RESULTS: ARS September 2023 Spartan Sprint

 

SOAPBOX: September 2023 ARS Spartan Sprint

WB9HFK
Rig: Xiegu X6100 @ 5W Antenna: EFHW @ 30 Ft. Weight: 30 Lbs. Checking out new rig!

K3RLL
Pretty light turnout this evening. Must have been something good on TV? Thanks for the contacts; mostly regulars and a few new (at least to me). Nice. 72/73 Don

AB9CA
Well, it helps if you get started at the right time. I was late again tonight. Rig was K3 at 5W to inverted vee. 40 was the main band, 12 contacts there. 4 on 20 and 3 on 80. Only two bander was WO9B on 40 and 80. Prop seemed pretty good. I was getting quite a few spots but the noise was somewhat high on 40 and 80. Thanks for the fun and we hope to see everyone next month. 73 de Dave AB9CA

AA9RK and KD9NZB
40 meters was hot. Conditions were phenomenal.  A new ham joined us in the park for the company and we all had a great time.

K3JZD
All of my QSOs were on 40m. 40m was sort of all over the place this evening for me, which was nice. Four watts with a purpose built 40m QCX Mini, small 500mAH LiPo battery pack, small 3D printed key, and ear buds. 40m dipole at 25'. 72 - Jody - K3JZD

K4BAI
Got a late start and no activity heard on 20M or on 80M.  All QSOs on 40M. Thanks for each one.  72, John, K4BAI

K4PQC
This is quite a change from the last 2 months.  On the first Monday for both July and August we had tremendous lightning storms during the entire Spartan Sprints. Today there are no storms within 150 miles, so why are the bands so noisy? Before the SP I listened to all the bands that I have filter modules, 80, 40, (30) and 20 meters. All of these bands had noise levels more than S-5 and 80 meters was the worst. To save rig weight I just stayed on 40 alternating between S & P and running. I was asked about my station so here it is in brief:  The transceiver is a lightened Steve Weber designed ATS-3 using homemade paddles and earbud and for the power supply an 800 mah single cell LiPo with a battery boost.  The antenna is a diamond shaped 160 meter horizontal loop at 35' fed with 40' 450 Ohm ladder line, a 9:1 balun and another 25' of RG-58 into the shack. The sad part is, I now have 13 connections between the RF jack and the antenna. I measure the output power with an inline meter between 2 switches. Hopefully the WX will allow more participation in the future.  72/73 to all and thanks for the fun, your good ears and for the QSOs. Phil, K4PQC

WA9AGG
Another fun filled Spartan Sprint. Most of my contacts were on 40 even thought I had a noise level of S7. Here is a tip for reducing weight.  Remove all the knobs, feet, and cabinet panels that you can from the QRP rig. Shorten the cable from the key to the rig. Use the rig speaker instead of earbuds. Use the smallest battery that runs out of power just as the event ends. None of these reduce much weight but together they can help. Thanks again to the sponsors. LONG LIVE QRP AND THE GUYS THAT MAKE IT HAPPEN. Regards, Gerald / WA9AGG

AF5Z
Thanks for the contacts. I used a MultusSDR Proficio with 5 watts output to a 1/4 wave vertical with base and radials at 6 feet height. The weight of a 20 amp linear power supply and Vibroplex bug puts me in the tubby division! 72, Bob, AF5Z

What is an ARS Spartan Sprint and how can I participate?

 The Adventure Radio Society Spartan Sprint is a two hour QRP contest on the first Monday of every month encouraging QRP operators to get on, or near standard QRP frequencies for an evening of fun.

The contest period for each time zone:

EASTERN 8:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.
CENTRAL 7:00 p.m. to 9 p.m.
MOUNTAIN 6:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.
PACIFIC 5:00 p.m. to 7 p.m.
UTC STANDARD TIME 0100Z to 0300Z
UTC DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME 0000Z to 0200Z

Contest Exchange:

Your call sign
Your state or province
Power output

There is scoring in both Skinny and Tubby divisions. The weight of your station consists everything except your antenna and feedline. If your station includes your home-based rig, antenna tuner, DC power supply, heavy paddle or bug - obviously not lightweight - simply report 30 lbs. That is the default weight for the Tubby division.

Working the same station on two bands counts as two contacts.

