You know those nights when your brain refuses sleep and you end up tinkering with random radio gear? That’s me last Thursday, stumbling upon n2zdb.com again—like rerunning into an old friend in a half-lit workshop.
Michael Trager, callsign N2ZDB, Mooresville, NC—callsign lookup says so, right there on QRZCQ :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
The first thing that caught my eye again: his write‑up on the LED mod kit for the Kenwood TS‑2000. I’ve done that mod once—tiny LEDs, micro‑resistors, precise soldering under a magnifier. The site isn’t polished; I spotted a typo mid‑paragraph—“resitor” instead of resistor—but that’s authentic. Nobody’s perfect, right?
Then there’s the Air Boss pneumatic antenna launcher—a quirky little device. According to eHam reviews:
“My End Fed Long Wire is now up horizontally over 80 feet!! Super easy to use… the Air Boss antenna launcher is just what any ham will need…” :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
And Michael himself weighed in:
“Excellent Product! Borrowed this from my brother to get a new OCFD up high in the trees! This product worked wonderfully :)” — Michael N2ZDB :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
He’s not just modding gear—he’s launching antennas. With pneumatics! It’s kinda great. I picture him in his backyard at 7 a.m., still groggy, shooting lines into a pine, thinking “did that just work?”
What else is on that site?
- 📌 Basic callsign info—no fluff, just data from FCC DB.
- 💡 LED mod instructions for TS‑2000—with step-by-step photos (some crooked, some blurry). Evidence of late-night fumbling.
- 🚀 Air Boss launcher review—bold claims, full of genuine satisfaction.
- 🧩 Links to his GitHub with config files—probably personal station settings or cron jobs. One repo = very focused hobbyist.
What’s missing? There’s zero rant about failed builds, no “I screwed this up and here’s how” moments. No diary of “late-night laser-pointer tragedy.” I kinda want that messiness—but I forgive him. Maybe he’s saving that mess for his notebook.
My personal tinker – inspired by this
Last moonless night, I busted out my TS‑2000 LED mod kit. My setup: soldering iron on its last leg, floss tangled, coffee stone‑cold. I reflowed one LED and it flickered for a second before shining bright—mirroring that sense of “Yes! It worked!” Then I spilled flux on the bench—but hey, progress.
Thinking of the Air Boss, I rigged a makeshift launcher with PVC and a bike pump. Not as elegant as his, but it worked—to a point. I got one shot over a fir, lost the line mid-flight, and ended up untangling cat hair at midnight. Completely relatable, Michael.
Why n2zdb.com sticks with me
- 🤏 It’s small‑scale. Bare‑bones. A quiet; imperfect corner of self‑driven research.
- 💬 No marketing spin—just straightforward hobbyist voice, colored with typos and grit.
- 🔥 It rekindles excitement in me: that humble clank of solder, the thrill of launching a line into thin air.
If you’re into ham radio or just random late-night project vibes, check it out. It’s not about polished content—it’s about the passion behind the scenes, the glow of LEDs, the puff of PVC, and the human mistakes along the way.
— me, scribbling while flux fumes swirl and I swear that next time I’ll clean the bench first
LED mod kit review
Michael’s callsign details
Air Boss antenna launcher reviews
