Also see Past Projects

Personal Information

Residence:
Andrew L. Brown
7237 SE 13th Ave. #2
Portland,OR 97202-5856
503-234-9189
abrown@mediaeng.com
dba: Multimedia Engineering
State Of Oregon Registry Number: 603629-86
www.mediaeng.com
Federal Communications Commission General Class Certificate (Lifetime) #PG-13-7929

Curriculum Vitae

Summary Of Experience:

• Thirteen years experience engineering, consulting and managing projects for broadcast professionals, educational sector, industrial manufacturers and commercial/consumer businesses involved with both analog and digital data/audio/video networking, satellite videoconferencing, system integration and machine controls. Includes needs assessment, budgeting, vendor comparison, equipment installation and performance testing, federal and state compliance and safety issues, short and long term planning, product evaluation and compatibility and redundancy planning.
• Twenty years broadcast engineering and project experience in AM, FM and TV as an employee including analog and digital video/audio networking, microwave communications, satellite videoconferencing and data networking. Also includes authoring operations and procedures manuals, monitoring federal (FCC & FAA) requirements and providing individual and group training on these issues.
• Experience with FCC applications, procedures, FCC and FAA rules and regulations.

Professional Accomplishments:

As sole proprietor of Multimedia Engineering (1996 - present):

As owner/principal of Multimedia Engineering I have spent the last 13 years consulting and managing projects for broadcast professionals, the educational sector, industrial manufacturers and commercial/consumer businesses.
My time is divided between marketing my services, meeting with clients and their representatives negotiating prices for work to be done, generating work order/agreements and scheduling, and then performing the needed work including but not limited to research and developing design diagrams, budgeting, acquisition where appropriate, assembly, installation, and documentation of as built systems and proof of performance testing. Includes generating operating procedure manuals and support materials for training. In some cases, work begins at a troubleshooting phase where problems are identified and then a plan for a solution is developed.

Some of my accomplishments include:

• On behalf of Brown Broadcast Services, Inc., Portland, Oregon (no relation). I first performed 60 market bandwidth feasibility studies for new NCE (non-commercial/educational) FM broadcast service. Each feasibility study included whether or not there were available channel(s) which could be located close enough to meet FCC interference requirements and serve the target market and to determine whether existing towers could be utilized or whether a new tower would need to be constructed. I then authored applications on behalf of 40 clients in available markets, only some of which overlapped previously performed market studies. Each application required working with the client on short term goals to locate suitable solutions for tower co-location or construction proposals, generating preliminary coverage maps for marketing to their financial backers, generating all required FCC forms for the engineering and Fair Distribution exhibits including power/height/class determination, directional antenna design when appropriate, interference studies, FAA clearance study and NIER (non ionizing electromagnetic radiation study). I also assisted clients with long term issues such as developing an RF/audio chain budget approximation and obtaining reasonable assurance letters from existing tower or land owners so in the event of receiving the construction permit, construction progress would not be impeded. Over 20 of these applications have already received their construction permits and are being built, having been declared by the FCC as the best of each group competing for the opening in their respective areas.

• On behalf of the Indata Group, Inc. Olympia, WA. I met with Indata Vice President and principals of The Chief Leschi School District to generate plans for their Bureau Of Indian Affairs funded K-12 multiple building school campus in Puyallup, WA. Indata was to provide video/audio to the desktop in 80 rooms using then state of the art video over CAT-5 twisted pair technology including videoconferencing capability, long term goals such as the addition of cable and satellite integration, an IP main data network integration for scheduling and automation control, 40 x 80 baseband router configuration, head end design, redundancy options and managing installation and testing. I also generated technical documentation and operational documentation for training. I provided leadership to our installation team and input to other subcontractors on short term issues concerning installing the massive infrastructure and satellite/cable interfacing as well as system integration software to support this massive project. I also met with school leaders to discuss long term plans to add a television production studio at a later date.

• On behalf of Our Savior Lutheran Church, Lake Oswego, OR. I authored a 10 year long term multimedia expansion and growth plan utilizing existing infrastructure and future buildings including review and verification of as-built architects drawings of existing infrastructure and generation of a short term needs budget. Met with church administration to discuss the plans benefits and limitations, insurance and safety issues, redundancy options and the impact of future technologies on the plan.

• On behalf of Centerpointe Millwork, Portland, OR. I performed an evaluation of their existing manufacturing through CAD/CAM program and then performed the installation and deployment of new computer network using Windows server technology to allow for connecting design chairs with factory milling and shaping machines. Included training of several operators in the general use and basic maintenance of the network.

• On behalf of VXI Corporation, Rollinsford, N.H. I performed a hardware/software compatibility study of several VXI products made by their industrial call center USB headset division with the then current Apple OS progression. Involved conferencing with their engineering department on numerous occasions and documenting tests on various hardware/OS versions of Apple products.

• On behalf Resident Lending Group, Salem, OR. I created a capital budget for acquisition of needed equipment and software, designed, assembled and tested a pro analog/digital audio production and delivery studio for their internet presence.

• On behalf of Bay Microsystems in San Francisco I took the lead on a video repurposing project, providing a plan and services for them to use analog archival media on the internet .

The skills required vary from project to project and include managing installation crews in some cases as well as working closely with both in house staff and other consultants. I am experienced with software beyond office word processing and accounting programs including but not limited to radio path and interference software, CAD, freehand illustration, project management, project wiring diagramming, database creation, internet related software, video and audio editing and compression, and optical disc mastering.

