more details about Dr Dispatch 2-Way
In 1980, Chuck enlisted into the Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG) and later that winter he attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Dix, NJ where he received his primary MOS (Military Occupational Specialty). He then shipped off to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and Schools in Fort Huachuca, Arizona where he received his secondary MOS by the end 1981. Of the 72 personnel that started the course, he was one of 12 that finished.
After returning home, Chuck got a job at the Motorola Communications Sector plant on the north side of town as a Customer Tune Technician. Not long after 8 years, and having moved up to Systems Test Analyzer, the plant shuts down, splits up and relocates to various places outside of Texas and the country.
While working at Motorola, Chuck was awarded his third MOS as a Radio Repairman and later a fourth MOS from his guard unit.
Not long after the Motorola plant closed, Chuck got a job in Arlington, Texas with a Japanese radio manufacturer, Uniden America Corp, as a warranty repair technician for their commercial portable 2-way radio product line.
Upon arriving at Uniden, the turn-around time for both the mobile and portable repair departments were over a couple months behind. Chuck was allowed to spearhead a program which brought both department’s turn-around times to less than a week. He later accepted a position with the LMR (Land Mobile Radio) Tech Support department for Uniden.
While with LMR Tech Support, he spoke many times with an engineer that had also worked at the Fort Worth Motorola plant prior to it’s restructuring. His father-in-law offered to let him start a radio division with the family business, so he installed a Uniden 800 MHz LTR (Logic Trunk Radio) radio system and became a SMR (Specialized Mobile Radio) service provider in a large mid-western metropolitan area north of Texas.
During Chuck’s second 6-year hitch with the TXARNG, Chuck was awarded a 4th MOS and a Sergeant E-5. Coming up on re-enlistment, he decides to accept a position with the engineer and moves out of state, missing his last formation. Chuck is busted down to Specialist E-4, but awarded a second honorable discharge.
The engineer quickly spreads across the rural areas adjacent to the metroplex with Uniden 800 MHz LTR systems, then decides to expand into a Motorola 800 MHz Privacy Plus Type I system. Not long after installing the Privacy Plus system downtown, a national SMR service provider contacts the engineer about maintaining their systems in the area.
While maintaining these new systems, Chuck is offered side work restoring older Motorola Privacy Plus Micor repeaters in his garage for the national SMR provider. Once the repeaters were completed, they offered Chuck a weekend job to install the repeaters at their Little Rock, Arkansas site with one of their techs.
Not long after the installation, the SMR service provider offers Chuck a Service Manager position and wanted him to start a service shop at their Albuquerque, New Mexico office. Being content with his current position, Chuck is hesitant but agrees to the interview as to get a weekend vacation out of town.
Shortly before landing, looking out the window over La Madera in the foothills of the Sandias, Chuck falls in love with the Land of Enchantment and later accepts the new position.
A year passes and Chuck figures out that the company is planning on selling the business and was needing a service shop to sweeten the deal. They offer to relocate Chuck anywhere he liked, but he remained to see how new management did. The sale was to be signed and finalized in a few months.
About 6 months in with the new owners, Chuck has been able to get financial support to start a side business in the UHF/VHF bands of radio, staying away from both Albuquerque and the 800 MHz band so he wouldn’t be in conflict with his current employer.
This doesn’t go over too well with the new owners so it was decided that Chuck moves on, the company hires replacements, then eventually sells the service shop to a local MSS (Motorola Service Shop). In January of 1996, Chuck starts his first business, Dr. Dispatch.
Dr. Dispatch became successful specializing in repairing not only Motorola 800 MHz Type I and 900 MHz Type II radios, but also a variety of Johnson LTR protocol 800 MHz mobile and portable radios like Kenwood, Standard and Uniden to name a few.
Chuck had customers from 5 states and over 300 customers from the local Albuquerque/Santa Fe area. In the fall of 2000, Chuck signed a non-compete contract with a MSS out of Phoenix, Arizona and sold his business.
In May of 2001, Chuck teamed up with another tech and the owner of some frequencies in the area. The 3 of them decided to start a 2-Way radio vehicle tracking company called SouthwestAVL (SWAVL) using the frequencies to keep them active.
By the end of 2003, it was decided to close down SWAVL as the industry was rapidly changing to cellular for connectivity.
It’s January 2004 now, Chuck’s non-compete has expired and he opens his third business, High Desert Vehicle Tracking (HDVT), He is able to continue to support the customers he had picked up with SWAVL and started selling web-based vehicle tracking services and equipment.
After making a few sales, Chuck was approached by a contractor regarding a project and Chuck takes the bait. Years pass, the projects end and fortunately he has retained a majority of the customers, but the market had dried up.
Chuck continued to maintain his customers plus was able to get piece work here and there from local a radio shop maintaining portables and mobiles for their customers. Chuck later changed the name of his company to American Vehicle Tracking (AVT) and started looking outside of the state for a market to shoot for.
2G has now coming to an end and everyone has to upgrade their tracking equipment. Chuck decides to call it quits for now in New Mexico, sells everything that won’t fit in his van, grabs his dog and returns to Texas to try and start over there.
Chuck could not find anyone interested except some maintenance work with a car hauling company. Come to find out, what’s he’s been selling for $35.00, the competition was at $23.00 No wonder he couldn’t make any sales.
Chuck then gets a job at Amazon for the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasonal rush. He survives “Peak” and accepts a full time position there while looking for a new career. Finally an opportunity with a US state government position pops up and Chuck is off again.
There he supported multiple departments in the installation and maintenance among other things related to their 2-way radio equipment including the Internet across a portion of the state. There is more detail regarding those subjects here on the website.
After 7 years he calls it quits and looks for new employment. After months not being able to find employment, Chuck decided to open up his new business in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Dr Dispatch 2-Way, LLC., supporting Northern Central New Mexico, from Santa Fe to Dulce, to Raton and back.