To report your results, send an e-mail no later than Thursday, to spartansprint@yahoo.com with the following information:

Your call.
Total number of contacts (all bands) during the sprint.
The weight of your station in pounds.

Soapbox comments, which may include power, equipment, antennas, band conditions, outdoor experiences, and anything else, are encouraged.

We look forward to seeing you in the next Spartan Sprint.

73,

Richard Fisher, KI6SN
Co-founder, The Adventure Radio Society
KI6SN@aol.com
(951) 232-1373

RESULTS: August 2023 ARS Spartan Sprint

 

SCOREBOARD

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k_XEUpFKNnIi2Qs9xNDbJ5gewW7JwQuha8G0dwOCHPs/edit#gid=0

 

SOAPBOX

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W7aqXbOqgd2JBypRZG3SgIZwckaogZhsjYK5HtTitFY/edit

2023 ARS Flight of the Bumble Bees tally

Here is a snapshot of the activities in this year's "Flight of the Bumble Bees" held July 30. It includes Pictures of Bumble Bees in the field, a Scoreboard with each entrant's QSOs, multiplier and final score, and the Roster of who the more than 100 bees were, including the location of their field operation.

There is a link to Comments from operators from across North America. An FOBB Soapbox consolidates operators' descriptions of experiences during the four-hour competition.

Please click the links below for details.

Thanks for everyone's participation. It's never too early to plan for 2024 FOBB.

73,

Richard

Richard Fisher, KI6SN
Co-founder, the Adventure Radio Society
Riverside, CA
(951) 232-1373

Photos
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16HvAs1ridie9AdeLxg_nC56A-axYR3hZ

Scoreboard
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WVwc8kIHRlJ0iiyFvpSP59f1CDytBk170dPcEb4nGB0/edit?usp=sharing

Roster
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1onAsqMAvYBWp5Ifcpg3fXNYNxrx0dvPfxNWk1-rmP_o/edit#gid=0

Soapbox
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EoqVITb2HqzsDEu2BlRsCboS_mq4VNODuoPOG7yIZ64/edit

 

 

What is an ARS Spartan Sprint and how can I participate?

The Adventure Radio Society Spartan Sprint is a two hour QRP contest on the first Monday of every month encouraging QRP operators to get on, or near standard QRP frequencies for an evening of fun.

The contest period for each time zone:

EASTERN 8:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.
CENTRAL 7:00 p.m. to 9 p.m.
MOUNTAIN 6:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.
PACIFIC 5:00 p.m. to 7 p.m.
UTC STANDARD TIME 0100Z to 0300Z
UTC DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME 0000Z to 0200Z

Contest Exchange:

Your call sign
Your state or province
Power output

There is scoring in both Skinny and Tubby divisions. The weight of your station consists everything except your antenna and feedline. If your station includes your home-based rig, antenna tuner, DC power supply, heavy paddle or bug - obviously not lightweight - simply report 30 lbs. That is the default weight for the Tubby division.

Working the same station on two bands counts as two contacts.

To report your results, send an e-mail no later than Thursday, to spartansprint@yahoo.com with the following information:

Your call.
Total number of contacts (all bands) during the sprint.
The weight of your station in pounds.

Soapbox comments, which may include power, equipment, antennas, band conditions, outdoor experiences, and anything else, are encouraged.

We look forward to seeing you in the next Spartan Sprint.

73,

Richard Fisher, KI6SN
Co-founder, The Adventure Radio Society
KI6SN@aol.com
(951) 232-1373

                                                            

RULES:

Adventure Radio Society 2023 Flight of the Bumblebees, Sunday, July 30

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.

2023 ARS Flight of the Bumblebees

Sunday, July 30

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 2023 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 2023 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 30 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 2023 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 2023 Reports via email to:

ARSBumblebees@gmail.com

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 2023 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 2023 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.

2023 ARS Flight of the Bumblebees

Sunday, July 30

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 2023 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://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1onAsqMAvYBWp5Ifcpg3fXNYNxrx0dvPfxNWk1-rmP_o/edit#gid=0

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://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1onAsqMAvYBWp5Ifcpg3fXNYNxrx0dvPfxNWk1-rmP_o/edit#gid=0 after submitting your top three choices to see which number you have been assigned. The number listed in the database is your official 2023 FOBB number.

– 73, Richard Fisher, KI6SN,

The Adventure Radio Society