As General Partner/Director of Engineering of Trans-Columbia Communications, Vancouver, WA.
(1989 - 1998)
• I authored and co-directed the prosecution of a commercial FM Broadcast Application in pursuit of a new FCC allocation for Vancouver, WA. Includes preparing engineering and administrative exhibits for FCC application forms, obtaining and working with local and communications counsel in Washington, D.C., determining a proposed antenna site within zoning restrictions, authoring an environmental impact study, evaluating 27 competitive applications, planning a litigation strategy, preparing necessary amendments and filing all necessary local jurisdiction notifications. I also prepared and gave depositions, testified at the hearing at the FCC in Washington, D.C., resolved issues with FAA compliance and state and local zoning and negotiated with partners for a settlement of the docket when the Congress passed new rules in 1996 resulting in the termination of our 10 year comparative hearing
• I also co-authored a detailed marketing study and 5 year business plan with short term capital construction budget and long term operating budget for a broadcast start up in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area including detailed revenue forecasts. On numerous occasions I presented this plan to various interested potential funding sources and partners.

As a broadcast maintenance engineer and satellite uplink operator at KATU-TV, Portland, OR. (1985 - 1994):
• At KATU my responsibilities included radio frequency (RF) equipment: Installation, maintenance, repair and operation of transmitting and receiving equipment at MF, HF, VHF, UHF and SHF frequencies including TV high power broadcast transmitters, computer controlled C-Band and Ku-band microwave satellite uplink antennae and transmitters and downlink receivers, studio-transmitter and transmitter-studio microwave links, mobile microwave equipment, ENG (electronic news gathering) and SNG (satellite news gathering) microwave mobile equipment, two-way communications radio repeaters, base stations and portables, wireless microphones, and other miscellaneous electronic and electrical equipment.
• Other responsibilities include but are not limited to studio video/audio/computer equipment installation, maintenance, repair and operation of analog and digital video/audio recording and processing equipment, CGI (computer generated imagery) graphics and weather systems, baseband and broadband computer controlled routers, machine/remote controls and monitoring systems, custom interface design (system integration), fabrication and debugging, operator training, LAN deployment, workstation and server configuration, PC/Mac maintenance and repair and satellite uplink operations including working extensively with satellite brokers, end users, ABC network, CBS network, other local TV stations, weather networks, etc. to co-ordinate satellite transponder availability (especially during breaking news situations) and to operate the uplink earth stations. Authored procedural manual for remote operation of several systems located at the transmitter site for operator instruction. Generated technical documentation for several systems at both the transmitter site and studio location.

As a Chief Engineer/Engineering Manager at KMJK-FM, Lake Oswego, OR. (1982 - 1985):
• I was primarily responsible for maintenance and repair of the FM transmitter, studio-transmitter microwave link, two way radio and studio programming and production equipment. I also was responsible for FCC compliance (maintaining logs, operator licenses) as well as operator training on transmitter operation, EBS compliance (Emergency Broadcast System, since updated to the Emergency Alert System EAS), creation of and execution of a maintenance and technical operation budget, attending management staff meetings and assisting in the promotion of the station by planning equipment needs for promotional events including set up, operation and coordination with event leadership. I also authored an FCC application for a low power translator to provide coverage in an area of poor reception, specified equipment to be purchased and installed the equipment.

As a Chief Engineer/DJ at KVAN-AM, Vancouver, WA. (1976 - 1978):
• I was primarily responsible for maintenance and repair of the AM transmitter, studio-transmitter telephone link and studio programming equipment. I also was responsible for FCC compliance (maintaining logs, operator licenses) as well as operator training on transmitter operation, EBS compliance, and producing and delivering a 6 hour nightly music, news and entertainment program. I also assisted in the construction, tuning and proof of a new night time directional AM antenna array at a new transmitter and studio site while still maintaining the old site for daytime use. In addition, I did presentations in the Portland Public schools to students about jobs in radio and radio engineering.

As a radio repair technician at Vecom Electronics in Portland, OR.(1976 - 1982):
• I repaired two way communications equipment.

As an engineer/DJ at WSAN-AM, Allentown, PA. (1973 - 1976):
• I performed maintenance on the AM transmitter and studio audio equipment and produced and delivered a six hour nightly music, news and entertainment program.

EDUCATION:
• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering 1973
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA.

Additional Training and Certifications:
• Certificate Of Professional Development in Multimedia Projects and Management
Portland State University, Portland, OR. 2000
• Certificate Of Completion: HDTV (High Definition Television) Deployment
Ennes Educational Foundation Trust Workshops 1995
• Certificate Of Completion: Fiber Optic Networks
The Light Brigade, Kent, WA. 1997
• Introduction to Networking
University Of Oregon, Eugene, OR (Portland Campus) 1996
• Commercial ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) Networks: Evolution and Deployment
Fore Systems, Pittsburgh, PA. 1997
• General Class Certificate (Lifetime) #PG-13-7929
Federal Communications Commission
• Apple Certified Professional
Advanced Video Editing, Compositing and Compression 2005

KEYWORDS: BSEE, RF, VHF, UHF, SHF, AM, FM, TV, DTV, HD, HDTV, radio, television, analog, digital, multimedia, new media, rich media, network, networking, transmitter, satellite, uplink, downlink, machine controls, black box, budget, design, installation, tuning, proof of performance, fiber optics, electrical, electronics, engineer, LAN, WAN, DOS, Windows, Mac, audio, video, editing, compression, mastering, DVD, FCC, Form 301, Form 302, Form 340, directional, antenna, earth station, baseband, broadband, routers, consultant