How did you get into electronics/engineering and when did you start?

My interest in electronics began at the age of six. I can never forget this because at the time, my dad worked for Marconi marines. This was in the 1970s around the time the first transistors were introduced—the OC71 and OC72 series—which were to replace the mallard tubes. My dad was a radio officer and worked on the ships on radio/radar equipment.

I can remember the date vividly. My dad came home late as usual, and like most children that age, I couldn’t wait to see him to find out what fireworks he’d brought home. Unfortunately however, there were no fireworks. He explained that he wasn’t able to get to the shops, so instead he bought me a book on how to build my first transistor radio.

Around the days when the merchant navy was a way to see the world, there were still passenger liners and radio was still in its early days, as was the invention of the germanium transistor. As far as I can remember, the silicon equivalent hadn’t actually been produced; this was obviously to come later. Computers and radio transmitters were still using valves, and televisions were barely moving from black and white onto colour.

My interest in electronics never ceased. I was always experimenting in the garage taking things apart, blowing things up, or messing around with valve radios which I loved. I also enjoyed wood work and making things like go-carts or explosives with my friends out of normal household materials.

Later I got to fix the school’s amplifiers and mess around with the stage lighting. I loved that, to the extreme annoyance of my dad. I guess he knew that I would want to follow in his footsteps.

Eventually I discovered the induction coil, potassium, and other great materials in life. So fun moved outside the science classes and into the swimming pools. We would throw the potassium onto the water and watched it explode, aggravating many of the teachers and the headmaster. I loved physics and started to lecture final-year students in effort to escape other classes. Besides, I enjoyed playing with Vander Graff generators and Whims Hurst machines—the exciting part of electronics that we just don’t see at schools anymore.

I worked weekends and holidays in factories in South Africa with blokes doing the SADF Apprenticeships where we worked on Electrics, 3-phase motors, wiring switch boards, and I learned all types of skills while working part time.

When I left school I was very much undecided, and moved into PABX/PAX systems, which was suggested to me as maybe a step in the right direction.

I went from one job to another ranging from gold mining, traffic police, and motorcycle mechanics. And then all of a sudden I got my first real job, at Aiwa.

I was very happy, the money wasn’t bad, and I had a nice crowd of blokes to hang around with. This, of course was before the political decline in South Africa. The rest of the world would probably remember this as the start of The Riots, and the Rhodesian War.

We were constantly losing friends due to the terrorism on the borders, and there was a state of lockdown. Because I had a British passport, I only had two options: either stay in South Africa and give up my British passport, or emigrate. To me, the choice was obvious; so back to Britain I came.

Upon arriving in Britain in the early 1980s, I didn’t want to move out of electronics. I very much wanted to continue, but I was having issues getting jobs because the U.K. qualifications far exceeded the standards of South Africa. The U.K. stressed that I needed an extraordinary amount of tangible job experience, which I didn’t have.

I was 20 years old, and if anything I had more experience than most engineering students my age, taking into account the fact that I began at six years of age.

I had many challenges, and was turned down from many interviews. Then finally, I got a foot in the door again.

The work was not easy at all, but I did it anyway starting with background music systems. I was simply refurbishing 4-track and 8-track machines, as well as class AB amplifiers while at the same time attending night school.

I eventually obtained distinctions in radio and TV servicing, and moved onto better opportunities. I gained knowledge of TV, VCR and compact disk while working for Comet Radio Vision services. But as usual, along came redundancy.

I finally managed to get a position with Indisit, which produced washing machines, refrigerators and tumble dryers. However, although I gained considerable knowledge about washing machines, I still wasn’t doing what I really wanted to do. The experience though was very valuable because it enabled me to see clock rates, clock pulses, timing, motor theory, and temperature controls using embedded technology. This was all good stuff for me to learn.

My next position came with Southern electronics, and this time I could everything they wanted with ease working on devices and features like the Walkman, auto reverse, three-head tape decks, and chrome dioxide cassettes. I also worked on the G8, G9 and G11 Phillips chassis 625 line system, plus washing machines, microwaves, car audio, home hi-fi, and CD players which were very popular then.

I moved on, and finally came the PC boom where I think I learned my most valuable skills: fundamental programming, website design, PC servicing, networking, plus a series of different languages: C++, C, Java, Visual Basic, Delphi, Office automation, PHP, My SQL, Android, VBA, and Assembly.

The cell phone age was beginning, and companies in the industry were crying out for engineers who could service mobile phones. Anyone who was any good at his or her job was soon snatched up.

Constant research, as well as the desire to know and then teach myself using the Web allowed me to interface a mobile phone to the net, a vehicle, to a remote PC, or an embedded electronic integrated circuit. Life had become much more interesting than ever before

I’ve possibly covered every aspect of my career to date. I’m now 47 years old with experience in almost every single industry out there. But I’m still learning, I still design small bits and pieces for people, and I still write software in C and other languages with human interfaces for both PC and mobile phones. And I’m always looking for another pathway to a more enlightened industry in which I hope that I might be able to make a difference, start some work for people, or reopen manufacturing.

