The RFUANZ Awards celebrate outstanding achievement by individuals in the Radio Frequency industry.
Ian Lisk
Technical Excellence, sponsored by GME
Ian Lisk owns and operates his business from Christchurch, although Signals NZ has several branches around New Zealand and has been involved with radio and radio operations since 1982; 32 years in an industry that is evolving more quickly now than in the past and yet Ian’s enthusiasm has not been quenched.Ian’s ability to think outside of the square and his unique approach to engineering has seen him optimize, analyze and improve most things with regards to radio communications, however this only seems to see his thirst for new and innovative products get stronger.
He is not one to reach a point where he thinks he knows it all, everyday there is a new challenge or a new toy to tinker with, and it is this fact that has kept him in the radio industry so long, it’s not about product brands or cost, it’s about what’s best and what product can do the job, Radio communications is a lot more than just radio it’s about integration and that alone is the next 30+ years taken care of.
Bruce Harding
Service to the Industry, sponsored by Tait Communications
Bruce has been in the industry for some 50 years, during which time he has seen unprecedented change and has personally been instrumental in making some of that happen. His knowledge of our technology is vast and he is happy to share this knowledge with anyone who asks whether that is suppliers to the industry, his peers in the organisations he has worked for or customers who want to know what radio can do for them. Below is a summary of Bruce Harding’s career:Bruce’s career in the mobile radio industry started when he joined the New Zealand Post Office in New Plymouth in December 1963 as a “Junior Technician”. Back then all technical branches were lumped together looking after the telephone exchanges.For the next 3 years Bruce travelled to Wellington to attend block courses, learning more about the technology of the time, which back then was all about valve technology. These early courses were held in Rugby Street at the Crystal Laboratory where the Post Office made crystals for its own radio communications requirements.In late 60’s Bruce moved to Auckland as a Junior Technician.Bruce went on to gain his NZCE and then became a Registered Engineering Associate joining the Engineering Associates group in the NZPO.
Ian Lisk
Innovation in the Industry, sponsored by Icom NZ
Recently Haast Pass was blocked by a massive landslide. Signals NZ Ltd was tasked to develop a robust communication solution and time was a critical factor as lives had already been lost due to this disaster. The brief from NZTA and their project managers Opus was to provide a communication network that was stable and future proofed. Signals NZ Ltd did this by using digital radio technology as a backbone. The system provides voice over internet to the slip site, Haast and Makarora. The telephone interconnect was a crucial aspect of the network, as there is no cell phone coverage. Also essential was the need for digital data logging for seismic movement detection.The network allows for Opus staff to use their standard analogue radios across a digital network encompassing analogue/digital linked network as well as VHF / UHF cross band capabilities. This is no small feat when you consider Opus has never had radio coverage through the Haast Pass area.
Signals NZ Ltd clients now have full radio coverage the length of the Haast Pass with the added bonus of being able to talk directly to offices in Greymouth, Christchurch and even Auckland, either by analogue or digital radio as well as cell calling.
The Haast location and weather is amongst the harshest environment in New Zealand. To cater for all eventualities Signals NZ Ltd chose a solar power solution with fuel cell technology as a backup to provide a green solution with uninterrupted power to the network. The ability to use radio, cell phones and data through a digital analogue cross band network via repeater sites, using solar energy backed up by fuel cells is an innovative use of technology to provide a solution that has had outstanding results for NZTA / Opus, giving radio, cell phone and data transmission over radio.
Ric Marshall
Outstanding Sales and Support, sponsored by Motorola Solutions
Ric has been a part of the Signals team for 8 years as the Business Development Manager, He has spent the last 16 years in sales and marketing and describes himself as a relationship seller.Whether he is on the phone or at a client’s office he is looking for opportunities, and his approach to sales is always professional, with a consistent record of establishing trust and value among his varied clients.Ric once said that if a client does not remember your name you have not done your job, my clients are my future and my future is looking out for my clients!
There are a lot of parts to a business and a lot parts to a solution and when you have the ability to mesh these together you will always have something that resembles success, a recipe that Ric has perfected,Ric has the ability to understand his client’s needs and a profound expectation to see that it happens, and sometimes this sees him having to take his role in the business outside of his comfort zone an area he seems very comfortable in.
This has seen him harnessed to the top of a pole rigging antennas, swinging below a helicopter, a common site for the boys at Signals, or wearing a flack jacket in Afghanistan if it needs doing and he can do it, it’s done.
Never one to overstate the obvious Ric credits his success in sales to the team at Signals, a great bunch of people with a common goal, look after your clients and they will look after you.This he says is the reason Signals has grown to be a leader in its field, we are not just a box mover, we from relationships with our clients that will grow stronger in the future and are based on sales task solutions and after sales service.
Alistair Cretney
Excellence in Customer Service, sponsored by Vertex Standard
Alistair Cretney was nominated for the excellent customer service award for his exceptional attention to customer service in particular as exemplified by his performance in a single month when he changed out more than 60 prototype DMR tier 3 Tait mobiles to fully compliant type approved production run Tait mobiles in a single week and then shortly after in the same month carried out installation of a complete new fleet of 40 Tait DMR Tier III mobile radios into trucks diggers, plant machinery and utilities over a one week period for a new client.Alistair Cretney joined Mount Campbell Communications Limited in 2009 as a radio technician and has progressively developed his skills in radio communications covering installations, repairs and maintenance and progressing onto base station and radio network.In 2013 Electricity Ashburton Limited successfully trialled a Tait DMR tier 3 radio network with prototype equipment in the E band. The resulting purchase contract required all mobiles to be changed out with new fully compliant type approved mobiles in the EE band. This involved over 60 mobiles checking the installations and retuning antennas and also 13 new mobile installs. The work was completed as scheduled in a one week time slot. Alistair was assisted by a junior installer whom he mentored and trained. Alistair travel to Ashburton from his home base in Nelson and was domiciled in Ashburton whist the work progressed. The work was executed diligently and in the timeframe required. Excellent records were kept in accordance with the job requirements.
