W9WNV in Helsinki 1 Legendary DX Peditioner of the 1960's

[IK0ZCW]

Don Miller and FW8ZZ

The FW8ZZ DXpedition of 1966 included one of the greatest tragedies in modern DXpeditioning history. Two men were lost when mother-nature showed her mighty power.

After leaving Wallis Island, Chuck Swain, K7LMU and, Ted Thorpe, ZL2AWJ were lost at sea, leaving no traces, while many DXers were asking whether logs were safe. It was another sad element added to this great loss.

Don A. Miller, W9WNV was a trend-setter and a DX luminary of modern DXpeditioning. His operating skills were beyond anything previously seen. He directed the pileups day and night through many new and rare countries, and in doing so, left his marks in moving the traffic efficiently. Few DXers know that he invented “5NN” and set the scene for the skilled usage of the split window, which is still a mystery to many regular DXpeditioners.

Don was – and still is – one of the Eternal Enigmas of DXing. He is one of the Mysteries of the Ages, who contributed to the meaning of the long-lived phrase “DX Is!”

Don joined Martti’s birthday party in Finland at Christmas 2016. Together they pointed the World Atlas toward the distant horizon, and in the wee hours they jointly said: “Maybe once more to one more!”

Don in his 80th year just did the Highland, California 10K run, while Martti at 70 is just preparing for a Canary Islands (EA8) 48-hour run! DXers are tough bunch!