Introduction
by Ross Forbes, K6GFJ and John Miller, K6MM
Most serious DXers probably have at least one contact in their logbooks with famous DXer, Martti Laine, OH2BH. Many have even met him at conventions held around the world. But there are still others who haven’t met Martti in person or have not had the opportunity to sit down and get to know Martti and learn about his dedication to Amateur Radio and discover what a real gentleman, mentor and diplomat he really is.
In 1991, Martti published his wonderful book for all DXers:”Where Do We Go Next?”. Since then, more than 12,000 copies have been published and the book was eventually translated into four languages. Contained in the over 300 pages are many of Martti’s secrets: What it’s like to be on a DXpedition from the planning stage through to its completion. What makes a good DXpedition. What’s necessary to bring together operators with the right characteristics for a successful team. How to operate and handle the giant pile-ups. Both beginning and seasoned DXers have benefited from the book as it re-lives many of the places Martti and his teams have visited. Readers learn about the teams’ successes and also those challenging times when Mr. Murphy tried to derail a successful trip.
Martti also explains what it took to make each operation successful. Included are comments from those who were part of Martti’s team and what they experienced – both as an operator and what they learned from Martti personally. The book is a story of Martti’s lifelong journey throughout the world of DX and what he was thinking about at each location. It also shows Martti’s deep compassion, commitment, integrity and impressive diplomatic efforts to make each operation a success. Over the years, Martti and his teams were responsible for activating 12 new DXCC entities.
Because of Martti's long and successful partnership with NCDXF - a partnership based on mutual trust and respect - we are pleased to recommend and release Martti’s book, ”Where Do We Go Next?” free for both new and seasoned DXers to enjoy.
It can be downloaded in PDF format from the NCDXF website HERE.
Note: If you are not familiar with Hugh Cassidy, WA6AUD, whom Martti frequently mentions in the book, you can read “Professor Cass’s” wry comments in “The West Coast DX Bulletin.” You will find all of the WCDXBs at https://ncdxc.org/west-coast-dx-bulletin/ Pay particular attention to the last page of each bulletin.
