Expert Details
Radio Communication Engineering and RFID, Patent Searching & Evaluation, FM Communication, HF, VHF
ID: 722673
United Kingdom
Expert has been involved in the design of radio communications equipment and systems since 1972. He has designed HF, VHF and UHF transmitters, receivers, base station equipment, antennas, antenna combiners, and interfaces. Additionally, he has consulted for regulatory authorities in the area of spectrum planning, utilization and refarming.
Expert has been involved in radio frequency identification since 1996. He has managed the design of UHF transponders, interrogators, and systems. He has also been an active contributor and participant in the RFID standards development process both at a National and International level. Expert's particular expertise is in the characterization of the air interface and the problems associated with using radio in the supply chain environment.
Expert has considerable experience in the area of radio communications regulation. He has provided consultancy services to the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA) in the area of spectrum management, EMC, and interference management. Between 1998 and the present he has also participated in lobbying the European Regulators (CEPT) and contributed expertise in the development of regulations and frequency allocation for RFID in Europe.
Expert has delivered lectures and training courses in the subjects of radio regulation, amateur radio, RFID, radio interference mitigation and standards development. He chairs a number of public events such as Eurotag and Afritag and he is frequently approached to deliver talks on various related subjects at events and conferences.
As an independent auditor, Expert has assisted companies which manufacture HF and VHF/UHF radio communicatons equipment to evaluate their products and equipment for regulatory compliance. The work involved overseeing the companies' in-house quality control and engineering processes. It also involved instructing 3rd party test houses and evaluating and interpreting the test results in light of the appropriate radio regulations and type approval requirements.
Expert provided on-site consulting services to Sentech, the National South African Broadcaster's transmission and signal distribution division in the area of radio site planning, frequency planning and coordination, antenna and combining system design, and interference management.He provided the South African National Telecommunications Operator, Telkom, with radio site engineering design and management services. Expert provided technical support and engineering consultancy to several RFID companies in the testing and qualification of their reader products.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1972 | Degree: Engineering Diploma | Subject: Radio Communications & Electronics | Institution: Cape Technical College |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2001 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Owner / Director | Department: Solutions |
Responsibilities:Expert is responsible for the technical direction of the company, consulting operations and product development. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1997 to 2001 | Employer: BiStar Technology Ltd | Title: Technical Director | Department: South African |
Responsibilities:He was responsible for the technical management of the company and the entire product development division. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1992 to 1997 | Employer: Self-Employed | Title: Engineering Consultant | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert worked on radio system planning and design, radio system fault finding and analysis, planning and design of radio communication high sites, frequency and coverage planning, and interference management. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1985 to 1991 | Employer: Alcom Systems (formerly Motorola South Africa) | Title: Technical Executive and Director of Development | Department: |
Responsibilities:He was originally head hunted to lead business development and product marketing functions. He established communal radio systems and public trunked radio divisions. When Motorola divested, Expert was appointed as Director of Development to establish development division to design radio communications products and systems. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1980 to 1985 | Employer: Cody Electronics Ltd. | Title: Technical Director promoted to Managing Director | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert joined the company as senior systems engineer, responsible for designing, developing, and installing radio communications systems. He was promoted to Technical Director, responsible for all the company's technical activities. On retirement of the Managing Director, Expert was appointed to position of Managing Director. The company was sold in 1985. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1978 to 1980 | Employer: Motorola UK | Title: FTR Group Leader | Department: Systems Engineering |
Responsibilities:He supervised a group of four engineers responsible for providing field technical support to the company's radio systems engineering and service divisions. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1972 to 1978 | Employer: Racal Electronics South Africa | Title: Special Projects Engineer | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert conducted experimental work on new HF, VHF, and UHF radio communications equipment and systems (mostly military) and input the results to the development laboratory to assist in product development and optimization. |
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Government Experience
| Years | Agency | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 1985 to 2001 | Agency: South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority | Role: Expert | Description: Expert was an expert advisor in the field of frequency planning, spectrum management, and interference management and provided services to the regulatory authority in both an active field capacity and in formulating regulations and technical guidelines. |
