Wellness Rollcall

[WA2SQQ]

I’ve noticed radio activity has been down, likely due to the Coronavirus situation. 16 days ago my wife and I lost our smell and taste. Very intermittent fever that would last for 2-3 hours, followed by temperatures of 97-98. I’m in the worst area you can be, Bergen County NJ, where hospitals are using refrigerated trailers to hold the deceased. Finally got an appointment to get tested tomorrow morning, to confirm what I already know. Despite the bleak details, my wife and I are not having any serious issues, except for a lack of energy. Two Teladoc visits suggest we are through the worst, and hopefully looking for a gradual recovery.

So how’s everyone else doing?

[w8khk]

Doing well here in Marietta, just northwest of Atlanta.  Staying home for the last three weeks no doubt helped.  My son works at Publix grocery store three days a week, so we are careful to decontaminate when he returns from work. 

Waiting to get help raising the antenna so I can get back on the air, hopefully soon!

It is scary to see then numbers of infected and deceased increasing so much every day, and it is of course hoped that people can avoid spreading it as much as possible.

Prayers for you and your wife, it sounds like you may be over the hump and on the way to recovery.

[W1ITT]

I'm not sure why the bands aren't wall-to-wall with all the people on various degrees of lockdown.  It seems like a fine excuse to get on the air.  Here in Maine the governor tells us to "stay home", and some are interpreting that to stay indoors.  I suppose for the city folks who don't have a yard or acreage, that makes sense.  But in the sticks, it makes sense to get out and rake the yard and paint the porch.  For my own part, I'm planning on having the best garden yet, and a full woodshed, and working off a bit of pork.  And if I'm working up on my tower, Ive certainly done my social distancing.  But I've noticed that governments aren't being clear about what "home" means.  Here in Maine they opened up fishing season early, declared it "essential" and did away with licenses at least until the end of April.  So I guess that's a vague hint.
My Dear Sweetie works in a hospital lab, which is a cause for some concern.  Perhaps I'll surprise her with the pressure washer when she gets home at midnight tonight.
73 de Norm W1ITT

[ka1tdq]

It's time like these that I miss rural Maine. I'm sure that Baileyville isn't on complete lockdown and life is still pretty normal.

Arizona believes that good fences make good neighbors. Practically every house has a 6-foot block wall surrounding the property, like a compound. I have a good sized backyard and the kids take full advantage of it, but it feels almost like a prison. Especially now that I'm working from home a lot of the time too.

A coworker of mine said that he needed something to do for a hobby because he was bored. Radio keeps me pretty occupied, especially too that I build. I don't know what I'd do if all I had was a TV.

Anyway, here's to the next 6 months of lockdown... Cheers!

Jon

[Carl WA1KPD]

Perhaps I'll surprise her with the pressure washer when she gets home at midnight tonight.
73 de Norm W1ITT

And maybe she will visit you in the hospital after you do that!

[SM6OID]

Hi!

Here comes a report from S/W part of Sweden...
So far in the Town were I live, and it's surroundings, the situation is reasonably "cool".
By "cool" I mean that the hospital can handle the situation, as opposed to reports I have heard from other parts of the world.
But, in the capital city region, things are a lot more "not so cool" as far as I understand, hospitals and field hospitals can, just barely, handle the situation. The number of people getting ill is raising rapidly and of coarse the number of casualties.

The personal situation is OK, my wife was ordered to work from home weeks ago, and I'm currently not working, I'm recovering from stress syndrome due to too much work and a thyroid gland metabolism problem. The latter was a huge part of the problem, eventually it was "easily" fixed by ONE (1) pill, almost like in The Matrix...
But my pill was almost transparent and packed with 612 M Bq 131-Iodine.

I have time to spend at the radios, it begins in the morning trying to work VK/ZL region on 40 m, then after that "local EU QSOs" on 40 m, trying to get some interesting rag chews. I have noticed that the bands are not crowded at all, somewhat to my surprise. Later after lunch, before 80 m becomes too active. With a 43 ft vertical and 750 W I can hear my signal in ZL every morning with at least S3 but more often S5 or more using CW on 40 m.

I have however developed quite an irritating cough, but other than that I'm all FB and so is the rest of the family.

Take Care and Stay Safe!

[KD1SH]

Here in Connecticut they opened fishing season early, too, but in Washington (state) they shut down recreational fishing.  Go figure.
We've got a statewide "stay at home" order, too, but "essential" businesses include liquor stores, home entertainment retailers, and swimming pool maintenance.  Still scratching my head about that.

