Telecommunications and RF experience built in demanding environments
My telecommunications and RF background spans nearly two decades of hands-on work across satellite communications, two-way radio, repeater systems, broadcast-related support, PBX and telephony, networked communications, field diagnostics, and remote-area infrastructure. Much of this work was performed in Alaska, where weather, terrain, distance, logistics, and limited connectivity often turned communications reliability into an operational necessity.
This experience is broader than hobby radio and deeper than ordinary installation work. It includes practical field engineering, customer support, equipment diagnostics, RF troubleshooting, off-grid design considerations, regulated communications awareness, and the integration of IP networking with radio, satellite, and telephony systems.
Communications systems are public-safety assets when conditions deteriorate. I design, support, and think about telecommunications infrastructure with continuity, redundancy, maintainability, and real-world operating conditions in mind.
What I do in telecommunications and RF systems
Radio communications systems
VHF, UHF, HF, land-mobile, marine, aviation-adjacent, amateur, commercial, and private two-way radio environments, including mobile and fixed installations.
Repeater infrastructure
Installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, commissioning concepts, coverage awareness, off-grid operation, power considerations, antenna systems, and reliability-focused site support.
Satellite communications
DBS/DSS satellite systems, two-way satellite internet, marine satellite internet/telephone/television, free-to-air satellite systems, look-angle calculation, field alignment, and remote connectivity support.
RF diagnostics and test equipment
Use of SWR meters, RF service monitors, antenna analysers, oscilloscopes, multimeters, and field diagnostics methods to isolate faults and verify system performance.
Broadcast and site support
Experience with low-power and high-power broadcast transmitter environments, telemetry systems, paging systems, antenna systems, and communications sites requiring regulatory and operational awareness.
Integrated IP/RF environments
Supporting the intersection of IP networking, Linux systems, radio systems, satellite links, PBX/telephony, remote access, and communications platforms that must operate together reliably.
Knowledge areas that shape my RF work
Operational experience translated into judgement
Arctic Telecommunications and Alaska field work
Founded and operated a telecommunications services business supporting satellite systems, two-way radio, broadcast transmitters, telephone systems, computer services, and over-the-air television antenna work across Alaska.
Commercial and remote client support
Provided practical communications support through in-person service, telephone support, radio communications, email, IRC, fax, and remote access where appropriate, adapting support methods to the realities of the environment.
Military communications and electronics foundation
Army Signal Corps training as a radio operator/maintainer and air traffic control equipment repairer built a foundation in safety-critical communications, schematic interpretation, soldering, RF diagnostics, and component-level troubleshooting.
Emergency communications service
Emergency communications experience reinforced the reality that conventional systems can fail suddenly, and that communities need trained operators, redundant systems, and communications pathways that do not depend entirely on normal infrastructure.
Why this matters for New Zealand
New Zealand has rural communities, maritime operations, aviation-adjacent communications needs, mountainous terrain, severe weather exposure, earthquake risk, volcanic risk, flood risk, and communities where communications continuity can quickly become a public-safety issue. That environment needs people who understand communications systems both technically and operationally.
The value I bring is the ability to bridge RF systems, telecommunications field work, satellite communications, Linux infrastructure, networking, emergency communications, and resilience planning. I understand communications not merely as equipment, but as a service people depend on when geography, weather, infrastructure, or disaster conditions make everything harder.