Tuesday, July 13, 2021


RULES:

Adventure Radio Society 2021 Flight of the Bumblebees, Sunday, July 25


The Adventure Radio Society Flight of the Bumblebees is a four-hour event held annually on the last Sunday of July. It is open to all radio amateurs.

2021 ARS Flight of the Bumblebees
Sunday, July 25
1700 to 2100 UTC

CONTEST PERIOD BY TIMEZONE (Local Time)
·                    1 p.m. to 5 p.m.   – Eastern
·                    12 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Central
·                    11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Mountain
·                    10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Pacific
·                    7 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Hawaii

The contest period accommodates multiple time zones simultaneously. No matter where you live, there will be time for Bumblebees to travel to a field operating site, set up their station, operate the contest, and travel home.

WHO CAN PLAY?
Both home-based and portable operations are encouraged.

WHAT QUALIFIES AS A BUMBLEBEE?
Participants who operate portable from field locations are designated as Bumblebees. They get to their operating site principally under their own power by walking, biking, boating, and so on. The distance traveled to the site is at the Bumblebee’s discretion. Bumblebees add /BB to their calls. (NOTE: Home-based stations do not add /BB to their callsign.)

IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE, GET A BUMBLEBEE NUMBER
If you plan to operate the 2021 FOBB portable – in other words, from a field location – you’re invited to request a Bumblebee identification number. Instructions for obtaining a Bumblebee number are in the next section, below, headlined "Apply for a 2021 Flight of the Bumblebees Number."

There is no limit to the number of Bumblebees. You may apply for, and receive, a Bee number at any time up to July 25 prior to the contest.

GROUP OPERATION
Group operation is welcome in the Flight of the Bumblebees. You may operate under a single call and report a single score, or under multiple calls and report multiple scores. In any event, you are limited to operating a single transmitter at a time.

POWER OUTPUT
To keep with its minimalist theme, maximum FOBB power output is 5 watts.

OPERATION
We operate CW on 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters, around standard QRP frequencies.
           
EXCHANGE
  • /BB: If you are a Bumblebee, your exchange is RST, state/province/country, and your Bumblebee number.
  • Home Stations: If you are home-based, your exchange is RST, state/province/country, and your power.
Here are examples of exchanges:

Bumblebee NE6SW / BB (Bumblebee No. 73) sends:
579
CA
BB 73 or NR 73

Home-based station WN1DWL sends:
579
MA
5W

PLAYING IN 2021 
FOBB
Everyone in the contest can work anyone else in the contest. In other words:
·                    Home-based stations can work other home-based stations and Bumblebees.
·                    Bumblebees can work other Bumblebees and home-based stations.

SCORING
Here are the details:
·                    Each contact is worth one point.
·                    The same station can be worked on different bands for additional QSO points and multipliers.
·                    Contacts with Bumblebees generate a multiplier of three. NOTE: If you worked NE6SW/BB on two bands, it counts as two Bumblebee contacts.

Here’s an example of how your score will be calculated:
  • Say, you make 21 FOBB contacts on 40 meters.
  • You make 32 FOBB contacts on 20 meters.
  • In that combined total of QSOs, you contacted 14 Bumblebees. NOTE: If you worked KI6SN/BB on two bands, it counts as two Bumblebee contacts.
  • To determine your multiplier, multiply 14 Bumblebees times 3.

Using the FOBB Scoring Formula:
  • Contacts: 21 + 32 = 53
  • BB Multiplier: 14 X 3 = 42
  • Total: 53 QSOs X 42 BB Multiplier = 2,226 Total points

COMMENDATIONS
Separate but equal commendations are awarded to the high scores for the home-based and Bumblebee participants. We will also commend Bumblebees in the following categories:
  • Most interesting equipment
  • Most fascinating FOBB venture
  • Most beautiful site
SUBMITTING YOUR FOBB DATA:
Send your FOBB 2021 Reports via email to:


REPORT FORM:
Your:
  • Full name
  • Callsign
  • Location of FOBB operation
  • Total number of contacts (all bands)
  • Total number of Bumblebees (all bands)
  • Comments about your 2021 FOBB experience:
Photographs of your adventure are welcome and encouraged.

RESULTS:
Results and soapbox comments will be reported on the ARS Spartan Sprint and FOBB website. That posting will be announced on the QRP-L email group.

SAFETY:
As with all ARS events, please keep safety in front of mind when conducting operations in the field. Such things as weather, power lines, terrain, dehydration, and fatigue can be lethal. Above all, we want all participants to have a fabulous and safe experience.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *



--
FIELD STATIONS:

Apply for a 2021 Flight of the Bumblebees Number

            The Adventure Radio Society Flight of the Bumblebees is a four-hour event held annually on the last Sunday of July. It is open to all radio amateurs.