I'm not sure why the bands aren't wall-to-wall with all the people on various degrees of lockdown.  It seems like a fine excuse to get on the air.  Here in Maine the governor tells us to "stay home", and some are interpreting that to stay indoors.  I suppose for the city folks who don't have a yard or acreage, that makes sense.  But in the sticks, it makes sense to get out and rake the yard and paint the porch.  For my own part, I'm planning on having the best garden yet, and a full woodshed, and working off a bit of pork.  And if I'm working up on my tower, Ive certainly done my social distancing.  But I've noticed that governments aren't being clear about what "home" means.  Here in Maine they opened up fishing season early, declared it "essential" and did away with licenses at least until the end of April.  So I guess that's a vague hint.
My Dear Sweetie works in a hospital lab, which is a cause for some concern.  Perhaps I'll surprise her with the pressure washer when she gets home at midnight tonight.
73 de Norm W1ITT

[KD6VXI]

From sunny Arroyo Grande, Central California... 

The 10 acre compound here means nothing has changed in the near field.

Far field....  That's a different story.  I'm a Union Electrician.  The union has told us if we want to stay home, we can.  However, they now have more call outs than they can staff.  I'm 48, just had heart surgery a month ago, and am enjoying time with my kids.  I still have the company truck here, and have run a couple calls to help out, but that's that.  I'm not looking to become a statistic.

Since I live in one county and work in another, it's really strange.  The county I live in (San Luis Obispo) issued a shelter in place order earlier than the county I work in (Santa Barbara County).  The county I work in pretty much closed up shop, only essential construction may continue.  And even that is going to be shut down I hear. 

San Luis Obispo...  Well, you better hurry up and get those public works projects finished!  Yeah, even when one project managers wife may be patient zero for the infection here....  We pretty much have said no more.

I ordered an SDR (Hermes Lite) when we went on lockdown.  I am glad to hear that others are not hearing much traffic, I was starting to wonder myself if the radio was deaf or what.  During the contest however, I heard even 15 meters being utilized, and LOTS of .eu on that band, so the bands aren't totally dead.  They just aren't being used I guess.


This whole leaving it to the states thing is ridiculous.  Direction is needed at the national level, especially since we rely on interstate commerce.  Someone needs to define what essential is (a car sales lot, give me a break!) in order to contain this.  I hear we are on the way to possibly double the deaths of Viet Nam?  Was this even imaginable 5 to 10 years ago?

SQQ, prayers for you and the missuz! 



--Shane
KD6VXI

[N4LTA]

In Spartanburg, SC things are pretty much shutdown.  My wife has been at home for three weeks and I have been going to the office a few hours a day.

We have plenty to do through May at the engineering business and are continuing to pick up some work. Some guys are working from home but most are coming in to the office. We are pretty well separated. I spent yesterday filling out the Federal form for Corona Virus assistance loans.

I have a K3 that I bought in 2013. Later that year I bought a 100 watt internal module and a 144MHz module and a few other add on's. They never got installed, so that is what I have been doing at home. All went well except the 144 MHz module is dead. Only has three plug in low level coax connection and a 12 volt power lead. The IC'shave 5 volts at the right places, so not much else can be done. On power up a status LED is supposed to flash a few time and this doesn't happen. The processor won't communicate over the serial port so I think I am out of luck. Elecraft says a new module is $400 so I guess I'll pull it out. I probably would never use it much anyway.

My wife, daughter, and 2 year old grandaughter have escaped to our place at Edisto Beach even though the beach is closed. I think I may head that way for a few days.



Pat
N4LTA
N4LTA

[WD5JKO]

  I read every post thus far in this thread. So much to say, and to reflect during this special time. For sure, the year 2020 will have it's own chapter in the history books. Looks like a game changer. Like Andrew Cuomo, the NY Governor said a few days ago, paraphrasing, "We won't get back to normal, but more of a new normal". What that means has yet to be defined. We will have to adapt to what unfolds, whether it is good or not. I see this as a time of rapid medical advancement, and all kinds of new treatments are on the horizon. Who knows, maybe a cancer cure is closer than before? Trying to find that silver lining.

