[Elecraft] k3 on fire?

[Fred Jensen]

Brett gazdzinski wrote:
> Are the big fires in California going to disrupt
> K3 production?

As states go, and except for the Republic of Texas and State of Alaska, 
the California Republic is huge N-S, and pretty big E-W.  On I-5, the 
exit numbers begin at the Mexican border and they are the number of 
miles North.  Exit numbers at about the latitude of Aptos are in the 
upper 400's [I-5 doesn't get close to Aptos], and I believe the last 
exit before Oregon [a little burg called Hilt, with emphasis on the 
"little"] is 795 or maybe 797.  From our place near Sacramento, it's an 
8+ hour drive to the northern outskirts of Los Angeles [speed limit is 
70, actual speed is more like 85, especially past the 100,000 head feed 
lot at Harris Ranch], and maybe another 3 or 4 to San Diego.  The Oregon 
state line is maybe a 7 hour drive from here.  So, unless they have 
suppliers in the mountains in So. Cal., the fires are not a problem for 
the E-Boys and Girls.

> 
> What next, a plague of locusts?

I doubt it, not much for them to eat in Silicon Valley.

> Floods?

Mud slides at times and in isolated places and almost always over a 
heavy commute road, usually following the previous year's big fire and 
this year's torrential rains.  Fortunately, it's 85, clear, and calm in 
Auburn as I write this, and probably in the 70's in Aptos.  Not much 
rain yet, and what we've had hasn't been even remotely close to torrential.

> Giant earthquake?

The [in]famous San Andreas Fault runs sort of under San Francisco Bay. 
There are numerous other smaller faults too that create most of the 
earthquakes we might feel.  Google "Parkfield CA" and pick the second 
hit for info.  There is a National Park [name escapes me but I've been 
there] on State Route 25 that has a bunch of craggy peaks astride the SA 
Fault.  It's actually only half of them ... the other half remain 
anchored to North America down in S. Cal. near Palm Springs.

Fortunately for us [and for your K3] ... big, disaster-causing 
earthquakes are rare.  OTOH, "tornado alley" sees them each year, and 
"hurricane alley" likewise.  Eventually, Aptos will probably end up next 
to the Alaskan Panhandle, but not likely in my or anyone else's 
lifetime.  I wonder what Elecraft will have designed and be selling then?

> While dropping stuff off at ups today, they wont take
> packages to many places in California...

But UPS and the US Postal Service will take stuff from CA for anywhere 
else.  I think that's what counts.
> 
> Brett
> N2DTS

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2008 Cal QSO Party  4-5 Oct 08
- www.cqp.org