A small, focused workshop in Basingstoke — and the person behind the bench.
Hark Tech is run by Grant Harkness — “Harky” to most people online — a self-taught electronics and embedded systems specialist based in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The business exists to put many years of hands-on hardware experience to work for other people: rescuing kit the manufacturer has written off, doing the careful component-level work most shops won’t touch, and printing the parts you can’t buy anywhere else. Every piece of kit that comes into the workshop is handled by the same person from the moment it’s unpacked to the moment it’s re-boxed for return.
Self-taught through many years of practical work rather than a formal route — which means a deep bench of real-world experience across consumer electronics, 3D printers, embedded Linux and low-level firmware, rather than a certificate on the wall. A lot of that experience has come from reverse engineering locked-down manufacturer firmware to fix bugs the vendor wouldn’t, rebuilding cheap hardware so it actually works properly, and running a small home-lab of Linux servers in the background. The Hark Tech workshop is where that curiosity turns into useful work for other people.
Over the years the bench has seen a lot of different kit — but the work I’m best at, and enjoy most, tends to be in these areas:
A mail-in service only works if customers genuinely trust the person on the other end of the post. Here's the promise we make to every one of them.
If it can't be fixed, or if the repair cost exceeds the value of the item, we'll tell you plainly. No-fix, no-fee — you don't pay for work we couldn't do.
You get a written quote before any work starts, and we never extend the scope without your approval. If we find something extra inside, we stop and ask.
We access only what's strictly needed to test the repair. Personal files are never opened, and data-sensitive devices can be worked on without booting the OS when you ask.
Every repair carries a 90-day warranty. If the same fault comes back in that window, we put it right at no further charge.
Most repairs are back in the post within 5–10 working days of arriving at the workshop. Complex jobs take longer — but we'll give you a realistic estimate up front and keep you updated.
Your item isn't passed between technicians. The same person answers your email, does the work, tests it and re-packs it for return — so the context is never lost.
Send us a few photos and a description — we'll reply within one business day with a no-obligation quote.
Hark Tech