[Elecraft] 73 Mag

[David Yarnes]

Brian LLoyd wrote:

Wayne was interesting to work for. He was aptly noted for being a cheapskate 
and it turned out that was true. OTOH, one time when I was up there he took 
me out to lunch and we had a great argument about the future of amateur 
radio. (Several people in the office dropped in a dead faint when they 
learned that Wayne actually bought me, an employee, lunch. :-) I was, of 
course, suggesting that digital communications was the future of amateur 
radio. He wasn't sure. Seems we were both at least part right because here 
it is 18 years later and we are only just starting to see changes in the 
communications landscape.

Anyway, he sure annoyed the hell out of everyone but you have to admit, he 
had an effect on what we do and how we do it.
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You say Wayne Green was a cheapskate.  I take your word for that.  My 
impression of him was that he was something of an egomaniac as well--but 
very smart!  I got a dose of this at an early age.  I was stationed in 
Berlin ('60 to '62), and one of my duties there was to run the MARS station. 
When "The Wall" went up, we were suddenly inundated with lots of visiting 
firemen, and Wayne apparently wanted to be one too.  I got a message that 
Wayne and his wife would be making a quick overnight visit to Berlin two 
days hence, and could I make a hotel reservation for them.  The message said 
he would also like to visit our MARS station.  So I made him a reservation 
at one of the nicer hotels in Berlin, and passed the word to the other 5 or 
6 hams in the 592 Signal Co. that Wayne would be visiting.  I also invited 
several of the local DL's, and a half dozen or so showed up.  Wayne came, 
visited with us for only about 20 minutes or so, and then left.  I never 
heard from him again, but later I did hear that he had expected something 
"more formal".  I'm not sure what he really expected, particularly on such 
short notice, but what can I say.  I was a little miffed about that for a 
while, but being only 19, perhaps I was a bit naive as well.

But Wayne was a rare fellow to say the least.  And he was very 
entrepeneurial as well.  He was quick off the blocks to get into the 
computer magazine business, and you may recall that when CD's (music) first 
came out he was "Johnny On The Spot" with a pretty darn good magazine for 
that as well.  But he loved controversy.  Half the stuff he editorialized 
about in 73 had nothing to do with ham radio.  I don't know if he really 
believed all that stuff he was ranting about, but I wouldn't have wanted to 
debate him on any of it either.  At times I couldn't tell if I was reading 
73 Magazine or The New Yorker!  It was hard not to admire the guy though. 
I'll bet he was interesting to work with.

Dave W7AQK