Soapbox for the 2004 Flight of the Bumblebees

W4ZV/BB
Went back up to Dark Springs Mountain in the Uwharrie National Forest where I did Field Day. Crazy day...fixed breakfast for XYL at 7AM, cleanup and setup for guest singing group at local outdoor worship center at 9 AM, service/performance at 10:30 AM, grabbed a ham biscuit and Coke and headed for site at Noon, climbed 300' hill and arrived very sweaty at 12:35 PM, got everything unpacked and set up by 12:50 PM! Bands didn't sound very good but could hear a few signals on 20 and 40. Who forgot to turn the lights back on after the solar flare?Still had loads of fun in my first FOBB. Strongest signal was WA9TZE by far. Farthest station worked was K7TQ in ID. Farthest station heard was K6III in CA working someone else...tried calling several times but nil. VE3's were surprisingly strong on both 20 and 40. Worked N7SR and N4HAY on two bands and should have gotten AA1MY but Seab got away from me on 40. I guess we shouldn't complain given the conditions!

Used my Elecraft K2 at 5W, Emtech ZM-2 tuner, 90' dipole up 60' fed with Radio Shack twinlead, on mountain top at 875' in tall trees about 300' above average surrounding terrain.

Great fun but let's pray for better conditions next year!

73, Bill W4ZV

N4HAY/BB
Condx were tough but I sure had fun! I operated from a small beach on Lake Jordan near Raleigh NC (which I reached in my motorboat)using a 40 meter dipole center fed with ladderline at 50-60 feet high between 2 trees. ZM-2 ATU, K2 at 5 watts. Many thanks to all for an enjoyable event.

N9NE/BB
It was the "BLIGHT OF THE FUMBLEBEES!" Conditions were so poor that my first contact was made 20 minutes into the contest. It was so bad that I never even heard N4BP (that's a first!)nor many other usual participants. My setup consisted of K2 #1429 at 5 watts to an 88' doublet up 35'in a cottonwood tree. I operated from grown-over, unused industrial land in the city of Oshkosh adjacent to my home. The weather, on the other hand, was beautiful: low 70s, sun, east breeze. I watched the ants and beetles crawl across the equipment and this old man while I sat under my shady locust tree arbor listening to the noise coming from my earphones. Of course I'll be back next year, need you ask?!?p.s. My last year's partner, Larry, K5OT (now gone to be a pesky Texan near Austin) gave me a nice County Hunter's 339 report, and I ALSO returned the favor .... hmmph!

K4MF/BBN4BP/BB
N4GM and I alternated half hours for the duration, each with our own BB number. Operation was from Fiesta Key in the Florida Keys, our usual Field Day site.
Weather was calm when we arrived, but promptly at the sprint start, very strong winds started up from a low pressure system crossing Florida. Within 15 minutes, our 4BTV vertical blew over. We got it back upright, more securely guyed and did our best to shield each other from the wind for the first hour of operation. The squally weather produced horrendous QRN which prevented us from copying exchanges from many of the stations who called. Fortunately, the wind died down and we never got a drop of rain, but band condx and storm static made for a disappointing show.
We both did have fun though, operating the K2 from battery for two hours each, and simulating another Field Day just a month after the previous one.

N2CQ/BB
Rig: K1 at 5w and Hamstick antennas.
QTH: Historical Red Bank Battlefield, Gloucester County NJ on the Delaware river, south of Philadelphia
Good activity and great weather conditions.

N5ESE/BB
Whoever thinks July is the perfect time for an ourdoor exercise, must be from someplace way north of Texas. For the third year running, we had hot shade and icy band conditions. Happily, the band was not completely dead, and there were lots of little weak buzzy-bees popping up out of the QRN throughout the contest period. If you were patient, you could snag one for just a few seconds, and without even getting stung. One of the things I really like about this test is that there are so many participating bees (70% of contacts were bees), and we're all pretty much on equal footing. See you next July, when I've again forgotten how 9%#*$! HOT it can be... 72, monty N5ESEN4GM/BBK5OT/BB
Quite a change from last year! In 2003, I had the opportunity to share the Bee action with N9NE from a super location high atop the local university stadium in Wisconsin. I relocated back to Texas in June ñ and this yearís Bumblebee event gave me a good dose of reality: poor band conditions, lots of line noise, and good old Texas heat. My son offered me the use of his horse barn on some property west of Georgetown, Texas. I set up at one end of the barn, and had plenty of company: four horses, two pesky dogs, and more than a few flies. (Memo for 2005: Find a location with fewer flies and more fragrant air!)