What are your favourite hardware tools that you use?

My hardware tools are second-hand, which I have purchased from ill-informed companies whose services are no longer in demand.

1. A Phillips PM5193 programmable synthesized function generator, which is capable of all types of functions. A 200Mhz Turby Tandar frequency counter for checking all important RF and clock frequencies.
2. The variable power supply 0-20 volt EP915, as well as the EP920 5-amp DC power supply, with current overload protection and over voltage protection.
3. A fixed 13.8 volt, 30 amp power supply, fan cooled which allows firing up the 1Kw, 2Kw, and 3Kw amplifiers that I often use for servicing in car audio enthusiasts’ high-end equipment.
4. Tektronix 475, 200 MHz dual-channel oscilloscope.
5. Two Ayoue int2900 variable temperature soldering irons capable of initiating both leaded and unleaded soldering.
6. Ayoue int850 hot air station for removing and putting flat packs onto SMT PCB.
7. Normal hand tools that you might expect: SMT tweezers, a decent set of screwdrivers, files, rulers, side cutters, long-nose pliers, torx drivers, hex drivers, sockets, ring spanners, and crimping tools.
8. Power tools, electric planes, routers, and the normal electric drills for any heavy-duty work.
9. A drill set for PCB and very fine, small-scale work.
10. Bench magnifiers so I can see the components.
11. Various programmers including the PIC start Plus and the Atmel programmer.
12. The all-important DVM for accurate resistance measurements, voltage/current measurements, and AC and DC auto ranging.

It’s a fully equipped workshop which I feel is necessary for beginning any kind of project whether it’s mechanical, electrical, electronic, or just a normal DIY.

What are your favourite software tools that you use?

I use many different software tools, most of which are free from the Internet and can be integrated in some shape or form for use with languages such as Java, Html, C, C++, Ruby, PHP, Glass fish containers, J2ME, and Android.

Obviously with Microsoft products there isn’t much choice so you have to move with what they have. The same applies to certain compilers for PIC and Atmel, although there are other free compilers available for achieving very much the same result.

I use as many free versions as I possibly can. The rest I have purchased, such as Proteus Professional, featured in the Elektor electronics magazine. I mainly use it for circuit design and PCB design, which are all hand-made, from printing to exposure to drilling, and then to assembly, followed by testing.

I recommend two compilers: The Proton Smart Suites and BoostC.

I write software as well, and produce fully automated apps for use with both Windows DLLs and ActiveX objects.

Microsoft’s VB6 IDE Professional is another nice and easy RAD tool, especially for parallel port interfacing.

What is on your bookshelf?

My book shelf consists entirely of magazines on technical subjects, as well as books on amateur radio, practical electronics, and computer organization and design. I also have a series of handbooks on various programming languages.

Anything you want to know, look up, or study is here. It’s a collection of books suitable for anyone who really wants to know about a subject in order to be proficient in a service or design that needs to be accomplished.

Do you have any tricks up your sleeve?

There are no special methods to solve problems or analyse circuits in any particular format. Knowledge and understanding of what you are doing only comes with experience, hard work, and time.

What has been your favourite project?

I put my fullest effort into every project that I do with the final aim of being as professional as I can. For that reason, I don’t have a specific favourite project.

However, perhaps one of my favourite projects that I worked with someone else on was the Knight Rider project, which involved installing electronics into a vehicle and then designing two modules, programming them, and seeing them work to enhance the vehicle.

Seeing your designs work, and work well, is the big bonus and what I like most.

Do you have any note-worthy engineering experiences?

I’ve had many electric shocks, burnt fingers on soldering irons, as well as old TVs bursting into flames. It’s all part of learning, and looking back they were all quite funny.

What are you currently working on?

I’ve been working on a number of projects. Obviously many of them are part of my usual routine—that being servicing amplifiers and mixers. But when there is no work around I’m constantly thinking of new ideas. Currently I’m working on a LCD 3-point ignition cut unit for a vehicle alarm. It involves a code entry and disables the vehicle in the event of an attempted theft.

Can you tell us more about Elite Electronics? How did it get started?

Elite Electronics was founded some five years ago when there was a great need for servicing car audio systems. I decided to try and progress this to all forms of audio, and for the best part of two years it worked very well. Unfortunately, however, the company died around the same time as the massive Wall Street crash.

Luckily for me, I’m never put off, so I’m adapting the company to as many different aspects as I can, and it looks like we might have a contract secured for 2012.

I know with a great deal of confidence that there is a demand for audio equipment service, which is why I’ve been so resilient.

What direction do you see your business heading in the next few years?

I won’t be solely concentrating on the service sector. I will be gearing myself more toward the embedded market and any other work that should arise, whether it’s computing or manual work. I’ll do whatever it takes now to ensure a living. I think most companies are doing exactly the same, or will be if they have any real sense of the changes that are taking place.

What challenges do you foresee in our industry?

The only real challenge I’ve ever seen has to do with cooperation and communication. Decent business ethics are just non-existent, and changing that will be incredibly difficult. I suppose we can live in hope though.