2021 ARS Flight of the Bumblebees
Sunday, July 25
1700 to 2100 UTC

CONTEST PERIOD BY TIMEZONE (Local Time)
·                    1 p.m. to 5 p.m.   – Eastern
·                    12 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Central
·                    11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Mountain
·                    10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Pacific
·                    7 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Hawaii

The contest period accommodates multiple time zones simultaneously. No matter where you live, there will be time for Bumblebees to travel to a field operating site, set up their station, operate the contest, and travel home.

IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE, GET A BUMBLEBEE NUMBER
If you plan to operate the 2021 FOBB portable – in other words, from a field location – you’re invited to request a Bumblebee identification number. Here’s how:

1. CHECK THE DATABASE: An online database has been set up to show assigned Bumblebee numbers. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/4r3bzez3

2. OFFER THREE NUMBER OPTIONS: Check the database for eligibility,  Then send an email to:

ARSBumblebees@gmail.com with:
  • Your Callsign
  • Your First Name
  • The field location you anticipate to be operating from
  • Your Top 3 Choices for FOBB Number

3. YOUR FOBB NUMBER ASSIGNMENT: Check the database, https://tinyurl.com/4r3bzez3 after submitting your top three choices to see which number you have been assigned. The number listed in the database is your official 2021 FOBB number.


– 73, Richard Fisher, KI6SN,
The Adventure Radio Society


Saturday, July 10, 2021

RESULTS: July 2021 ARS Spartan Sprint


 For an enlarged view, click on the Scoreboard.

SOAPBOX: July 2021 ARS Spartan Sprint

W1PID

I operated 12 minutes. 3 QSOs on 20. 4 QSOs on 40. Thanks everyone. 72 Jim W1PID

 

K3RLL

So great to be away from the hurricanes and be back in PA for the summer with a real, honest-to-goodness outdoor antenna for a change! Great propagation tonight also, with many solid-to-strong signals, 3 watts and up.  Delighted to make my 10 contacts in 29 minutes - a tribute to the skill of our Spartan Sprinters.  72/73 … Don

 

NØTA

4 on 20m, 13 on 40m. Tnx for the Q's. K3 at 5 watts. Doublet & Vertical, GenLog.

 

NØAR

I arrived about an hour late to the party and was glad the qrn hadn't left! 20 meters was marginal up here with 40 being the workhorse tonight. I ran the Kwd 590 at 5 watts and fed the 43' vertical. Rx was off the loop since the static crashes were pretty loud. Hope you all had a good Fourth of July. 72 Scott NØAR

 

K4PQC

Good weather here in Bishop, GA but not for long with a hurricane on her way....  I didn't hear any stations on 20 meters and most of the activity was on 40.  One station, W3KC, was worked both on 40 & 80.  A couple of stations answered my CQs but I couldn't pull them in...  Rig AT 3B @ 3W 160 Meter Loop at 25. Thanks to all for the Q's 72 Phil - K4PQC.

 

AG4CC

First sprint, did not hear any CQs so called CQ SP on 20m.

 

K3JZD

40m only.  Very little QSB and QRN this month.  Naked QCX transciever w/500 mAH LiPo Battery Pack running at 4w with K0MBT 3D Printed Mini-Mini Key and Earbuds to a 40m dipole up 25'.   73 - Jody - K3JZD

 

WB5BKL

K3/10 @ 5W to a 40M extended double Zepp or a 40M dipole. Worked NK6A on three bands - thanks Don!  Best signals:  15M - NK6A, 20M - NK6A, 40M - K4BAI, 80M - WA8ZBT. 80M seemed very noisy here. Two QRO QSOs not counted. Had fun.

 

W3KC

Arrived late but was able to make a few contacts on 20, 40, and 80. IC-703 @ 5 watts into an end fed  wireup 24 feet.

 

WB9HFK

Rig: Icom 7300 @ 5W. Antenna: Hustler 6BTV - Gnd Mounted with 60 Radials. Weight: 30 Lbs.

 

WA4AAK

Enjoyed working WØITT with his 1W station, and 9 others. Most were heard on 40m, a few on 20m and 80m. Ran 3W to an 80m CF Zepp. 72 to all! Evan WA4AAK Alabama

 

K4BAI

Nice sprint tonight. 2 QSOs on 40 and 16 on 80. Two were on both bands, N0TA and NK6A. Called a lot of CQs on 80, but got no replies and heard no one else in the Sprint on 80. About one hour of actual operation. 73/72, John, K4BAI.