In many of the videos on his channel, Jim Heath W6LG, introduces himself as "your YouTube Elmer for ham radio basics." In his easygoing, personable style, Jim explained, in plain and basic language, the mysteries of SWR, grounding, antennas and dummy loads. A popular presence on YouTube, Jim brought viewers directly into his radio room via a YouTube studio inside his shack.

Jim, who had endured years of hospitalizations following a leukemia diagnosis, became a Silent Key on December 22nd at his California home. He had been a ham since getting his license in 1964 with the callsign WN6JZC. He had held his well-known vanity callsign, W6LG, since 2004. He also grew to love chasing DX and counted among his collection the QSL cards of King Hussein of Jordan JY1 and Father Marshall D. Moran 9N1MM, the first ham radio operator in Nepal.

Jim had also been the owner of High Sierra, which made one of the first screwdriver antennas for mobile HF use.

Over much of his adult life, Jim faced numerous health challenges -- a disabling fall from a roof in 1998 while working as a building inspector; and a series of health crises later, including pulmonary embolisms, congestive heart failure and severe osteoporosis. Then came the news he had leukemia.

In his final months he appeared on Ham Smarter, the YouTube channel of Vince D'Eon VE6LK, and the two became friends. Vince described Jim as [quote] "a good friend to many and an Elmer to all." Announcing Jim's death, Vince urged hams to continue visiting the W6LG channel so they can [quote] "learn from the best." [endquote]

Jim was in his mid-70’s.