Setup: An 88-foot doublet strung between a local power pole and a couple of hastily-erected 2x4ís, plus a 20M dipole sloping to the northwest. Homebrew tuner. Wilderness Sierra (3W) and IC-706 (5W).

The Sierraís 20M module went south early in the test, so I had to race back to the truck, pull out the 706, and get back and set up. Only lost about 15 minutes.

40M 2 QSOís
20M 38
TOT 40 QSOís x 20 SPCís

Tnx to ARS and all the Bees for a great time!

72,
Larry K5OT
BB #85

K7TQ/BB
A great contest in spite of the lack of cooperation from the geomagnetic field. I lugged in the K2, a 20 dipole antenna, and a Palm running GOLog into the forest near Moscow, ID. The antenna went up without difficulty between two trees. The center was at 70 feet and aimed just a bit to the north of east. The first hour was 20 Qs, second dropped to 10, third stayed at 11, but the last hour was a very poor 3 for a total of 44 QSOs. In that last hour I lost 3 QSOs because the station faded away and I couldn't get them back. Best DX was W4ZV in NC in the last hour. Before that many QSOs were with CA stations.N2XE/BBK4PQC
Operated from home using an Index Laboratories QRP ++ and 160 meter horizontal loop up about 25í Band conditions were not super hot and I only worked 20 and 40 meters. I did listen on 10 and 15 meters but didn't hear any stations. Noise level on 20 was fairly quiet about an S1 and on 40 about an S3. Loads of fun and next time I am planning to be a Bumblebee! KF0UR/BB
It was my first Bee, and I had a ball. I hiked to a spot near my house at 8000 feet above sea level which normally gives me great views. But on the day of the contest it was 50 degrees and very foggy. Had a great time nonetheless. Rig was an Elecraft KX1 with a mini-paddle for a key, homebrew portable vertical based on an AD5X design, and a 12V 2A gel cell for power.N7SR/BB
I was set up on a ridge above the Cannon River valley in southeast Minnesota. I used a K2 and a 160 meter full wave loop. Worked W4ZV and K3ESE on both 20 and 40. It was a beautiful day, sunny with temperatures in the 70's, and a light breeze. Unfortunately, propagation conditions were terrible, absolutely stinko. Still, it was fun. Maybe better luck next year.AA4XX/BB
This year I operated from a high hill near the UNC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, NC. The rig was an Argonaut V into a 40/20M inverted vee up 65'. When I first turned on my rx, I though my feedline had a problem, as only a few stations were being copied, and they were weak as dirt. As the afternoon progressed, it became obvious that most of us were having a tough time making ourselves heard--with a few notable exceptions like WA9TZE who was working the hordes at an incredible rate. Floridians N4BP and K4MF were also blasting into NC.The main thing I learned this year was that it's mighty hard to connect a tuner to a rig when you leave the coax jumper at home! A nice employee at a local Radio Shack let me in his store a few minutes before the usual starting time to save the day. Will I make a list next time? (Probably not).

Thanks to all the guys who listened extra hard this go round. Things will be better next time. 72, Paul AA4XX

W8DIZ/BB
What an experience. The WX looked like rain any moment.
Site location was a new local park in Loveland, OH.
Erected a dipole in a tree up about 40 feet.
Seems I can't throw the baseball-leader wire any higher.
Got everything set up; connected my power leads to the
100 Amp battery; plugged the power into my old classy
multiPIG+ and *** B A N G ***
Sparks flew out from about 2 dozen places from the rig.
Burned my new plastic table; XYL asked if I was OK?
Well, in the haste to get everything up and running to get on the air,
I connected the black wire to (+) and the red wire to (-).
How stupid can you get...duh...
Needless to say, my MP+ #6 is toast, I mean completely toasted.
Was all ready to give up and quit when the XYL says get the
other rig (IC-746). Drove home to pick up the rig and
all was forgiven. Got on the air about 30 minutes into the BB.

For the next 2 hours (before the rain started) I worked 10 BBs
on 20 and 16 BBs on 40 plus another 10 stations without BB #s.
Conditions were strange. Both 20 and 40 meters were very quiet.
The noise level was about S ZERO; Many stations called me but
I had a heck of a time copying them. Almost nobody moved the S meter.
20 meters was only open to the northeast and to the southeast,
about 1000 miles. 40 was typical, just everyone was weak.

It was great fun, especially having the wife with me to clean up
in a hurry when the rain started. Hope for better condx next year.

