Nigel Limb, M7FFU

Nigel Limb, M7FFU, aged 58, is registered partially blind following a motorbike accident in 2015 that left him with permanent brain damage and partially blind in both eyes. This, however, did not stop him pursuing his childhood dream of obtaining his amateur radio licence. In December 2023 he achieved this and passed the Foundation Licence exam.

Nigel first fell in love with radios in the 1970s when he used to repair and operate old CB radios, and he knew from the age of 13 he would like to get his amateur radio licence one day. Having the accident prompted Nigel to review what hobbies he could still enjoy and he realised it was the right time to follow-up on his childhood ambitions.

Since his accident Nigel struggles to read certain fonts, colours and backgrounds, and has issues with his short-term memory. It was for this reason the audio and visual content from the Essex Ham Foundation Online Amateur Radio Training Course was ideal as it meant he could watch and listen to the videos as many times as needed to retain the information. Nigel also used the RSGB Foundation Manual as an additional tool for learning.

Following his preparations for the mock exam, he arranged with the RSGB to take the exam remotely via webcam. It was during the mock exam that Nigel encountered another obstacle. He knew the answer and thought he’d selected the correct response to the multiple-choice questions; however, his brain was not correctly communicating with his hand and he had unknowingly selected the incorrect answer.

After speaking with RSGB Exam Invigilator, Dave Wilson, M0OBW, he asked if his wife could be his scribe. The request was agreed to, and Nigel proceeded with the Exam achieving a very high score.

Since passing his exam Nigel has been busy with his 2m aerial on the 20 and 40 metre bands and has recently purchased a HF transceiver. Although his nearest club, Lincoln Short Wave Club, is over 45 miles away and he is unable to attend, this hasn’t stopped him getting in touch with other radio amateurs via social media. Club members Andy, M0YIE and Daron, 2E0GFY met Nigel in early January 2024 and arranged to pick him up and take him to Huttoft in Lincolnshire for an introduction to HF and Parks on the Air (POTA). During the event Nigel made 30 contacts worldwide, including Switzerland, USA and the Azores.

Nigel has continued with POTA and has recently received a POTA diamond certificate. In addition, he has been involved with Bunkers on the Air, and he plans to continue being involved with both.

Nigel doesn’t like to let his accident stop him from doing the things he enjoys. He has not only been determined to pass his amateur radio licence but has also been keen to continue his love for motorbikes, including breaking speed racing records. You can find out more about Nigel on Facebook page “Blindbloke Racing” and YouTube @nigelblindblokeracing6139

Category: Student stories