About

I currently work in the property and casualty insurance claims industry and live in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area. This website is a repository of photos, links, thoughts, and other items that interest me. I have had a personal website on the internet in various forms since 1997 and a lot of “project” websites along the way.

Prior to working in insurance starting in December 2010, I worked as a contract photojournalist throughout the state of Iowa, serving clients such as the Associated Press, Reuters News Pictures, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and several other media outlets. In my tenure I covered the 2008 presidential campaign, midwest Olympic Trials, several amateur and collegiate national championship events in addition to daily assignments and breaking news.

I was born and raised in Des Moines, and I’m very proud of my Iowan background. I am a Cyclone fan, so you can guess that I really like underdog stories.

I am also a licensed amateur radio operator, and much of this site focuses attention on wireless communications matters pertaining to the midwestern United States, including amateur radio, public safety scanning, legislation, and other topics relevant to the community.

I became exposed to the radio hobby at a young age when I began listening to an eight-crystal Uniden Bearcat scanner at home. My secret fascination with scanning public safety systems grew into several non-crystal handheld and base station scanners through my high school years.

After passing the the entry-level (Technician) exam for my license at Iowa State University in October 2008, I was issued the systematic callsign KD0FGW. My current callsign, K0KDS, was issued in February 2010 the letters in the suffix are derived from the initials of my first, middle, and last name. In September 2010, I passed the exam to upgrade to the intermediate-level (General) license. The upgrade grants me privileges in most of the amateur HF spectrum.

In May 2011, I was elected as president of the Des Moines Radio Amateurs Association, Iowa’s largest and oldest amateur radio club. In February 2010, I was elected president of the Mid-Iowa Skywarn Association, which coordinates severe weather spotters and manages the amateur radio linked repeater system for the 51-county warning area of the Des Moines National Weather Service office.

I am active on the VHF/UHF bands of the amateur radio spectrum, particularly with digital modes such as D-STAR and APRS. I can usually be found on the KD0IAN-B D-STAR module and occasionally on Echolink (node 414323). Scanning the public safety systems is still a big part of the hobby for me. I enjoy learning about the infrastructure behind all systems, small and large.

If you have any questions or have a topic that you want me to discuss, feel free to contact me by clicking here. In addition to using the contact page, conversation on written topics can be held in the comments section of each post.