Gary Ricker
RF, Microwave, and Millimeter Wave Engineer. 25+ years from the bench to the boardroom.
The Engineer Behind
RF Essentials
Gary Ricker is the founder of RF Essentials. He has spent his entire career inside the RF, microwave, and millimeter wave industry, moving deliberately from hands-on technician, to senior design engineer, to applications engineer at two of the most respected test and measurement companies in the world, and finally to founder of his own millimeter wave components business.
His path is unusual. Most engineers specialize in one slice of the stack. Gary has worked nearly every slice. He has built and tested FOT and WSC-6 antenna pedestals for the U.S. Navy at Millitech. He has tuned and redesigned full catalogs of millimeter wave hardware at Millimeter Wave Products. He has run RF test labs at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. He has sold, supported, and trained engineers on Vector Network Analyzers, Spectrum Analyzers, and Signal Generators for both Anritsu and Rohde & Schwarz, covering 5G, RADAR, and mmWave applications across the country.
That breadth is the reason RF Essentials exists. Gary saw, repeatedly, that the working engineer needed a reference that was practical, accurate, and written by someone who had actually built the hardware. So he started building it.
The Precision Millimeter Wave Story
In 2020, Gary founded Precision Millimeter Wave in Clearwater, Florida. He designed the passive and active waveguide product line himself, built out the test lab, and stood up the marketing and sales engine. Inside of three years, the company was landing serious customer engagements, including with companies like AST SpaceMobile that are now central to the future of space-based mobile telecommunications.
The traction caught the attention of Marki Microwave, one of the most respected names in the RF and microwave industry. In 2023, Marki acquired Precision Millimeter Wave in a deal that was, by industry standards for a company of that age, very significant. Gary spent the following two years inside Marki, designing waveguide couplers from 26.5 GHz to 110 GHz, designing waveguide mixers from 50 GHz to 110 GHz, and curating the training and manufacturing transfer of the Precision Millimeter Wave product line into the new parent organization.
Most engineers, at that point, would have retired. Gary did not. He loves this industry, and he believes the RF, microwave, mmWave, and emerging terahertz space is entering its most interesting decade yet. RF Essentials is where he is putting that conviction to work.
Career Timeline
Building a comprehensive technical reference and educational platform for RF, microwave, mmWave, and terahertz engineers. Also providing engineering support and product marketing leadership across the defense and telecom industries.
Designed waveguide coupler product line from 26.5 to 110 GHz. Designed waveguide mixers from 50 to 110 GHz. Led training and manufacturing transition of the Precision Millimeter Wave product line into Marki.
Designed passive and active waveguide components. Built the test lab and production capability from the ground up. Developed the marketing and sales platform. Sold the company to Marki Microwave inside three years.
Pre and post-sales engineering support for Spectrum Analyzers, Vector Network Analyzers, and Signal Generators across 5G, RADAR, and millimeter wave applications. Conducted signal interference hunting and 5G/4G coverage mapping for system optimization.
Managed the test and development lab. Conducted complex RF measurements using VNAs, probe stations, load pull, and nonlinear techniques. Led training on VNAs, Spectrum Analyzers, software, and probe stations while implementing 5S procedures for lab efficiency.
Technical sales and applications engineering for precision measurement equipment in metrology, RADAR, and mobile communications. Supported Eglin AFB Telemetry and Robins AFB Military Airlift (C5, C17, C130, FMS JSTARS). Exceeded sales goals for 8 consecutive quarters.
Redesigned and improved a wide catalog of millimeter wave products, doubling annual sales through quality and productivity gains. Tested and tuned the entire product line. Designed new products including 50 to 110 GHz waveguide adapters and omni-directional antennas. Led antenna testing for Cassegrain, horn lens, and omni-directional designs.
Built, integrated, and tested FOT and WSC-6 antenna pedestals for the U.S. Navy. Led full-source inspections for the U.S. Navy and Raytheon. Led a team of 6 to 10 technicians. Wrote and revised assembly procedures, served as internal ISO auditor, and trained the team on RF and millimeter wave product handling.
Areas of Expertise
Passive and active waveguide components from 26.5 GHz through 110 GHz. Couplers, mixers, adapters, isolators, filters, and antennas.
Vector Network Analyzers, Spectrum Analyzers, Signal Generators, probe stations, load pull, and nonlinear measurement techniques.
Test, tuning, and design experience across Cassegrain, horn lens, omni-directional, and large reflector pedestals including FOT and WSC-6.
Field applications engineering across 5G coverage mapping, RADAR test, satellite and backhaul links, and signal interference hunting.
Hands-on engineering support across U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force programs including C5, C17, C130, FMS JSTARS, and naval antenna pedestals.
Pre and post-sales support, technical training delivery, and product marketing leadership across precision RF and microwave test equipment.