60 seconds with SFL Mobile Radio's Neil Bethel

Neil Bethel, senior radio engineer at SFL Mobile Radio, talks to Land Mobile about his career in two-way radio communications

How do you spend your time at work?

My time is split between the radio workshop and out of the office on-site. I am responsible for making sure the communication set-up meets customers’ requirements, which involves assessing the site, programming the radios and, where necessary, installing repeaters.

What’s the one gadget that you can’t live without?

My satnav.

Describe your most unforgettable project.x

Working in the Connaught Tunnels in London was a fantastic experience, and overcoming its challenges was very rewarding. The challenges centred on the depth of the tunnels where communication with the surface was required. This was overcome by dropping an antenna down a tunnel that allowed for both horizontal and vertical communication.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve seen in the radio sector?

At an old military base there was a building that we had to avoid because there was a large bird of prey sitting on the roof, and conservation rules prevented us from disrupting the bird.