The Complete DX'er
Wayne T. Pierce Deerfield, IL: Idiom Press, 1983. First Edition [stated], presumed first printing. Trade paperback. 187, [5]] pages. Illustrations. Publisher's ephemera laid in. Inscribed on the title page by the author. Inscription reads To N3AM, John 73 + DX de Bob Locher W9KNi. The author was born in 1942, and raised in Cedar Rapids Iowa. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1964. In 1957 he earned his first amateur radio license, beginning a lifelong interest. His first call sign was KN0HGB, then later K0HGB. Later he moved to Illinois and was issued the call sign W9KNI, which I have kept ever since. He was the founder of Idiom Press, a mail order business which published amateur radio books and also manufactured a number of innovative amateur radio accessories. He authored books for amateur radio operators, The Complete DX’er and A Year of DX. He was the originator of the modern CQ DX Marathon, sponsored by CQ Magazine. He was a Life member of the American Radio Relay League, the ARRL Maxim Society, F.O.C. and CW Ops. He was inducted into the CQ DX Hall of Fame in 2010. DXing is the hobby of receiving and identifying distant radio or television signals, or making two-way radio contact with distant stations in amateur radio, citizens' band radio or other two-way radio communications. Many DXers also attempt to obtain written verifications of reception or contact, sometimes referred to as "QSLs" or "veries". The name of the hobby comes from DX, telegraphic shorthand for "distance" or "distant". The practice of DXing arose during the early days of radio broadcasting. Listeners would mail "reception reports" to radio broadcasting stations in hopes of getting a written acknowledgment or a QSL card that served to officially verify they had heard a distant station. Collecting these cards became popular with radio listeners in the 1920s and 1930s, and reception reports were often used by early broadcasters to gauge the effectiveness of their transmissions. Although international shortwave broadcasts are on the decline, DXing remains popular among dedicated shortwave listeners. The pursuit of two-way contact between distant amateur radio operators is also a significant activity within the amateur radio hobby. Amateur radio operators who specialize in making two way radio contact with other amateurs in distant countries are also referred to as "DXers". On the HF (also known as shortwave) amateur bands, DX stations are those in foreign countries. On the VHF/UHF amateur bands, DX stations can be within the same country or continent, since making a long-distance VHF contact, without the help of a satellite, can be very difficult. DXers collect QSL cards as proof of contact and can earn special certificates and awards from amateur radio organizations. In addition, many clubs offer awards for communicating with a certain number of DX stations. For example, the ARRL offers the DX Century Club award, or DXCC. The basic certificate is awarded for working and confirming at least 100 entities on the ARRL DXCC List. For award purposes, entities/areas other than nation-states (countries) can be classified as "DX countries". For example, the French territory of Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean is counted as a DX country, even though it is a region of France. The rules for determining what is a DX country can be quite complex and to avoid potential confusion, radio amateurs often use the term entity instead of country. In addition to entities, some awards are based on island groups in the world's oceans. On the VHF/UHF bands, many radio amateurs pursue awards based on Maidenhead grid locators. In order to give other amateurs a chance to confirm contacts at new or exotic locations, amateurs have mounted DXpeditions to countries or regions that have no permanent base of amateur radio operators. There are also frequent contests where radio amateurs operate their stations on certain dates for a fixed period of time to try to communicate with as many DX stations as possible. Condition: Very good / No dust jacket issued.
Keywords: Amateur Radio, Ham Radio, DXer, Listening, Antenna, Special Language Techniques, Equipment, Operating Techniques, Pile-Up Technicque, QAL'ing, DXing, Broadcasting, Shortwave
[Book #85064]
Price: $175.00