K3ESE
Them was some challenging conditions! But I've seen worse, Johnny... I left for awhile to watch Lance win the Tour...but returned to find the bands a bit better. Didn't try but 20 and 40M...it was kind of amazing QSB; stations would regularly pop in and out. Fun!!!

NK9G/BB
A great time..... Had a dead short w/ piece of coax and found it 2 hrs later.. With new piece of coax 20 meter delta barked like a big dog.
used a 817 & K1, LDG tuner

NE5DL/BB
Worked from a local school field that had the sprinklers going when I arrived but found a dry spot and set up there - under the southern approach path to DFW with lots of plane traffic. Only 80 degs in TX this year. K2 and 4:1 balun into an 88ft doublet on 33ft poles. Had in mind that it was a 1pm CDT start until someone sent at 4:06 that the 'test was over, DUH. Frustrated in missing that first hour, but had fun and hope to be back next W8VE
I had intended to operate as a Bee but family matters dictated that I had to stay at home. I operated my K2 from our deck operating of a 12 volt gell cell but using my permanent G5RV antenna. Conditions at my qth were poor. I hope conditions were better for the BEEs. Next year I plan to become a Bee.Roger W8VE

N7OU/BB
I set up at a beautiful and rugged site on Oregon's Tillamook Bay, but the very poor conditions made for few qsos. The only station east of the Mississippi I worked or even heard was WA9TZE in WI. I used my trusty K2 and two wires supported by fishing poles. K9ESE/BB
I operated off the beach of the Outer Banks of of North Carolina (Duck, NC). My set-up included an Elecraft KX-1 and my antenna was a 28í wire supported from a fiberglass fishing pole. The Atlantic Ocean was my counterpoise. As we all know, the propagation conditions were not the best. I was able to work Florida easily (strange propagation conduit) from my location on 20 meters. Stations would fade in and out on 20 meters and go from ESP to 559 in some casesÖ. but only for a few secondsÖ. then back to ESP and below. There were long pauses when both 20 and 40 meters appeared to be dead. 40 meters opened up during the last half hour of the contest to New England and the Northeastern USA. There is not an award for the ìtraveled the furthestî category, but if there were, I wonder if I would place in the top three. I drove 815 miles and hiked one mile to my operating position.

Always a fun contest.

73

Jeff
K9ESE
Bumblebee #7

WB4X/BBN9MZPN8VW/BB
Me, 2 kids and my K2. My kids caught bees. I was a bee (#206). That would describe my first FOBB contest. I operated from Great Seal State Park about 50 miles south of Columbus Ohio. Nice location, next year will forget the kids and go to the top of the hill for hopefully a much better signal.

Equipment was a K2 (2-3 watts out to conserve battery) and a 44' ladder-line fed dipole up about 40'. Fun making qsos under horrible conditions. Furtherest heard was K6III, barely. Furtherest worked, probably K7TQ. Loudest wa

N3XRV
Bands were pretty poor, don't think I've ever given/gotten so many 229's in a
QRP 'test. AGN AGN? seemed to be the phrase of the day. Still had lots of
fun so I must have been doing it right. 72

K9EW/BB
This was the first time I've been a Bumblebee, and I'll have to say that now I know what all the buzz is about. I backpacked my K1, gel cel, homebrew paddle, and homebrew vertical over to Ty Warner (of Beanie Baby fame) park. Operating from the top of a small hill, I had an unobstructed view of Beanie Baby World Headquarters. The wx was beautiful with blue sky and temperature in the mid 70's. I wasn't expecting to contact so many other Bumblebees, but they were the majority of my contacts. Thanks for the event. ed - k9ewN3AO/BB
KX1 at 2-3 W, Inv Vee for 40 Mtrs. VBWFPA for 20 Mtrs. Two 10-packs of NiMH AA batteries, each used for 2 hours. Beautiful setting in the trees on Mt. Misery, Valley Forge Park, suburban Philadelphia, PA. Overcast skies and very humid, but no rain. Worked whole 4 hours, but very few QSOs in last 2. Had great fun working old friends: N2CQ, AA4XX, K3IIN, WB3AAL, WA9TZE, W3NNL, W8DIZ, N4BP, WIPID, and even my wife N3KN! Watched a group of deer almost walk right up to me! 17 of my 24 QSOs with other Bees! Band condx were poor, but still neat fun. I love out of doors operating events! 72, Carter N3AO, Paoli, PAW1SA/BB
Very pleased to operate in my first Flight of the Bees as Bee #127! Boated up the Androscoggin River from Errol, NH to Lake Umbagog. The Maine/New Hampshire border runs right down the center of the lake. Pitched camp on Sunday Cove at the Northeast corner of the Lake thus operating portable from Maine. The contest was an additional bonus on a three day family camping and fishing trip. Caught more smallmouth than I did bumblebees but nonetheless had a great time. Used the K1 (#1012) battery powered at three watts out with the PAC-12 homebrew vertical. Conditions seemed marginal at best. Thanks for the QSOs and 72 til next year!
AL W1SA