  A few months ago I saw a comedy act from a man that wasn't really a comedian, but rather a philosopher who could relate with the audience in such a way that all conversations ceased, and everybody listened to him. The tip jar was full afterward. His day job is being a Fireman in Bastrop, Texas. Fast forward, he and his wife both have Corovirus. He made a video about it under his YouTube handle, Uncle Mullet. To me it was very inspiring, and uplifting. I thought I'd share that here:

https://youtu.be/ey7zGnyZ7iE

Jim
Wd5JKO

[KD1SH]

   My wife and I live in Connecticut, but about as from the the State's coronavirus epicenter as you could get - the Northeast Corner.  Few cases around this area, but it's still spooky.  We both work in the same place - me in the R&D lab and her on the production floor - and since the company makes a lot of medical electronics we're considered "essential" and still working.
   I'm sixty-four, but a pretty strapping healthy sixty-four, so I'm not so worried for myself, but she's got a few issues including asthma, and of course if I go out and expose myself, (to the virus, I mean  ) I'll most certainly share it with her.  Keeping my head down as much as possible is all I can do.
   Hands are all cracked and frazzled from hand sanitizer, and they just shut down the cafeteria here at work, so we'll be eating cold food for a while, and I can't even have lunch with my wife anymore - they want us to mingle as little as necessary.  Certainly could be worse, but it's going to be tough for at least another month.

[W6TOM]

  Here in the Bay Area we have been in lock down for about 2 weeks and now the entire state along with all the bordering states. I was supposed to fly to Washington DC two weeks ago and spend 3 days going to museums and then take the train up to Boston. I have two sisters of the South Shore and planned to visit for a few weeks. When they closed the museums in DC the week before I was to leave that trip got canceled.
 
  Just hanging out at home doing various projects, being retired makes this easier for me but my former employer sent all of those 65 or over home until this ends. In the last 2 weeks I have driven 20 miles, stores are close by.

   One of my sisters is a nurse and has health issues that put her in a high risk group, I'm worried for her.

    My best to all, this will end, soon I hope.

[Carl WA1KPD]

Since I live in one county and work in another, it's really strange.  The county I live in (San Luis Obispo) issued a shelter in place order earlier than the county I work in (Santa Barbara County).  The county I work in pretty much closed up shop, only essential construction may continue.  And even that is going to be shut down I hear. 

--Shane
KD6VXI

[WD5JKO]

Carl, As a pool owner, it is my general expectation that everyone pees in the pool! I will state for the record that all kids pee in the pool, and all adults drinking beer pee in the Hot Tub. If you go to a hotel, NEVER use the hot tub...EVER! If the pool water when calm is not crystal clear...do not swim either. Sniff the Skimmer areas, and if you smell chlorine, that means there is not enough chlorine. What your smelling is the broken down chloramines caused from breaking down pee and fecal matter. Coronovirus is active in poop from an infected person.

Jim

[W1RKW]

Working from home 4 days and one 4 hour day at the office to have access to certain files.. Wife and self are fine.  Company has gone to 2 shifts to create social distancing. 

[Tom WA3KLR]

I live south of Allentown PA and north of Philadelphia. I am in the next county north of Montgomery County, one of the original hotspots in Pennsylvania. It’s amazing to me to think about the last time my wife and I ventured into Montgomery county to an Indian restaurant on March 7th.  We were just a few miles airline from Worcester and Fort Washington – the first places that had already reported nCovid19 cases days earlier.  This was just about 8 weeks after the first death was reported in Wuhan!

I have been working in Flemington NJ for the last 10 years and have been working 10-hour days.  I happen to be set up to be retired on May 1.  I am 68 ½ years old.  Wednesday morning March 18th while driving to work the thought stuck me – I wonder what my primary care physician’s opinion is of me working?  I called my wife and asked her to talk to our doctor’s office and later the response was that my doctor was making a 15-day work excuse letter for me, expiring on April 2nd, stating I was a high-risk patient.  I have no underlying conditions, in good health, but I guess is solely due to my age.  I told my immediate supervisor and the HR director that I was getting this doctor’s letter and would mail it in.

Later in the day, a company memo was posted that one of our employee’s spouse had been in contact with someone who had tested positive. That employee also carpooled with another of our employees.  Those two and a third employee who was a friend of them were asked to stay home in self-quarantine.  After learning of this I thought ‘that’s it’, I am definitely out of here.  I presumed that things would be worse yet after April 2nd so my normal end-of day non-ceremonial departure would probably be the last I was there. So Thursday March 19th was my first day off.

