Former RAF chief technician opens engineering facility

A former Royal Air Force chief technician is set to open a radio frequency testing facility in South Yorkshire.

Ian White, founder of Gaddon, a radio frequency (RF) engineering and test solution consultancy that has carried out work for the Ministry of Defence (MOD), will open new offices near Barnsley this week.

The workshop at Hoyle Mill in Penistone allows Gaddon to carry out general RF and electronic repairs and can be hired out as a test facility by companies that design equipment with Wi-Fi capabilities.

Gaddon also plans to provide short courses for adult learners and electronic hobbyists in South Yorkshire.

Founded in 2007, Gaddon began designing electronic warfare systems for the MOD and trained engineers in how to use the equipment.

Since then, Gaddon has supported projects in the UK, USA and Australia, working for several major test solution companies. It also runs RF and bespoke training courses in the UK, Australia and USA. Clients include American automation equipment supplier Teradyne and medium-sized test equipment companies in the UK.

Gaddon said: “To manage the demand of our growing client base we have moved into larger premises to house our specialist testing equipment and offer a complete solution to our customers with all the test equipment ready to go.

“When most people look for new office space fast Wi-Fi is a priority, but for me, it was the opposite. I spent around three months finding a building without Wi-Fi and radio capabilities and at Hoyle Mill, the amount of radio interference is extremely low. This makes it suitable for accurate testing of RF equipment and the perfect place to build our new workshop.

“Radios are everywhere – our phones are a radio system and so are key fobs for cars, but nobody actually thinks to check how these systems work. At Gaddon we now have the space to test this equipment.”
Ian White, director of Gaddon at the new radio engineering facility.

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close