VCF East 2023: Alan Wolke talks about his passion for technology

If you're one of over 180,000 subscribers to [Alan Wolke's] W2AEW YouTube channel, you'll know he's a fan of old test gear and ham radio gear. You may have followed one of his tutorials or referenced his work when repairing or upgrading your own gear. But when we had the chance to speak to him one-on-one at Vintage Computer Festival East 2023, we were treated to a more personal look at the man himself.

Like many of us, [Alan] says he got into electronics at a young age just by taking things apart and trying to put them back together. From there, he got a job in a high school television repair shop, where he was able to hone his natural curiosity into a marketable skill. His career took him to several technology companies, but he eventually landed at Tektronix as an RF engineer, a position he held for almost 20 years.

While it continues to stay on the cutting edge of technology, it's no surprise that it Still has a certain appeal for the technology of its youth. But it's more than just nostalgia - he points out that vintage gear is generally easier to maintain than modern gear. As many of his own videos show, there was something of a technological 'sweet spot' between the mid-20th century and around the 1980s where you could expect to not only have schematics available, but the design and construction of the hardware was such that you could still work your way through it using basic troubleshooting principles.

As for being a ham, [Alan] thinks it's a great way to gain an even deeper understanding of technology. He says if you're interested in learning how electronics work, fixing and upgrading old radio gear is a great way to flex your mental muscles. But at the same time, being a ham isn't just about dusting off war surplus radios that were built before you were born. There are many ways to combine modern technology, from digital modes to receiving signals from satellites using software defined radio.

[Alan] was just one of the fascinating people we had the chance to speak with during our visit to Vintage Computer Festival East 2023. We still have more interviews to come, but in the meantime, you You can check out our previous coverage of this incredible retrocomputing event.