RF Training for Field Engineers: What It Covers and Who It Is For

Field engineers who work with radio systems — whether installing repeaters, configuring DMR networks, surveying coverage, or fault-finding on licensed spectrum — routinely encounter problems that formal training would have prevented. Not because the engineers aren’t competent, but because practical RF knowledge is rarely taught systematically outside of very specific industry pathways.

This article sets out what RF training for field engineers actually covers, who benefits from it, and what the difference is between understanding the theory and being able to apply it on a real site.

What RF knowledge do field engineers actually need?

The answer varies depending on the role, but there is a core set of practical RF concepts that underpins most field work involving radio communications:

• Propagation fundamentals — how radio waves behave in different environments, why coverage maps don’t always match reality, and what factors affect signal strength in industrial and built-up areas
• Antenna theory and practice — gain, polarisation, radiation patterns, and the practical difference between antenna types in real installations
• Coaxial cable and feeder systems — loss calculations, connector types, common installation faults, and why cutting corners on feeder quality matters more than most engineers realise
• Ofcom licensing — what a licence authorises, what it doesn’t, how to read a licence schedule, and what happens when equipment operates outside licence parameters
• DMR system configuration — talkgroup structure, repeater setup, digital voice quality issues, and common configuration faults in DMR Tier II and Tier III systems
• Test equipment and measurement — how to use a spectrum analyser, field strength meter, and BER tester effectively, and how to interpret what you’re seeing

Most engineers working in the field have picked up some of this through experience. Structured training fills the gaps and connects the concepts — which is where the practical benefit lies.

Who the training is for

RF training for field engineers is relevant across several roles and sectors:

Radio system installers and maintainers

Engineers who install and maintain DMR, analogue PMR, or licensed data link systems. The most common knowledge gaps are in propagation prediction (relying on experience rather than calculation), feeder loss assessment, and fault diagnosis on digital systems where the failure mode is more subtle than analogue degradation.

Communications managers and system administrators

Technical managers responsible for a licensed radio network who need to understand what their system is doing well enough to manage contractors, specify upgrades, and handle Ofcom compliance. The training focus here is less on hands-on installation and more on system architecture, licence management, and understanding the reports and recommendations they receive from external engineers.

IT engineers taking on OT responsibilities

As IT and OT environments converge, IT engineers increasingly find themselves responsible for radio-linked SCADA systems, IoT gateways using licensed spectrum, and PoC networks. IT training rarely covers licensed RF — so engineers with strong networking and security knowledge often have significant gaps in understanding the radio layer they’re now responsible for.

Safety and security engineers

Engineers carrying out IEC 62443 assessments, NIS2 compliance reviews, or general OT security audits who need to understand enough about radio systems to assess them as communications conduits. This is an emerging training need as industrial cybersecurity frameworks increasingly require radio networks to be included in scope.

The difference practical training makes

The most common feedback from engineers who have attended structured RF training is that it explains why things they already do work — or don’t work. This is more useful than it might sound.

An engineer who understands antenna radiation patterns can look at a coverage problem and immediately form a hypothesis about the cause. An engineer who has only learned through experience knows that moving the antenna sometimes helps, but can’t predict in advance whether it will or which direction to move it.

Similarly, an engineer who understands DMR protocol structure can diagnose a digital voice quality problem systematically — checking BER, looking at the control channel, assessing repeater timing — rather than cycling through handset firmware updates and channel reprogramming until something changes.

The practical outcome is faster fault resolution, fewer return visits, and fewer installs that work on the day but degrade within six months.

How Yesway delivers RF training

Yesway’s RF and radio systems training is delivered by Craig Miles — a wireless communications engineer with 30 years of experience across PMR, satellite systems, and industrial radio, and a PGCE Level 7 qualified engineer. The PGCE qualification matters here: it means the training is designed to be taught, not just presented.

Training is available in several formats:

• Foundation RF for radio engineers — covering propagation, antenna theory, feeder systems, and licensed spectrum. Suitable for new entrants and engineers looking to formalise their knowledge base.
• DMR systems training — practical training on DMR Tier II and Tier III system architecture, configuration, and fault diagnosis. Suitable for installers and maintainers working with Motorola Solutions, Hytera, or Kenwood DMR equipment.
• Ofcom licensing and spectrum management — understanding what your licence authorises, how to manage a licence schedule, and the process for licence variations and site additions.
• Bespoke technical training — tailored to specific equipment, systems, or operational requirements. Commonly requested by organisations with unusual system configurations or specific compliance training needs.

All courses can be delivered on-site at your facility or remotely. Group bookings for in-house technical teams are available.

To discuss training requirements or book a course, contact Yesway via the contact page or call 0871 234 0878. Full details of available training programmes are on the RF and satellite training page.

Craig Miles is a wireless communications engineer with 30 years of RF and radio systems experience, including aerospace satellite systems at Airbus Defence & Space. He is a PGCE Level 7 qualified engineer and 2023 TEDx speaker.