Blog by Craig Miles, mainly about Electric Vehicle Engineering & Wireless RF Communications.
My Experience:
First job in two-way radio RF communications, in 1990, as an installer and repair technician.
Subsequently did a degree in Communications systems, inc Satellite & Terrestrial RF Systems.
Post degree, worked for embedded RF development company (contract).
Then, Satellite communications RF systems, at Europes largest (worlds third largest) Defence Aerospace multinational business.
Over 10 years experience in training engineers from worldwide companies and also STEM subjects to School children (PGCE qualified).
Now director of Yesway Ltd, focused on two-way wireless communications systems.
Random stuff about me:
Once part of a team of 7 in a raft race. The other six quit during the race, but I refused, and completed the course alone. Was knackered at end though.
Wrote first website, in HTML, in 1997
Currently based in the UK, but have a nomadic heart.
Why not get in touch (via Social Media links), I don’t usually bite.
Resume CV
Craig John Miles
Experienced in Electrical, RF Wireless, Mechanical, and IT technologies.
RF Radio Communications Experience:
RF Testing (test sets,Sinad, Rf Power, Frequency Deviation, Resonant frequency setup, frequency counters, SWR measurement, RF power measurement, fault finding, installation, equipment programming & setup, GSM system testing, VHF, UHF, terrestrial, satellite, International standards organisations and rules, such as 3GPP, ITU etc ), HF communications, propagation, link budgets, licensing administration, signal generators, deviation meters, Spectrum Analysers, Antenna design.
Electrical Systems Experience:
Electrical Systems (Induction motors, installation, repair & fault finding, system testing techniques, Induction motors, Onshore transmission systems, Marine Neutral Earth Systems, Star (Wye) / Delta Starters, Direct-On-Line Starters, Autotransformer motor starters, Thyristor Control, Variable frequency Drives (VFD), Three phase marine generators, Marine Battery testing & safety, cable installation (SWA, RF, Fire alarm, mains, audio, data), Cable fault finding & circuit testing, PLC (Programmable Logic Controllers, Mitsubishi & Allen Bradley), Contactors, Panel Wiring, Motor Overload Relays (Electronic, Magnetic, Thermal Types), Ships Earth Fault Indicator panels, Insulation resistance testing, voltage, current & resistance testing, Cable tray assembly, plastic & metal conduit bending, Marine switchboards, Phasing Out, Fault Finding of wiring installations training others etc.
Mechanical Systems Experience:
1 year work based training (EITB) in electrical maintenance, electronics, milling, turning, welding, bench fitting etc.
Teaching of workshop based skills, including motor vehicle servicing and generator servicing.
Have rebuilt cars, including engine, welding bodywork etc.
IT skills:
Cat 5 & 6 data cabling, setting up wireless routers, installing and maintaining server software, Windows, Mac, Linux, Narrow band (Lora Wan) IOT Gateway construction and setup, Open Source Software, PC Repair & Upgrading, Raspberry Pi, arduino, Embedded systems.
Defence Aerospace (Space) Experience:
Maintenance of DRACAS (Data Reporting, Analysis and Corrective Action System database Data Reporting, Analysis and Corrective Action System (DRACAS), for Military Sattelites, ground stations & ships Radomes etc.
FMECA ( Failure Modes, Effects & Criticality Analysis identification, of military Space, air and ground based systems.
Technical authoring of maintenance manuals.
Diagram creation using Microsoft Visio software
Research into parts requiring NATO Codification
Application and supporting documentation creation, to obtain unique NATO Codification number for a particular component part.
Attending managerial meetings, on behalf of my Line Manager.
Research and group presentations to department colleagues.
