About This Blog
This blog is where I share my projects, repairs, teardowns, reviews and opinions in electronics and the software that goes with it. I hope some of it is interesting, useful, or even educational.
I use video a lot, partly to make myself better at it. On camera I waffle, I say “um” far too often and I don’t leave gaps, so apologies in advance. I’m working on it.
A Note on Qualifications
I’m self-taught in both electronics and software, with no formal qualifications in either, and I’m neither ashamed of nor coy about that. I take the work seriously, I’ve invested a lot in test gear and tools, and I do my best to be accurate and safe. Judge the content on its merits.
About Me
I’m Gerry Sweeney. When I’m not with family and friends or doing my day job, I love finding ways to combine electronics and software to make new or interesting things, and sharing what I learn. I like to understand how things work and, where I can, improve them. My worst trait is probably a stubborn urge to try anything someone tells me “can’t be done”. I often fail, and I’m happy to celebrate that, but at least I try.
I grew up in London and was taking electrical things apart from a very young age. By my teens I was the go-to person for fixing anything: TVs, hi-fi, cars, bikes, alarms, CB radios, arcade machines and computers. Eventually I tired of being the free community repair man and, to the surprise of many who knew me, didn’t make a career of electronics.
Computers were the obvious next step. My first was a Sinclair ZX81, bought while I was still at school. While my friends typed in listings from magazines, I was soldering TTL chips into mine to make it program EPROMs and wondering how that mysterious ULA chip worked. There was nobody nearby to learn from, so I worked it out on my own. These days I have some great like-minded friends, and the internet connects me with many more.
Today electronics and software meet everywhere, from energy and EVs to IoT, and that’s where my interests sit.
Career Summary
- Odd jobs
- Auto electrician and breakdown
- Part-time DJ and band member
- Home and commercial alarm and security systems
- Field engineer: EPOS, vending and more
- Computer field service engineer
- Network engineer (Novell CNE, Microsoft MCP)
- IT contractor
- IT manager
- Founder, Hornbill
My Day Job
In 1995 I co-founded Hornbill, a B2B software company, with a friend, no money, no staff and no customers. We built it on our own terms, without debt or outside investment, and I still lead it today. It’s hard work and I love it, mostly because of the outstanding team I get to work with.
If you got this far and are still awake, thank you for reading.
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