Tharanga
Premathilake
Techlabs Global · Colombo, Sri Lanka
RF & IoT engineer, compliance specialist (CE · FCC · SAR), and amateur radio operator. I design wireless systems that end up on cricket helmets in front of 35,000 people – and I've spent two presidential terms convincing the next generation of Sri Lankans to get licensed.
IOTA AS-003 · ITU 41 · CQ 22
Who I am
I'm an electronics engineer based in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. I've spent the last seven-plus years working at the intersection of RF design, embedded firmware, and regulatory compliance – most of that time at Techlabs Global in Colombo, where I'm currently Associate Technical Specialist in Electronics.
My day job involves designing the hardware that makes things connect wirelessly – from tuning the antenna on a flexible PCB that curves around a cricket helmet, to the CE and FCC compliance documentation that gets a product certified for global markets. The combination of antenna theory, RF measurement, and the bureaucratic reality of type approval turns out to be genuinely interesting. Not everyone feels that way, which I think explains my career path.
The research side of things started in my final year at Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, where my work on hexagonal fractal antennas made it into a peer-reviewed IEEE-indexed journal. I've co-authored a second paper since on LPDA antenna optimisation using evolutionary algorithms. I'm drawn to problems that sit at the boundary between simulation and field validation – where clean HFSS numbers encounter the messy reality of a stadium with 550 active Wi-Fi access points.
Outside work, I'm 4S6TMP – a licensed amateur radio operator. I served two consecutive terms as President of the Radio Society of Sri Lanka, which meant a lot of weekends at schools, Scout camps, and university campuses running workshops and operating JOTA stations. We reached over 7,000 Scouts and Girl Guides and 2,000 school children with amateur radio awareness programmes. That's the work I'm most proud of.
When I'm not in the shack or at the bench, I write about what I'm building and fixing on this blog – gear reviews, repair logs, ham radio events, and the occasional tool teardown. Have a look around.
| Callsign | 4S6TMP |
| Experience | 7+ years RF/IoT |
| Degree | BSc Applied Electronics, WUSL |
| Current role | Assoc. Technical Specialist |
| Compliance | CE · FCC · SAR · EMC |
| Location | Kurunegala, Sri Lanka |
Publications & Academic Work
My research focuses on antenna engineering – specifically fractal geometries and broadband array design. Below are the published papers and the presentation materials that show how the work developed from simulation through to fabrication and validation. → Google Scholar profile
📡 On the research process
The fractal antenna work started as my final year project at WUSL and turned into a two-year journey from simulation to publication. Getting from an Ansys HFSS simulation to a fabricated antenna that actually matched the predicted results – and then writing it up for a peer-reviewed audience – taught me more about engineering rigour than any coursework did. I'm collaborating with colleagues from Macquarie University (Australia) and Hashemite University (Jordan) on the broader antenna research agenda.
Career & Skills
Work history
Technical skills
What I've built
Awards & Honours
Research collaborators & network
Good work rarely happens alone. These are the people and institutions I've worked with on research, industry projects, and community initiatives.
Community & Scientific Service
The part of this work that isn't on a CV: getting amateur radio into schools, universities, and Scout camps across Sri Lanka, and building the regional connections that keep the hobby – and the technical skills that come with it – alive.
President, Radio Society of Sri Lanka (RSSL)
The RSSL is Sri Lanka's national amateur radio society and ITU member body. As President for two consecutive terms, I oversaw operations, regulatory liaison with TRCSL, and a major expansion of the society's outreach programme.
Stepping down at the 72nd AGM in March 2026, I was conferred Honorary Life Membership – the society's highest individual honour.
Head of Local Organising Committee – SEANET 2024 (48th Conference)
SEANET (Southeast East Asia Amateur Radio Network) is the premier regional HF amateur radio network conference, bringing together operators from across South and Southeast Asia. For the 48th edition, I led the full local organising effort: venue, logistics, programme and delegate coordination for an international conference held in Sri Lanka for the first time in many years.
JOTA · University Workshops · Exam Guidance
I've run JOTA (Jamboree On The Air) stations at schools and Scout camps across Kurunegala and beyond, most notably at Maliyadeva College and the Royal International School. I've also represented RSSL at university workshops (University of Peradeniya, WUSL) and produced the step-by-step guide for the Sri Lankan Radio Amateur Examination process.
Cyclone Ditwah – When All Else Failed, Radio Worked
As Cyclonic Storm Ditwah brought extreme rainfall, flooding and widespread infrastructure disruption across Sri Lanka, mobile networks and internet connectivity failed across multiple districts. RSSL – under my presidency – activated its emergency communications capability alongside national institutions, deploying trained volunteer operators who established and maintained communication links between affected regions and coordination centres.
The operation involved close coordination with the Ministry of Digital Economy, TRCSL, the Disaster Management Centre and Sri Lanka Air Force. It demonstrated the enduring value of volunteer-driven, independent communication systems during disasters.
External Faculty Board Member, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka
Appointed as an External Faculty Board Member at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka – the same faculty from which I graduated. A three-year term contributing industry and practitioner perspective to academic governance and curriculum oversight.
Life as 4S6TMP
I've been a licensed radio amateur since my university years. The callsign 4S6TMP is my amateur radio identity – the 4S prefix is Sri Lanka, and I'm located in the Kurunegala district.
Ham radio is where my interest in RF engineering started, long before it became my profession. There's something honest about a hobby where you build the equipment, understand the physics, and talk to someone 10,000 km away with it. The problems are real and the feedback is immediate.
I operate mostly on HF (80m, 40m, 20m) and locally on VHF/UHF. I've been experimenting with digital modes – FT8, WSPR, SSTV – and building custom interfaces for my rigs. The Kenwood TS-50S has been a particularly rewarding project: I've fixed a CW jack fault, built a fully isolated CAT control and digital audio interface, and gotten it on FT8 and WSPR. Full write-ups are in the blog.
IOTA: AS-003 · ITU Zone: 41 · CQ Zone: 22 · Grid: View on QRZ.com →
Current shack
- Loading…
Writing & Notes
I write about what I'm building, fixing, and learning – repair logs, gear reviews, ham radio events, electronics teardowns, and the occasional how-to. This is the "writing as thinking" part of the site.
Certifications & Credentials
Click any card for full details.
Get in touch
Send a message
Whether you're looking to collaborate on an RF project, need compliance engineering support, want to discuss amateur radio, or just want to say 73 – I'm happy to hear from you.