Education:
Master’s level Qualification, Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Economics)
Bachelor’s Degree in international business and Communications Technology
Mathematics, Physics and Engineering principles, (Bolton University, access course)
Training & Certifications:
Radio Communications Installation (Mobile Cellular RF Communications Systems installation, British Telecom)
Radio Transmission Principles & Circuit Theory (City & Guilds radio frequency (RF) Communications theory and principles, Hereford Technical College)
Diesel & Petrol Marine Engines Theory & Practical Training (MCA AEC, Proved Engine in the Marine, Emsworth School of Navigation, UK)
Electronics Servicing (City & Guilds 224, at Worcester College of Technology)
Engineering Practical skills (electrical & mechanical) apprenticeship training (Heenan training Centre, Worcester)
Mentored by Marine Engineers at South Shields marine School, in Marine Electrical Systems.
Work Experience:
2016 – Present, RF & Electrical Engineer, Yesway Ltd, UK
Installing and commissioning RF telecommunication systems, including RF Coaxial cabling systems
Programming (using connected PC software) mobile two-way radio, hand held equipment and RF wide area repeaters onto frequency, and with other features such as selective calling and voice encryption / scrambling
Functional performance testing of radio equipment using RF test equipment (Signal Generators, Frequency Counters, Deviation Meters, SWR Meters, Spectrum Analyzers)
Electronics repair of VHF & UHF wireless radio (RF) systems
Carrying out RF range surveys at customers sites, to ensure required coverage objectives will be met by the new system
Designing and specifying technical solutions, such as correct antenna designs for proposed outcome (Yagi, Co-Linear, Ground Plane Independent)
Requirements analysis of installation of VHF wide area repeater system for taxi company
Defining client area coverage, precise functional requirements of system, project outcomes, timescale, success criteria and budgets
Capability Development: Increased understanding of narrow band Lora Wan IOT (Internet of Things) technologies, through construction and test of a prototype gateway device for the Lincoln ‘Things Network’ (https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/community/lincoln/). This allowed business to expand market offering
Managing day to day business operations
On-site and remote customer support and training
2013 – 2016, Marine Systems Trainer & Assessor, South Tyne side College / South Shields Marine School, UK
Practical experience working on marine electrical systems
Training engineers how to fault find
Service and maintain marine electrical systems
Requirements analysis of trainees learning needs against pre-defined success criteria
Defining measurable learning outcomes
Planning to meet defined outcomes through training material development
Managing trainees practical task workload to meet objectives within timescales
Monitoring and regular periodic feedback of individual trainee’s progress
Capability Development: Included being mentored by retired Marine Engineers, which increased my specific knowledge of Marine electrical systems (which differ from land-based systems, such as the Insulated Neutral Earthing System used). This allowed my employer to increase the quality of training that they were able to offer though my work
Successfully contributed to the engineering department achieving successful external moderation of our student work and assessment, by the exam boards
E commerce Management, Wow Clothes, UK
Marketing & technical management of an on line retail website, including data analysis and CEO decision making
Requirements analysis of the importation procedures for wholesale goods from outside the EU (From USA)
Discovering procedures and opportunities to promote in UK through viral and niche marketing strategies
Analysis of customs procedures and tariff tables
Defining success criteria as profit margin after wholesale purchase, importation costs, and marketing budget spent
Clear documentation of project from start to finish
Capability Development: Increased my skills and experience in customer service and managing an on line business
Design & Technology Teacher, Hertfordshire County Council & Select Education, Birchwood High School & Bishop Stortford Boys School
Training of students and assessment of students, against clearly defined success criteria
Meetings with parents and outside agencies
Requirements analysis: Discovering learning needs of individual students, such as learning difficulties or ‘Gifted & Talented’ individuals
Analyzing and assessing produced student work, against pre-determined success criteria
Modifying teaching strategies to achieve defined outcomes
Managing project timescales
Space Systems Integrated Logistics Support Engineer, Astrium Space Ltd, Stevenage, UK
Obtaining NATO codification for military system parts
Responsible for maintaining the DRACAS database
FMECA component and system analysis
