TALES OF A VAGABOND DXER
A New Book Review

Don Moore, a name that will be known to many long-time North American DX enthusiasts, is a true expert on the Latin American broadcasting scene. Intricately woven with the threads of DXing and extensive travels throughout Central and South America, his life is a story worth telling.

Last year, Don shared his journey in a book titled "Tales of a Vagabond DXer," a captivating narrative of how one man's passion for DXing and connecting with people led to extraordinary adventures.

Don's discovery of shortwave radio began in September 1971 (for me, it was three years earlier, in 1968. We are of a similar age). As a teenager and then into his twenties, he loved listening to and QSLing as many shortwave and mediumwave stations in the Americas as possible.

He recounts his early activities in the DX hobby, his support for major U.S. DX clubs such as NASWA and SPEEDX, going on fun DXpeditions and the lasting friendships he made along the way. His radio hobby also inspired his love of the Spanish language. A career in the Peace Corps saw him posted to Honduras in the early 1980s. During the '80s and '90s, Don authored many articles documenting broadcasters' large, small, and tiny. Since those early days, he has visited many countries throughout Central and South America.

Tales of a Vagabond DXer is a treasure trove of stories about Don's travels throughout the region, often venturing into areas that were considered dangerous, all in the pursuit of visiting broadcasters on his target list. His vivid descriptions of tiny broadcasters - frequently consisting of nothing more than a single room in a building - paint a picture of how crucial radio was to local communities. In many instances, broadcasts served as a lifeline, the glue that held the community together, especially in remote regions. The book also sheds light on the financial struggles some stations faced to keep their signals on the air, a testament to the resilience and dedication of these broadcasters.

Don offers valuable insights concerning the influence of politics on broadcasting. There are some fascinating chapters on the Cuban radio scene and miners' unions in Bolivia. Readers will recognise the names of many stations, such as La Cruz del Sur, Radio Santa Fe, Radio for Peace International, Radio Paz y Bien, Radio Zaracay, Radio Cultural TGNA, Radio Frontera, Radio Táchira, Ecos del Torbes, Radio Quillabamba, and so many more.

The book's layout is unusual in that it mixes rewrites of past articles that appeared in various DX newsletters, along with separate chapters covering memories and recent observations. Readers unfamiliar with the DXing hobby will probably be bewildered - the chapters explaining DXing and verifications are at the back of the book. But SWLs and amateur radio operators, whose introduction to radio was through shortwave listening, will find this a delightful read.

Some of the author's black-and-white photos of a few stations visited are included. If I have one minor criticism, it is that I would have loved to have seen a few images included from Don's QSL collection.

I thoroughly enjoyed Tales of a Vagabond DXer. The first sentence in Don's introduction says: "This is the book that I didn't intend to write, but now that it is finished, I am glad I did." We are, too, Don! Thanks for taking us down memory lane!

The book can be purchased from Amazon.com as a trade-sized paperback or a Kindle eBook.

Rob Wagner VK3BVW