Robert Locher, W9KNI

Amateur radio is a hobby with many legends. The pioneers have, of course, passed on to their next adventure, but there remains living legends among us. One of those is Robert Locher, W9KNI. Bob is a dedicated radio telegrapher and an elite DXer. Raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and licensed in 1957, his mentor was Art Collins, W0CXX, the founder of Collins Radio and a family friend. Art proctored his Novice License test and signed it off - radio royalty.

Along the road of his life he co-founded Bencher, Inc., a well-known manufacturer of amateur radio keys and antennas under the Bencher and Butternut names. He later launched Idiom Press, which distributed his two classic books, ‘The Complete DXer’ and ‘A Year of DX’. He received the first ever DXCC CW certificate issued and currently sits atop the Honor Roll (Mixed & CW).

W9KNI’s unique writing style put him in a class of his own. His books pulled back the curtain on his stealthy methods for hunting rare DX like a big-game hunter. Always supremely entertaining and educational, DX chasers would do well to study at his feet for a season.

Tales from a Serial Sniper looks to be the beginning of a series of new adventures from Locher hosted on the DX Engineering blog.

OnAllBands is thrilled to feature articles from noted author and amateur radio DXing legend Bob Locher, W9KNI. Bob will be sharing his favorite DXing memories along with insights on what it took to capture the rarest of the rare.

The first article presents his efforts to work ZD9 - Gough Island in the southeast Atlantic ocean. It’s another great read from Bob, but I’m just as excited at the prospect that this is only the first of what could be many new adventures with Bob who says of himself:

“I have always been a DX chaser,” he told OnAllBands. “I am not a contester of the usual type—working 200 Q’s an hour has no attraction for me. I am instead the kind that lays in the weeds, always listening, always tuning—and for me, a 30-second exchange after three months of stalking can be a very satisfying conclusion.”

I look forward to sharing those satisfying conclusions too!