Interactive Amateur Radio Blog
FIELD LOG — WILSON, C. / DALLAS–FORT WORTH
Static, solder,and shenaniganry.
Amateur Radio | Electronics | Dallas, Texas
About Chris / N0CSW
- 20+ YEARS LICENSEDAmateur radio, still on the air
- YAESU USALed the System Fusion project
- 4,000+ REPEATERSSeeded across US, Canada & Mexico
- TODAYDigital modes · HF, VHF & UHF
I've been involved in amateur radio for over 20 years, and my professional background spans 27+ years in electronics, software development, and AI, which naturally complements the experimental nature of ham radio.
I worked at Yaesu USA for several years, I led the System Fusion project and helped seed more than 4,000 digital repeaters across the hobby to various clubs across the United States, Canada and Mexico. That work connected thousands of operators and expanded digital voice capabilities in the amateur radio community.
These days, I'm mainly active on digital modes across HF, VHF, and UHF bands. Feel free to reach out if you want to connect!
The Rack
AMATEUR RADIO PROJECTS — SOME MAKE SENSE. OTHERS DON'T.
RADIO N0CSW CONFIRMS → YOU
MODULE 01 · LIVE NOAA DATA
Space Weather Dashboard
Solar conditions drive HF propagation, so I built a live space weather dashboard on NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center data. Track solar flares, the planetary K-index, solar wind, sunspots, aurora forecasts, and SUVI and LASCO solar imagery, plus an HF/VHF propagation view for radio operators. Open it as a quick popup or explore the full page.
Why it matters for radio: a high K-index or a strong flare can wipe out HF bands within minutes. Watching the indices helps you pick bands and times that will actually get through.
RADIO N0CSW CONFIRMS → YOU
MODULE 02 · WEB AUDIO
Koch Method Morse Code Trainer
This Koch Method trainer runs in your browser and teaches you Morse code the right way from the start. You hear characters at full speed (20 WPM) instead of slow, exaggerated beeps that create bad habits. Start with just two letters, master them at 90% accuracy, then add one more. Your progress saves automatically, and you can pick up where you left off on any device using a simple URL.
What is the Koch method? The Koch method starts you at full character speed (20 WPM) but spaces them out so you can process what you hear. As you improve, the spacing shrinks until you're copying solid 20 WPM code, no speed ramp needed.
RADIO N0CSW CONFIRMS → YOU
MODULE 03 · WWII CRYPTO
WWII Enigma Machine Simulator
I saw my first enigma at the Friedrichshafen hamfest back in 2012 where I had the chance to get a real life demonstration from the good folks at the Enigma Museum, I was fascinated at first sight. This interactive simulator brings history to life with authentic rotor configurations, plugboard settings, and encryption algorithms. Discover how radio intelligence and codebreaking shaped modern communications security.
A turning point in history: Alan Turing and the codebreakers at Bletchley Park cracked the "unbreakable" Enigma cipher, intercepting encrypted radio communications and shortening the war by an estimated 2-4 years. Their work laid the foundation for modern computing and cryptography.
RADIO N0CSW CONFIRMS → YOU
MODULE 04 · WKRP TRIBUTE
WKRP Turkey Drop Countdown
Countdown to the 47th Annual WKRP Turkey Drop — watch it live every November. As God is my witness.
Feel free to reach out if you have an idea.