I found out later that the next day there was a company meeting about the situation and that those who wanted to stop working at that point could, and would not be penalized for that, and that their job would be kept for them if they decide to return.  The man-hours were cut in half for my department and all others I think, 2 others left my group, but now I hear they have returned to work.  I have not heard of any positive cases.

I have decided to not return to work this month of April.  (Geez, I would hate to die on the eve of retirement!) So, I am in pre-retirement now as I call it.  I look forward to being on the air more and digging into radio projects again as the trip to NJ and 10-hour days kept me away from home 13 hours a day.  Hobby things here have basically at a standstill the last 10 years.  Work will resume on the Class E transmitter project, other needed repairs, restoration of my 1935 National HRO, et cetera.

We are fairly well-stocked and just go out for our daily walks, weather permitting. What a way to start retirement.

Tomorrow morning, we will have our 3rd church service over the web on Zoom.

73 and take care,
Tom and Nicole

[WA2SQQ]

So my wife and I have had all the symptoms over the past 19 days. We are feeling better, but still a ways to go. Got tested on Friday. Yesterday my wife’s test came back +, no shock. This morning I got a call, NEGATIVE. I told the doctor that is impossible. Same symptom, same house, same bed! He said, well it’s likely a false negative. Worthless testing! Feeling better so I was told to go on as if you are positive.

[Opcom]

Pretty nomal here. I also just retired. I have some of the 'conditions' and am avoiding all contacts. So many people have no such thing as an income and are trying to find some sort of work that is permitted. I have an income and nothing to complain about there.

The local order is simple, easy to follow as it is made to be as compassionate and easy to live with as possible even to the point of pet care at another residence, and it stops evictions and utility cutoffs.

The rules are thorough about what business and personal activities are permitted and what are forbidden, and there is a $1000 fine for violators.

Unfortunately, here are a bunch of people who just think they can do whatever they want. The local government is waiting far too long to transition from issuing warning citations to issuing fines. The city had to remove all basketball hoops to stop youths from violating the order and congregating. Shame on the scofflaws and parents who do not control their children.

I don't use the term 'lockdown' because the definition is incorrect.
We are 'under orders', no one is bottled up.

[KD6VXI]

The flip side to your situation, Opcom, is Bakersfield.

The city manager made a public announcement that they couldn't and won't enforce stay home orders.

People are traveling from the bay area and San Diego to play golf. 

Of course they went from 1 to 200 plus cases in 2 weeks.

--Shane
KD6VXI

[Opcom]

New PPE finally arrived. May have been a kind of a waste though, as when I tried it out today, people seem to be taking things more seriously than last week. Not one person came anywhere near 6 FT from me.

[W7TFO]

Retired on remote 10ac in the Sonoran Desert.

Nothing has changed at home, just a LOT less trips into town for anything.

Pro mask & gloves when we have to go.

All we really need is the grid to continue.

73DG

[K6JEK]

So my wife and I have had all the symptoms over the past 19 days. We are feeling better, but still a ways to go. Got tested on Friday. Yesterday my wife’s test came back +, no shock. This morning I got a call, NEGATIVE. I told the doctor that is impossible. Same symptom, same house, same bed! He said, well it’s likely a false negative. Worthless testing! Feeling better so I was told to go on as if you are positive.

It's been 5 days since this post. How are you? Your wife?

[WA2SQQ]

Thanks for asking. We are doing ok. I still have very little small though my taste has come back. The 12 lbs I lost is now only 9 lbs!  I’m seeing  daily improvement with my wife. She is now able to go up and down the stairs with little to know breathing difficulty. Looks like another month of working from home. Again, thanks for reaching out!

[KA8WTK]

 Here in NE Ohio we are staying home and only makeing needed trips out. I found out I have plenty to do here in the yard and in the house. This has given me some time to work on my model trains and to learn my way around a 3d printer I bought mid-January. (They can be very addictive.) We also walk down to the local church parking lot for a walk if it is sunny. Five laps of the lot is about a mile.
  I did have a similar health experience to WA2SQQ. Back in early January I had all the symptoms of flu and most of those of Covid 19 (no shortness of breath). When I went to the doctor he tested me for flu, but that was negative. He told me I had some "other virus" and to wait it out. This is before any Covid testing around here so I wonder what it really was. 

Stay safe, stay healthy!

Bill KA8WTK

[Steve - K4HX]

Good to hear from you Bill!