[GreenKeys] Wayne Green W2NSD (SK)

[Jack Hart]

ZCZC

 

Wayne Green, W2NSD, was instrumental in promoting Ham RTTY in the

very early days.

 

In December, 1951, he began writing a bi-monthly "Radio Teletype"

column for CQ Magazine (how o I know? I just read it). 

He eventually took over CQ Magazine and

the RTTY column was then written by Byron Kretzman, W2JTP.

Wayne had always given credit to John Williams, W2BFD, for being the

"Father of Ham RTTY". W2BFD apparently acquired one of the first

Model 12's to be put on the Ham bands. He eventually was able to

work a deal to acquire more TTY's (from Ma Bell?) and was instrumental in

getting a lot of Hams onto RTTY.  W2BFD designed one of the first

"RTTY Converters" that was built to operate a Model 12. The

converter took up an entire 2-ft high rack panel and it had a lot

of autostart circuitry. There was always a little friction

between W2BFD and W2JTP...it was evident in comments Byron always

made in the CQ RTTY column. I  believe W2BFD died in the 1960's.

By that time, the Model 26 was the "TTY of choice" and there

were several sources for them on both coasts. I got my Model 26

from W2ZPX in New York City in 1960; Byron referred me to ZPX.

 

Ham RTTY was officially "started" around 1948 and all operation was

on VHF using AFSK (there were several small pockets of

RTTY enthusiasts on the East and West coasts). 

Lowband FSK operation was only permitted in the 1952 timeframe,

initially on 40 Meters.

 

I met Wayne many years ago at an ARRL convention (1970?); I sat at the
dinner table

with him and Barry & Kitty Gentzler ("Barry Electronics"). It was an
interesting

dinner.

 

I emailed Wayne on and off over the years, usually asking some historical

questions about early RTTY. To say he was a "character" is a gross
understatement.

 

73, Jack KØTTY

 

NNNN

 

 

 

 

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