| Years: 1985 to 2001 | Agency: South African Bureau of Standards | Role: Standards Development | Description: He chaired the committee and industry working group responsible for developing and writing the standard for Radio High Site engineering. |
International Experience
| Years | Country / Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Years: to Present | Country / Region: USA | Summary: Expert is currently providing technical and engineering design support to a U.S. manufacturer of RFID reader systems. |
| Years: 2001 to 2003 | Country / Region: Australia | Summary: He provided support to an Australian manufacturer of RFID equipment with assistance in the area of type approvals, patent evaluation, and technology transfer. |
| Years: 2001 to Present | Country / Region: Europe | Summary: He is providing ongoing support and expertise to a company in Holland involved in RFID and communications technology. The engineering support involves radio frequency system engineering and problem solving. |
| Years: 2005 to 2005 | Country / Region: USA | Summary: Expert provided a detailed report of Radio Regulations in major countries applicable to short range / low power devices. Project involved researching and analysing radio regulations and type approval requirements |
| Years: 2005 to Present | Country / Region: USA | Summary: Expert is providing on-going representation for a Major US corp at International (ISO) standards development meetings. Work entails providing expert opinion and input to the standards development work. |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| Expert is an Incorporated Engineer, registered with the UK Engineering Council, and is a member of the Institution of Incorporated Engineers in the UK. He is also a Professional Technologist Engineering registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa. |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| He holds a Radio Technicians Certificate, equivalent of FCC class 1. |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Expert is Past Chairman of the South African Land Mobile Radio Association, Past President of the South African Radio League, and a former member of the National Telecommunications Forum Work Group 5 for Radio Spectrum Policy. He is Past Chair of the South African IEC EMC Committee on Susceptibility, a member of the Radio High Site Standards development working group, and a member of the ISO 18000 standards development working group. |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| He was awarded the title of Radio Amateur of the year for his contribution to the field of Radio Communications and development of Amateur Radio technology. |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Expert has published 28 technical papers and articles in the field of Radio Communication and RFID. He holds five U.S. patents and 12 South African patents, and has a further 12 patents pending in the U.S. and Europe. |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| He has appeared as an expert witness in a number of cases involving radio communcation technology where there have disputes over know-how and patent infringement. In one case he took the stand as an expert witness. Other cases were all settled "out of court". In all instances the settlements were in favour of his client. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| He has produced and delivered training in the field of radio communciations and RFID. He was responsible for training many of current technical officers employed at a large African regulatory authority. He provides on-gong technical generic and bespoke training in the RF aspects of RFID |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | He is fluent in the Afrikaans language and is able to communicate in spoken and written word. |
Fields of Expertise
amateur radio, amateur radio antenna, emergency communication, device patenting, patentability evaluation, radio communication, communication, communications device, communications path, communications technology, electronic signal receiver, FM communication, mobile radio system, radio antenna, radio communication circuit, radio communication electrical equipment, radio frequency, radio-frequency measurement, shortwave radio receiver, shortwave radio transmitter, signal frequency spectrum analysis, transmitter, signal, claim (patent), copyright, device patent, electrical device patenting, electronic device patenting, patent, radio frequency engineering, radio frequency identification, telecommunication regulation, public speaking, regulatory compliance auditing, patent searching, spectrum management, contract negotiation, high-frequency communication, electronic jammer, radio-frequency scanner, radio-frequency transistor, radio-frequency transmission, telecommunications regulatory compliance, radio-frequency radiation safety, radio-frequency switch, base station, AM demodulation, FM demodulation, radio frequency circuit, frequency discriminator, radio-frequency electronic equipment, beam antenna, microwave mixer, digital radio-frequency signal, shortwave radio antenna, radio tower, radio-frequency mixer, FM noise, asynchronous data transmission, secure communication system, radio frequency test instrumentation, microwave cable, very low frequency, very high frequency, ultrahigh frequency, radio-frequency power, telecommunications regulation process, rebroadcast, wireless communication, bandwidth, radio relay, amplitude modulation, high-frequency, heterodyne, low-frequency, local oscillator, medium frequency, communication technique, electronic communication equipment, radio communication electronic equipment, radio-frequency shielding, radio wave propagation, frequency mixer, spread spectrum communication, voice communication, radio transmission, amplitude-modulation radio frequency, telecommunication broadcast, radio-frequency oscillator, FM radio electrical equipment, communication network, communication system, radio frequency amplifier, signal wave, broadcast station, heterodyne reception, repeater, radio receiver, maritime frequency, superheterodyne receiver, radio-frequency filter, radio tube, radio transmitter, radio studio, microwave antenna, jamming, frequency synthesis, frequency modulation radio