The Radar News

Radar theory

RAF Radar

Radar Personalities

Oral History Home

Gentlemen, that reminds me......

Radar Jargon

Help Wanted!

How it's done!

References

Radar and Cold War links

Contact the Editor

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

"Sparks At Sea"

Life after the Cold War

Summary:

Multiple disciplined Electronics and IT/Telecommunications engineer with a wide range of experience gained in the civil, military, maritime and oil and gas exploration sectors.  Commercially aware with the ability to adapt effectively to any situation I offer a broad range of skills honed in the hostile environments encountered on the UK off shore continental shelf.

Skills and experience areas:

• Business management and financial procedures,
• Manpower management and communications skills 
• Technical author and Fast Track Project team experience
• Permit To Work and Maintenance systems experience (ISSOW, Maximo etc.)
• Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) and Differential GPS navigation systems
• FPSO/Tanker data and telemetry control systems
• Artemis, DARPS, RadaScan, AIS and laser Fanbeam systems
• Dynamic Positioning controls systems
• Gyro Compass systems
• L, C, Ku-band and Inmarsat communications satellite earth stations 
• Digital and analogue microwave LOS links up to 24 GHz 
• Optical fibre data links
• VHF/UHF AM/FM hand portable radios, repeaters and base stations 
• SOLAS/GMDSS MF/HF SSB and VHF maritime radio stations 
• MF/VHF/UHF/9 GHz marine/air radio beacons and radar transponders
• Wide range of antennae from MF to microwave frequencies 
• Meteorological and vessel motion sensors, processors and displays
• Public address (PAGA), Hotline, PABX telephone, key, omnibus and intercom systems 
• CCTV, Satellite TV, MATV and Sound entertainment distribution systems 
• Main frame and personal computers data processing IT and applications software 
• Local (LAN) and wide area (WAN) data networks, wireless mesh networks
• L, S and X-Band maritime  and military radar systems
• Hydrographic sonar, survey, navigation and fishing systems 
• Hydraulic controls and vessel steering systems
• Plant instrumentation, transducers and data processing
• Electronic design and CAD, PCB design and construction. 

    Professional Qualifications and Training

• Royal Air Force apprenticeship 
• Off shore survival and medical certificate
• GMDSS Restricted Operators Certificate, CAA Offshore Radio Operator 
• MIST
• Off Road Driving and All Terrain Vehicle driving training

Personal

Date of birth 22 September 1953, married, British passport, clean British driving license. Church elder in the Church of Scotland.

Interests

History of radar and radio, Internet web site design, photography, hill walking, classical and modern music, choral singing and world religions.

Career history:

July 2002 to date

Telecommunications Engineer on BP's Schiehallion FPSO on the Atlantic margin west of the Shetland Islands

• Installation, commissioning and maintenance of a wide range of marine, telecommunications and IT electronics.

• Identification and elimination of failure modes in the FPSO’s IT/Telecommunications infrastructure and developing maintenance strategies to enhance reliability and reduce costs.

• Administration of the IT infrastructure, setting up accounts, revising permissions etc.

• Member of the Emergency Response team with responsibility for maintaining communications.

• Improving the relationships with BP’s outsourced IT vendors to realise better cooperation, improved services and reduced costs.

• I collaborated with my back to back to source and install Oceanor Helideck Motion monitoring systems on the FPSO. This system allowed BP to reassess their helicopter landing criteria thus realising large costs savings on helicopter flights aborted due to the FPSO’s motion. In recognition of our contribution my back to back and I were voted the 2006 Q1 winners in BP's  Great Operator scheme by our peers.

Whilst onshore I am the Technical Partner in Simply Balanced, a small business based in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. I market and install 1 metre VSAT terminals delivering high speed broadband satellite internet services to clients based in remote locations, small office/home office IT and I carry out web design work, building information and eCommerce web sites for a wide range of clients. Sample web sites include:

December1998 to July 2002

CABLE AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS. Operations Engineer engaged in the day-to-day operation, repair and maintenance of three Ku-band satellite communications earth stations (11, 8.1 and 4.5 metre antennae), and the network distribution node at Brechin Satellite Earth Station, Scotland. I also carried out installations repairs and maintenance at three network distribution nodes in the Dundee area.

• Installation, testing and commissioning circuits from 64Kb up to 8 Mb over Ku-band satellite circuits according to Eutelsat and Intelsat standards, testing and commissioning broadband network circuits carried over optical fibre and microwave radio, programming cross connects between satellite system modems and networks on a Lucent DACS 2 Digital Access and Cross Connect System.
• First line maintenance of Ku band satellite equipment including antennas, tracking and control systems, satellite modems, up/down converters, 1:N switches, solid state RF power amplifiers and 1 kW TWT RF amplifiers.
• First line maintenance of Cisco routing and switching products, Nortel SDH and Passport products, and SAIE Fleximux multiplex and microwave radio products.
• Supporting customer engineers in the field and carrying out control room watch keeping and on call duties on a staggered shift system.

August 1993 to December 1998

Senior IT/Telecommunications Engineer with DATA MARINE SYSTEMS Ltd. My duties encompassed working on and off shore and in ports world-wide conducting surveys, installations, commissioning, maintenance and repairs on a wide range of data and telecommunications systems and products.

• From June 1997 to April 1998 I shared the responsibility for the successful completion of a major telecommunications upgrade project on Shell's "Brent Delta" oil and gas production platform, 95 miles north east of the Shetland Islands.
• I was seconded to Shell Services International from September 1995. I carried out Technician relief, maintenance and project duties in the central and northern  North Sea and assisted with the telecommunications upgrades on Brent Bravo.
• In the first half 1995 I was seconded to Bluewater Engineering B.V. A member of a fast track project team, I was responsible for re-commissioning the GMDSS radio station, radar and navigation systems and supervising telecommunications installations on the FPSO "Uisge Gorm" in Cadiz and South Shields. I was also responsible for the successful completion of the Lloyds Radio and Cargo Ship Safety Certificate surveys for this vessel.

June 1986 to August 1993

Director and Partner in RENTEK ELECTRONIC SERVICES, involved in sales and service of marine electronics, radio, radar, meteorological, acoustic and navigation products to oil and gas drilling contractors and ship owners.

I also worked on a freelance basis in the IT and telecommunications fields on projects on and off shore for oil and gas companies, marine electronics companies etc.

June 1984 to June 1986

Telecommunications Engineer with A.N.D. ELECTRONICS LTD. Installation, commissioning and maintenance of radar, satellite, underwater acoustic, navigation and communication systems and products in the marine and oil and gas sectors, on shore and off shore.

October 1979 to June 1984

Marine Electronics Engineer with KRUPP ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK LTD. Installations and maintenance of radar, underwater acoustic, communications and navigation equipment on merchant, survey and fishing vessels.

October 1970 to October 1979

Electronics Technician (Ground Radar) with the ROYAL AIR FORCE. I worked on a wide variety of search, height finding and navigation radar equipment of up to 3 Mwatt power. Latterly I was employed on the maintenance, operation and programming of electronics warfare systems, radar anti jamming systems and mainframe computer systems

Educational and Academic achievements and courses of technical instruction

Recent Technical Instruction:

Academic courses:

Certificate in Christian Studies, University of Aberdeen, February 2000

General Certificate of Education:

Certificate in Secondary Education: