David Nightingale

Background

About David Nightingale

Diverse and inquisitive can describe a career spanning 25 years of passionate interest in all that is electronic and electrical. At the age of 17 years old I joined the the Australian Army as an Artillery Signaler. This is where formal instruction and practical application of technical skills and antenna theory lead to real problem solving and tactical deployments. Not satisfied with the extent of the Army training, the next logical step was to go to Griffith University to study Electrical Engineering. The skills learned and applied in the army, and the formal instruction regarding antenna theory, antenna type and directional antennas were put to good use as a Telstra Telecommunications Officer working for Mobile Networks. Drive surveys needed a deep understanding of the GSM and CDMA networks to understand and optimise network coverage and I was soon join the design and deployment team. The introduction of CDMA saw fantastic opportunities for new career paths due to an interesting law that required AMPS to be available during the introduction of CDMA. The antenna deployments were challenging; my supervising engineer commented that one of my solutions was the most complex and sophisticated he had ever seen.(Which may have been a nice way of saying that there is an easier way!) My career continued with Telstra in the technology infrastructure in the design and construction management of Telstra telephone exchanges and mobile networks towers. My responsibilities and achievements in Telstra in 2009 was to ensure the allocation and design for the NBN rollout for the Queensland region. Other duties performed included: Installation of GPS and mobile phone equipment into survey vehicles. Computer troubleshooting and help-desk duties for engineers.(If an electrical engineer can't solve the problem then it is not an everyday out-of-date-driver problem!) Suddenly, and without any further explanation, I found interesting work for nearly 7 years as a Native English Teacher in Hong Kong. Then, upon my return to Australia, I had a 5-year long humbling experience of being a Disability Support Worker, and, among other things, ground crew for a crop duster company, and also, teaching staff how to use their fancy new telephones. I returned to a full-time engineering role by working for Peak Scientific Instruments for 5-years as a field service engineer where I had the fascinating job of serving and repairing scientific equipment i.e. hydrogen generators, nitrogen generators, and zero-air generators. Currently working as an FSE, laser operator with Cynosure.