competitive, successful DX'er....after nearly 40 years in ham radio I thought I knew it all but this book taught me stuff I never thought of before. If you read it cover to cover you too will possess the knowledge to be a "Top Gun" Dx'er on his way to DXCC fame and fortune!

Great read w9kni!

73 and gud dxing.......
N5OP Rating: 2003-06-18
None better Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a revised version of the 2nd Edition, which I consumed voraciously about ten years ago. It was excellent then, and the 3rd Edition is excellent now. Bob talks about the operating aids he uses, and why. The strategy of cracking pile-ups is still lucidly explained, as are strategies for getting the QSL.

He and I clearly share the same views about intenet clusters and the (mis)use. Overall, a wonderful tutorial and review.