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E-Mail:obwan@iinc.com
If you are reading this on paper, an interactive version is available on
the internet at
http://www.iinc.com/~obwan/htc/robert/robert_r.htm
March 2000 to Present - Self Employed. Providing contracted repair services for Westside Electronics in Batavia, New York - mostly televisions, VCR's, and any computer products in need of repair. Have rebuilt a few old tube radios from the 1930's and 1940's. Also doing page layout services, including web pages and dinner menus, for a local restaurant.
July 1997 to March 2000 - Computer Technician for "The Solder Joint" (TSJ, Inc) in Batavia, New York. In August of 1998, we closed the business(which had been operating from my boss's basement) and created a new business in a real storefront called "Westside Computer" (also in Batavia). Duties include construction and configuration of new personal computers - built to customers specifications, repair of computers and peripherals, and computer networks. (Primarily Windows 95/98 networks and systems). Perform both onsite service calls and bench repair work. Answer customers calls and try to help fix problems over the phone. Duties also include some programming in Visual Basic and Microsoft Access for customers database needs, and HTML programming for both our own and our customers needs. In March of 2000, we again moved the business to a larger location and renamed it to "Batavia Computer Center".
November 1993 to July 1997 - Electronic Technician, Help! Desk Operator, and assistant IS manager at Business Methods, Inc. Rochester, NY Duties included field and shop repair of Lanier, Toshiba, and 3M electrostatic copiers. Lanier and Toshiba authorized technician for several copier models. Duties also included ordering parts, and repair of related office equipment, including FAX machines, Overhead projectors, print boards, projection panels, etc. Am factory authorized by Panasonic to troubleshoot and repair thermal FAX machines, and Novell CNA certified. December 1995 - Created a Help! desk for BMI and was the only operator. Wrote custom software in Visual BASIC 4.0 to manage the Help! Desk call tracking. Maintained a library of technical manuals and reference materials, helped customers and other technicians troubleshoot problems over the telephone and the internet. Wrote custom software for database maintenence and created an intranet web, which may some day be available to customers externally over the internet to diagnose simple problems with copiers, FAX machines, networks, and audio visual products. Received factory training on InFocus data projection products and handled all warranty repairs for InFocus products in the northeastern US. Position was eliminated in July 1997 because it was considered "non - revenue generating".
May 1994 - October 1995: Audio/Visual technician - Genesee Community College, Batavia, NY. Duties included repair and delivery of audio/visual equipment, off air and satellite recording of educational television programs, operation of small TV studios when required, videotaping of events at GCC, installing and operating a cable TV "Head End", and related duties. This was a part time job in the evenings & Saturday mornings. I had to relinquish this job due to increasing demands from my full time job.
January 1992- October 1993: Part owner of a small retail computer store (Quality Computers, Genesee Country Mall, Batavia, NY). Store went out of business due to theft of funds by business partner. Duties included all facets of retail computer business, including specifying and designing custom computer systems for point of sale, business administration, network installations, and home computers (multimedia and standard systems). Duties also included all facets of service and repair of microcomputer systems, both on site and in house, including specification and ordering of parts, tools, service literature, and test equipment.
May 1985- January 1992: Microcomputer and Audio/Visual repair technician for Genesee/Wyoming BOCES, in Batavia, NY. Duties included repair of all microcomputer equipment (IBM PC's & Clones, Apple ][+, //e, //c, //gs, & Macintosh, printers, disk drives, MODEMs, laser printers, network equipment, etc.) for 10 component school districts in Genesee and part of Wyoming county. Assisted with repair of Audio/Visual equipment (TV's, VCR's, 16mm film projectors, tape players, etc.). Installed IBM LAN and TOPS LAN (linking IBM PC/XT/AT's with Macintosh computers and a laser printer). Was also responsible for network management & troubleshooting. Operated two electronic Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) for inter-library loan system, electronic mail, and file distribution. Operated and provided training on VHS video editing equipment. Taught software and equipment operation seminars. Provided technical assistance for internal CATV system and off air taping (using 15 VCR's and a digital cross point switch matrix). Provided limited data recovery services to school systems, and operated an automated billing system which I designed. Provided limited custom programming services for database applications using Q&A by Symantec. Handled ordering of parts and service information from various vendors. Constructed custom IBM clone computer systems for in house use.
April 1984- May 1985: Self Employed. Operated a small self-sufficient farm in Attica, NY
August 1982- April 1984: VCR Technician for Royal Crown Leasing in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Duties included maintenance and repair of rental equipment, namely video cassette recorders (VHS), but including name brand televisions and stereos. Was a warranty certified technician for Fisher, Sansui, RCA, GE, and Curtis Mathis consumer electronics.
April 1982- May 1982: Steam Generator Support Person, Zion Station Nuclear Power Plant, Zion, Illinois. Performed inspections and repair of tube sheets in nuclear steam generators. (This was a temporary job due to radiation exposure).
1979-1982: US Army - Hawk Missile System electronic/mechanical repairman. (MOS 24L10) Specialized in launch and loading systems, but performed various repairs on RADARs, communications and cabling systems.
1978-1979: Media Assistant - Kenosha Unified School District, Kenosha, Wisconsin (Government CETA program while in high school). Duties included minor repairs and maintenance of audio and video equipment, teaching television production to elementary school students, and all associated clerical functions.
Taught "Introduction to Microcomputers" for Genesee Community College Adult Ed. Program in 1986.
Taught "Introduction to Videography" and "Advanced Videography" for Genesee Region Teachers Center (GRTC) numerous times between 1989 and 1991.
Taught computer programming (BASIC) while in high school.
Received Department of the Army certificate of achievement for exemplary service to my unit. Also received "Soldier of the Quarter" award from 3rd Battalion, 69th ADA at Ft. Bragg, NC for the last quarter in 1980.
Have extensive experience designing and prototyping small analog and digital control circuits. Built a Heathkit Hero-1 robot. Also have extensive experience designing and etching small printed circuit boards (single and double sided) by hand.
Have extensive experience writing custom programs in BASIC for telecommunications, data formatting, data recovery, database applications, and general utilities. Can program in Adobe PostScript, Turbo(or Power) BASIC, and Visual BASIC 5.0. Have also written custom BBS software in ACOS for the Apple // series of computers.
Have written and published user/technical manuals for my own custom software.
Am currently creating and maintaining a web site dedicated to asteroid colonization (http://www.iinc.com/~obwan). Skills include a working knowledge of HTML and VBScript applied to ActiveX controls (Microsoft site bulider level 2 member).
Space exploration/colonization, electronic design, machine intelligence, fishing, camping, and amateur radio (Currently hold a technician class amateur license - N2YSH ). I am also Tripoli High Powered Rocketry Association certified level 1 (TRA# 4830) for large model rocket flights (Up to "I" class engines).
Sporadically, I delve into creative writing. (http://www.iinc.com/~obwan/words/words.htm)
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