[Elecraft] N6KR COVID/Field Day report

Wayne Burdick n6kr at elecraft.com
Wed Jul 2 13:43:52 EDT 2025


No, that subject isn't an auto-correct fail: I managed to come down with
Covid just as FD 2025 was starting.

On Friday evening, I had mild symptoms I assumed were consistent with a
cold or allergy. Then on Saturday, sleep-deprived and against everyone
else's better judgment, I decided to go ahead with my 1B-battery operation
as planned. My son, Griffin, was home from college for a few days and came
along. He's been going to Field Day since he was six and was willing to
humor me.

We drove to the coast and started hiking up the trail from Highway 1 in
Pacifica toward what would have been a breathtaking view overlooking Point
San Pedro. We'd gone 90% of the way up, in the hot sun, when I got
lightheaded and realized I had better get off the trail.

Griff found a clear spot in the shade, kept me hydrated and checked my
vitals. Then he put up an antenna and got my KX2 ready to go, just in case
I was up to operating. Turns out I was -- but I had to do it lying down.
This meant switching to the KH1, which I could use hand-held, logging on
the paper logbook tray. (The log tray has a detent mechanism that keeps it
open and locked in place even if the rig is upside-down.)

I made one quick contact, but by then I was in worse shape. I rested for
about an hour before we decided it was best to go back.

Normally on an outing like this I'd be jogging both up and down through the
switchbacks, even with a pack on. But now even going downhill was
slow-going due to my queasiness and lack of energy. We had to stop three
times. For a while I thought I might be suffering from heat exhaustion. But
much later, with a low fever and chills, I took a Covid test and found that
was the real diagnosis.

Saturday night was rough but Griffin set up an AX3 and KX2 for me to use in
bed Sunday morning to get in a few more Field Day QSOs. Despite being
indoors, running 5 W, and using a 4 foot whip, I managed contacts as far
away as Maryland.

This year's FD would have been very disappointing if it hadn't been for the
father/son bonding opportunity. We've also vowed to return to the same spot
next year, and possibly even operate from San Pedro rocks at low tide.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

-- 
Elecraft, Inc.


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