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About Me ~ Nigel Hearne ~ Ham Radio Operator: "Golf - Whiskey - Zero - India - Romeo - Whiskey"
I gained my first Amateur Radio licence - G1HRW - after passing the Radio Amateur Examination (RAE) in 1984 followed by the Morse test in 1989, thus achieving my full Class A licence at the age of 19. I was very active on 70cm, 10m and 80m until the late 1990's when I changed jobs, moved house and rather fell out of the radio habit. I became active again in April 2008 after a break of ten years and am currently building a selection of very LARGE wire antenna here in Wales, plus some rather SMALL (limited space) antennas at the flat near Reading, in the Royal County of Berkshire, UK.
I'm a bit of an 'old school' Radio Ham and a strong believer in focusing much of my efforts into building effective, well constructed antennas and using properly balance Antenna Matching Units (AMU's) rather than spending money on expensive - and often quite unnecessary - high powered amplifiers.
I don't claim to know everything about Antennas and I am sure a good RF Engineer could bury me in jargon. However, I have been fascinated with the wireless since the age of about 10 when I was first given a crystal set to build and have now spent many years happily experimenting with all sorts of Aerials. I'm quite happy to help others to get on the air more effectively and without having to spend a fortune on costly commercial kit. You can often hear me on 80m and Top Band 'Rag Chewing' about pretty much anything (except politics and religion) just listen for the guy that talks a lot!! 'Golf Whiskey Zero "I Really Waffle" (HI)... I'm always keen to learn something new about the fascinating hobby that is Ham Radio... so please do QSK. ;o)
After training as an electronics technician, I've had a very varied career - encompassing; fibre optics and data multiplexing, retail management, consumer sales - and have spent the last 10 years involved in Information Technology. I now work in IT Security (ITSec) Sales & New Business Development which allows me to have the flexibility of working from home for around ten days each month - which I try to spend at Llambed in West Wales - with the remainder of my time fairly equally split between Berkshire and travelling to see clients in and around the UK and Western Europe.