Requirements analysis: Discovering manufacturers specified guaranteed service life of overall X Band communications satellite systems & ground stations, and identifying individual and sub system components that could potentially fail before the defined service life of the satellite
FMECA identification process of identifying:
Items (components) at individual and sub system level
Functions of those components and sub systems
Potential failure based on MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) data from component manufacturer, and then comparing with data from existing equipment already deployed
Analysis and data collation of failure frequency and causes of failure
Producing new technical manuals and checking existing repair procedures and systems in place documentation to ensure most efficient repair service and repair operations
Producing recommended actions to improve systems against original design requirements
Maintenance and updating of DRACAS (Data Reporting Analysis and Corrective Action System) database
Recording information about incidents and corrective actions that have taken place. This helped improve the systems designs to ensure compliance with system design specification outcomes
Reliability analysis of military Ship Radome systems (Radome = Enclosure for Radar Antenna), in terms of historic reliability and review of maintenance task procedures
Updating of maintenance literature and schematic drawings, using Microsoft Visio software
Electronic Technician, Guidance Control Systems (GCS) Ltd, Hinckley, UK
Embedded electronics in wireless GSM and Ethernet based Offender tracking / tagging devices and receiver units
Requirements analysis: Testing of prototype embedded tracking devices against design specification produced by the UK government, for offender tagging / tracking devices
RF performance measurement of the wireless components in the system (GSM / 900 MHz)
Repair of faulty circuit boards
Assembly of prototype RF tagging devices
Teacher of Design Technology & Business Studies, Lincolnshire County Council & Select Education PLC, UK
Teaching technology subjects to students up to 18 years old
Requirements analysis: Identification of key stakeholders (individual students, parents, other key colleagues such as Head Teacher school governors, OFSTED standards body)
Capturing stakeholder requirements through analysis and research of fixed published education standards and attainment levels
Defining how to meet required published standards and attainment levels, though writing of teaching plans, and delivering lessons
Analysis of individual learning needs, and differentiating delivery and approach to ensure success criteria is achieved
Assistant Production Manager & Quality Control Coordinator, Neale Plastics Ltd, UK
Responsible for compiling and producing production reports for the directors
Checking and monitoring the production quality being produced by the machine operators
Analyzing and monitoring production output, and measuring outputs (the product) against pre-defined design tolerances
Reporting production issues to the production manager
Taking responsibility in solving minor production issues
Radio (RF) Communications Engineer, Phoenix Data Systems Ltd
Installation and repair of mobile and fixed RF communications systems
Visiting customers workplace to install VHF & UHF radio frequency (RF) communications equipment in vehicles and buildings. Work carried out to UK standards MPT 1362 (now renamed FCS 1362)
Fault finding of poor performance of existing installed equipment on site, due to factors such as water penetration of coaxial cables causing high reflected RF power back to the transmitter.
Customer service at the customers premises
Testing radio equipment
Modifying radio equipment, such as adding after market CTCSS boards to older radios.
Repair of radio communications equipment to component level.
Installing antennas onto vehicles, and other equipment installation.
Data cabling installation.
Electronics Technician / Production Assembler, Mobile Electrics (Worcester) Ltd, UK
PCB assembly and testing
Responsible for soldering components (in correct places) onto a per-manufactured PCB (Printed Circuit Board) in accordance with the specified assembly instructions
Testing of finished product using test equipment
Panel Wiring & the production of wiring looms
Testing of Marine Alternators
Testing & assembly of marine power systems.
Social Media:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-miles/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTa4-LmkT71W167cmkj-grA
https://www.instagram.com/mrcraigmiles/
Random stuff about me:
Once part of a team of 7 in a raft race. The other six quit during the race, but I refused, and completed the course alone. Was knackered at end though.
Wrote first website, in HTML, in 1997
Currently based in the UK, but have a nomadic heart.
Why not get in touch (via Social Media links), I don’t usually bite.
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