Edgar McDoniel

SUMMARY 

An accomplished telecommunications professional with expertise in radio frequency engineering wideband, satcom, and ground radio communications. Known for strong problem solving ability with demonstrated success in managing civilian and military communication projects.

 

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS 

MapInfo                                                     Ubuntu Linux                              

Mentum Planet propagation software          MS Projects

WindCatcher analysis software                 Invex – drive-test equipment

Agilent – drive-test equipment                   Delorme Topo

XCap

Bilingual fluency: English/Spanish

Elementary Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi

EXPERIENCE

 

Telnet, Bloomington, MN,                                                                               2013 – Present  RF Engineer (Deployment)

Samsung / Sprint Network Vision – Deploy Samsung equipment as part of Sprint’s Network Vision project. Generate coverage predictions via Mentum Planet. Perform site visits. Review CD’s. Analyze sweeps. Set up market level project on Mentum Planet.    Coordinate RF activities during migrations from legacy Ericsson to Samsung Network Vision equipment. Prepare neighbor lists and RF parameters. Optimize post migration Network Vision clusters. Manage the No Harm program to include analyzing, submitting No Harm reports from cluster engineers to the client.

 

NETWORKERS INTERNATIONAL INC, Greenville SC,                                       2012 – 2013 RF Engineer (IS41 Optimization)

Consultant for Ericsson: Propose, drive-test, troubleshoot, and optimize IS-41 handoffs between Sprint and roaming partners involving Lucent and Motorola equipment and involving both the 1900 MHz and 850 MHz frequency bands. Troubleshoot and optimize outdoor DAS.  Operate Invex and JDSU data collection software, utilize MapInfo for planning and Delorme Topo for navigation. Analyze data via WindCatcher and prepare detailed Excel proposal report to include relevant snapshots of drivetest Rx, Ec/Io, and PN results along with recommendations to include IS-41 candidates and targets and RTD’s.

NETWORKERS TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Burbank CA,                                       2010 – 2012

RF Engineer (Capacity Planning)

Ericsson Equipment Capacity Engineer (Apr 2011 to May 2012) for markets in Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and the Dakotas: Perform analysis of EVDO data and CDMA voice capacity needs and request funding for new carriers, T1’s, channel elements. Issue site configurations for new carrier additions. Collaborate with configuration engineering, local RF engineering, site development, switch and field ops, and provisioning to bring new carriers on air. 

Alcatel-Lucent Equipment Capacity Engineer (Nov 2010 to Apr 2011): Managed the channel card redeployment project for markets in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Washington. Assisted with carrier analysis for Southern California markets. Performed in-building acceptance testing of repeater based and BTS based DAS systems (Southern California).

 

SANDOVAL ENGINEERING                                                                     2010 – 2010

Field Engineering Consultant 

Provided clients with reliable telecom solutions: microwave and cellular site audits, optimization, capacity augments. Delivered detailed customized reports based on thorough field work and meticulous analysis of data. Offered proposals and deliver turn-key solutions.  Most of the work was focused on microwave and included areas such as central and southern California (Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego areas), Nevada (the area around Las Vegas to the Arizona border), Washington (Seattle to Spokane and even into Idaho), south Texas (starting in San Antonio to the Mexican border, Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Huntsville and parts of Mississippi), and north Florida (areas all around Gainesville, Tallahassee and the panhandle).

 

SPRINT, Atlanta, GA                                                                                                1999 – 2009

RF Engineer II 

Capacity (Traffic) Engineer;  (last 2 years with Sprint) Managed capacity for 5 markets (New Orleans, Alabama, Gulf Coast, Mississippi, and Louisiana). Perform JIT analysis and forecasting for EVDO and CDMA voice carriers, TI’s, and channel cards; created and presented capital funding requests; identified, reallocated, and disconnected underutilized assets. Supported the local markets’ capacity needs for special events such as Mardi Gras, NASCAR, football season, and music festivals. (Nortel and Lucent equipment) 

Performance Engineer(5 years); new site integration; drive-test data and layer-3 analysis using WindCatcher; candidate evaluation; capacity and coverage analysis; RF propagation analysis using Planet EV; access the BSC via Nortel’s CACP tool to build new BTS’s and to implement parameter changes within the BTS and the BSC as a whole to include neighbor lists, channel lists, RTD, border targets, beacon targets, and capacity settings such as pilot gain; also accessed the BSM directly using SUN OS terminal commands; accessed the MSC to monitor BTS performance in real time; managed optimization projects to include antenna, azimuth, and down-tilt changes.

Design experience: Create search rings; evaluate candidates; utilize Planet to analyze RF propagation and predict coverage; conduct site surveys; create RF configurations for new sites; RF planning for new in-building design at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

RF lead (NASCAR)(additional duty; functioned as RF lead for 5 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway); CDMA and EVDO planning and performance; planned and ensured coverage and capacity requirements including T1 and E911 provisioning, channel cards, additional carriers, and COW’s

Senior Optimization Specialist(1st 3 years); Train new employees and contractors; coordinate work assignments; schedule and coordinate cranes for CW tests; install and configure drive-test equipment; collaborate with RF engineer and switch technician to integrate new sites and carriers; perform field wireless technical trouble-shooting of dropped calls and hand-offs; collect drive-test data utilizing Agilent and Grayson Invex test equipment.

 

TELECORP, Memphis, TN                                                                                     1998 – 1999

Quality Assurance Tech

Part of the RF team that launched the TDMA network in the Memphis market under the SunCom brand name. Utilized TEMS software to integrate new sties and optimize performance of TDMA wireless network. Performed CW drives. Acted as POC for antenna crews.

 

LUCENT, Naperville, IL                                                                                          1997 – 1998

RF Optimization Engineer

Short-term contract work launching the AT&T Wireless TDMA network in the Detroit, Michigan market. Performed integration, metric, and troubleshooting drives using TEMS.