Wayne Green W2NSD, SK

[jeff_duntemann]

It's hard not to have an opinion about Wayne Green. Depending on whom you listen to, he was a visionary, a crank, delusional, eccentric, generous, lecherous, honest, optimistic, boundlessly energetic, or all of the above and maybe a few more. Someone wrote a bogglingly angry book once (I had it but have misplaced it) that spent its entire length

Comments

[ext_1749925]

Thinking way back to the late 60's when I was beginning to get enthralled with electricity and electronics, I got my first ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook in 1969 and read through it addictively. It made me yearn for advanced math, and especially trig, so I could make sense of what the heck they were talking about, particularly regarding antenna radiation patterns. (yeah, go figure…)

Around that time I subscribed to CQ, 73, and Ham Radio. I finally got my novice license in 1969 and my general license in 71 -- the delay only due to my stubbornness around learning morse code. I took the Advanced test with my General test once and missed it by only 4 questions, which I was told was pretty good for a 14-year old. (Unfortunately, I failed the code test four times; the fifth was a charm, thankfully because my Novice license was about to expire.)

But then I started learning about microcomputers, the 4004 and 8008, and my interests shifted. 73, CQ, and QST gave way to Byte. The interesting thing was that the tenor of the material seemed to remain the same, only the subject matter changed, presumably because the same guy was behind both 73 and Byte. (73 was by far my favorite only because it seemed way more "alive". QST was on the other end of the spectrum, resembling more of a medical journal by a bunch of folks who wore very starched shirts.)

Being from Phoenix, it was strange that this guy Wayne Green from New Hampshire (IIRC) kept getting everybody up and down the east coast all riled up. I recall he also caused a stir when CDs were just being released in the early-mid 80's when he started some mags around digital music and whatnot (which I never got into in the same way as ham radio or microcomputers).

People either seemed to love him or hate him. I just loved his magazines. The mere fact that he dedicated so much of his life to publishing current, and at times leading-edge, materials on contemporary technical topics had quite an impact on my interest and motivation in my career choices.

Looking back, I'd say Wayne Green was the Larry Flint of high-tech back before we really knew what high-tech would eventually become -- likely in some ways BECAUSE of Wayne's involvement.

I never knew him personally, but I'm one of many who was influenced by his dogged passions and crazy desires for "letting it all hang out". He had a big ego, and he put it to good use.

BTW, Jeff, our call signs appear to differ in only one letter: 73's K7SPD.

fantastic

[ext_1749925]

> I'd say Wayne Green was the Larry Flint of high-tech

Great analogy. I love it!