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One more comment about the late John Bryant. The work he did on ferrite
materials and matching transformers (with Bill Bowers and others) is still
first rate reference material. His evaluation of the Kaz Delta antenna, around
the time (late '90s) that terminated cardioid pattern loops became popular, is
also completely relevant.
Unlike some DXers / hams with overstuffed egos, John welcomed newcomers and
responded cordially to "freshman" questions with intelligent friendly replies
that got the gist of the information clearly across without burying newer DXers
under a blizzard of math formulas, confusing charts, and esoteric terms even
though he was completely capable of doing that if he wanted to.
His transition from ultraheavy (including his beloved WW2 era SX-28A) to
ultralight receivers injected new enthusiasm into the hobby when the internet
and cellphones were more attention grabbing than old AM radio (as IBOC,
increased noise, and the greying / passing on of the traditional DXer base
were well underway). Despite the ultralight thing, John was still into the
highest-tech realms of foreign DX getting including the dawning of the
spectrum-capturing SDR age and sophisticated antenna systems few of us knew
about before the new millenium dawned. Even ultralight was brought into a
sphere of sophisticated tinkering and d-i-y maker culture - now carried on by
Gary DeBock and others - that involved detailed receiver reviews, hot-rodding
articles, internal and external antenna innovations, and DX catches way beyond
what anyone would have considered possible.
* This is what I had written shortly after John's death:
I am truly saddened to hear of the loss of John Bryant, a DXer of rare skill,
enthusiasm, and willingness to help and teach others. I had the pleasure to
meet John at one of the Boston Area DXers meetings around 2000. He had just
been up to Newfoundland so we had quite a bit to talk about from that..
In the 1980's I became aware of John through the Fine Tuning Proceedings books.
These still stand as some of the best hobby writing ever. Though now,
techniques, equipment, and target stations have changed a lot, the Proceedings
books are still great "motivational reading". The later works such as "Emerging
Techniques of High Tech DXpeditioning" embody the same level of writing skill
and they form the signposts along the road the radio hobbies have taken.
John's writings, like those of the late Gordon Nelson, will be the important
chapters when, many years from now, historians try to sort out what we were
doing in DX listening.
John, as a professor of architecture, reveled in fine industrial design. This
was true whether the object of attention was a building, a sports car, or a
radio. His review of the SX-28, that old World War II classic, is a must read.
A spin of the hefty well-balanced tuning knob becomes the passport to unique
pleasures on several levels. This is like a good car reviewer's write-up about
a Ferrari: it's about so much more than just "getting from A to B".
The knowledge in each article was always first rate and thoroughly researched
but John's writing style was never stuffy and academic. Each paragraph "pulled
you in" and exuded enthusiasm for the look and feel of a great receiver, the
"wow" excitement when an antenna project met or exceeded expectations, and the
joyfulness about the sights, smells, local culture, etc. of exotic DXpedition
sites. The loggings, technical details, etc. were always in there of course -
and in splendidly accurate detail - but also there was the human interest side.
A new radio was greeted the way a kid would experience opening presents on
Christmas morning. A DX locale was described not just in technical terms but
also in respect to how all the DXpeditioners got along (their good as well as
their odd or irritating habits). There were wonderfully insightful narratives
about local people, languages, customs, art, food, and music. The articles
always had great photos and drawings (and, in later times, audio and video
clips) to enhance and illuminate the whole experience.
DX stations were not just appraised in dry terms of frequency, call, strength,
and time heard. There was a distinct interest in using each broadcast logged,
whether the long-appreciated Indonesians or anything else, as a way to get into
the culture of people around the world. Many DXers do some research about
characteristics of different countries but (even before Google made it easier)
John took this to a whole new level by taking the time to figure out who the
politicians, entertainers, sports figures, etc. were in many lands, as well as
amassing much other vital information allowing a much more rewarding and
informed "DXperience".
He was truly a king of the DX hobby and will be missed greatly. Those of us who
are left will be well served by re-reading the massive amount of John's
material out there on the Web and in printed form that can be obtained through
various clubs. We should take things from John's work to help us be keepers of
the flame - not just expertise (which he had in spades) but the more visceral
thrills to be had in the pursuit of each tidbit of culture that comes through
our headphones and speakers from places quite different from home.
I know that just before his death he had hosted a 50th high school reunion
celebration that was especially important to him. How sad that it was the last
time most of his former classmates would see him.
My sincere condolences go out to his family and to his many, many friends.
Mark Connelly, WA1ION
South Yarmouth, MA
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Guy,
That is really a great pic of John. He is really missed. We have lost a lot of
great fellow DXers in the past few years.
Patrick Martin
Seaside OR
KGED QSL Manager
> From: d...@guyatkins.com
> Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2016 21:00:16 -0800
> To: irca@hard-core-dx.com
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] ?John Bryant remembered
>
> ?Like many of you I also have many fond memories of John, and had such
> admiration for him. He and I first met in 1987 when I was publishing the
> Cascade Mountain DX Club bulletin, and he joined so that he could keep on
> top of shortwave DX heard from the Pacific Northwest (he and his wife Linda
> would later spend most summers on Orcas Island, WA).
>
>
> ?Many of my memories of John revolve around the fun times and hard work of
> editing & producing the "Proceedings" series of books for DXers,
> "underwritten" by the Numero Uno/Fine Tuning group that John and I were a
> part of. Proceedings was John's "baby" and his vision from start to finish
> (from the 1988 edition to the final 1994-96 book). ?We would work together
> on the layout and final editing of the books during my summer weekend trips
> to Orcas Island. For the early Proceedings editions, desktop publishing as
> a publication technique was at "that awkward age", and we made so many
> printing and layout blunders, often churning through multiple dot matrix
> printer ribbons (remember them?) as we worked late into the night. The
> fade-ins of Papua New Guinea and Indonesian stations on 90 & 60 meters
> would be our entertainment as we worked.
>
> ?Some of you know that both designed and built the home that he and Linda
> were to retire to on Orcas. He was eminently qualified, as in 1997 John was
> chosen as a "Fellow - American Institute of Architecture" (FAIA), perhaps
> the highest honor in his field.
>
> The home is perched on a dramatic rock outcropping 800 feet above the
> water, and has an incredible sweeping view of the San Juan Islands, the
> Strait of San Juan de Fuca, and even the shipping lanes across from
> Victoria BC. This picture I took of John in his Orcas Island home is one of
> my favorites and how I remember him:
>
> https://app.box.com/s/asdsv7kp5a33wnpi64kn8qe7ub0xmh5l
>
> ?You are very missed, my friend!
>
> Guy Atkins
> Puyallup, WA
>>
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