About Me

Hello!

I’m Ercan. “I was born in October 1991…” Oh no! I don’t have a life boring enough to start with this.

My first encounter with Kocaeli University’s mechanical engineering department began in 2010 and was solidified with a bachelor’s degree in 2016 and a master’s degree in 2019. Our close relationship continues uninterrupted with the Ph.D. program. I’ve successfully completed the coursework, qualification exam, thesis proposal, and the first thesis monitoring committee. I’ll update this section as things progress.

I work as a technical development responsible in the automotive sector at a “private company”, actively taking part in R&D activities.

I’m also a licensed amateur radio operator; my callsign is TA1TEC. You can find a link to my QRZ profile at the bottom of the page.

My journey with personal computers began in 2002 with Windows XP. In 2005, my Linux experience started with an Ubuntu live CD and continued with various GNU/Linux distributions like Pardus. Today, I use Arch Linux.

My first coding experience began in 2005 with basic static HTML pages. Over time, I focused more on Python and also became comfortable enough with C and C++ to get things done. I usually prefer Visual Studio Code as my code editor.

On the hardware side, I develop projects using platforms like Raspberry Pi, ESP32, STM32, and Arduino. My interests are mainly focused on embedded systems, amateur radio, and APRS (Amateur Packet Radio System). I’m also drawn to SDR (Software Defined Radio), digging deep into Linux systems, command-line tools, and background system processes. I enjoy spending time with Docker, systemd, bash scripts, and network configurations.

The purpose of this personal blog is to archive my own experiences and to shed light on topics that I find interesting but are under-documented online. While the content will mainly focus on technical articles and project logs, it may occasionally drift into more personal or off-topic areas.

The biggest support behind launching this site is my wife Merve, who listens to every project of mine—even if she’s bored—and encourages me to keep going. At this point, my main motivation is knowing that even if no one else reads it, she will.

Regards, Ercan!

Questions That Might Be Asked

1. What is this site about?

Primarily software, hardware projects, Linux experiences, and amateur radio. Mostly focused on Raspberry Pi, ESP32, APRS, and related topics.

2. Why did you start this blog?

To document my experiences and to help others with technical topics—especially ones with limited resources online.

3. What technologies do you use?
  • Operating System: Arch Linux
  • Programming: Python (some C and C++)
  • Hardware: Raspberry Pi (including Zero and Pico), ESP32, STM32, Arduino
  • Editor: Visual Studio Code
4. How can I contact you?

You can reach me via the Contact section in the top menu, through the LinkedIn link at the bottom, or directly by sending an email to ercan@ercanolcay.com.

5. Why Arch?

Because I like knowing exactly what I broke and why. And let’s be honest—updates with a bit of thrill aren’t so bad. 🙂