WA8REI/BB
BB # 102; FT-817 at 3 watts; 100' end-fed random wire strung in two trees;
new SG-211 tuner. For those of you who have or plan to get a SG-211,
FOLLOW THE MANUAL! Counterpoise should be at least 5% longer than the antenna!
Using 33' of counterpoise with a 100' antenna, the SG-211 couldn't maintain tuning on 20 m., resulting in detuning while xmitting, which subsequently
resulted in many lost Q's. Tnx N4HAY for a helpful critical report. The SG-211 is a GREAT product, but requires sufficient counterpoise with random wire antennas!
QTH: Whiting Scenic Overlook, Midland, MI, a man-made hill 100 ft. above avg.
terrain. Wx: 70 F, partly cloudy, windy. 40 m. was poor at best. Very
deep and long QSB on 20 m. 10 & 15 m. were total wipe-outs. Great to wk NoGaQRPers K4PQC and KO4WX, K3ESE who I met at FDIM and MI-QRP Net check-in
regular Seab, AA1MY. C U in the August Sprint, and hpe to wk mni of u from
the Shetland Isles Aug. 13-24 under my UK callsign MM0KAL, especially 20/40 m.
cw.
73, 72, Ken, WA8REI/BB/P/QRP

AA1MY/BB

"Blight" is a very apt term to describe propagation. KD1JV and I got up to the
mountain and set up very late... 1st Q was 1.25 hrs after start. (AA4XX
in NC) Thought at first something in the Eqp't. was faulty:
ATS-2, BLT, "C" ant. on 20m; ATS-2, T tuner and end fed 1/2 wave on 40m.

After 45 min. we decided to put up an 88 @ ~25' to compare and sure
enough it was better by 6+ db or so, but prop. still stinko. Quick
fades and "one way" paths were rampant.

Managed only 13 Q's on 20m and 10 on 40m with less than 2 hrs operating.
Very peculiar pipeline to NC/SC area. Best "DX" was TX, AD5JZ @ 1W!.
N2CQ seemed the loudest.

Real break in the wx -been humid and rainy for weeks. Scene from mtn was
awesome... next outing I gotta get organized. Thanks again ARS... these
certainly are adventures!
72
seab
aa1my

AA5CK/BBW9FNB/BB
The condx were sure crummy at first. I thought my rig was broke or my antenna a bust. Operated from Log St. park in Carthage and got wet but worked out ok with the 817 and Double Zepp up about 20ft. Static level was crazy managed 26 Q's in the 3 hours it was dry...hihi...Thanks for all the repeats through the static from those who worked me. I had many more calls but just could not pull them out...sri guys...Best regards to W8BHK #24 from his KAYAK heard you several more times after we worked...cool! Big Sig report goes to KO1N in RI thx for 599...Did manage a nice collection of states though...NY/FL/OK/CT/UT/MI/WI/ME/MD/MA/TX/CO/NC...not hard to figure which way the Zepp was working now that I check the log. Thanks ARS for a fine and little damp day of radio fun from Carthage,In... All the Best W9FNB GaryK3TW/BB
It was great to operate outdoors for a change. This is the third time I've operated as a Bee from Washington, DC. This year the QTH was at the Tidal Basin, famous for the cherry blossoms, midway between the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. The rig was my trusty MFJ-9020 (20m only) powered by a Yuasa 12V gel cell, and a quarter wavelength wire vertical antenna with two ground radials. Operation took place from a park bench on the Tidal Basin perimeter. I seemed to have a pileline into Florida and Texas. Thanks to all for a fun event. N0JRN/BB
Condx's were interesting. It was raining and cool here. I packed up about 30 minutes before the end of the run cuz I was getting wet and didn't seem to be finding any new ones. All signals were down at noise levels but the MP+ did a good job of pulling them out. I hope everyone had a good time. 72 to all and C U next time. JerryAK0M/BB
My first time to operate in this contest... frustrating propagation but otherwise fun! I have missed most of the major HF contests this year as well as Field Day, so this was going to be my "fix", as well as an opportunity to check out some new equipment and antenna ideas. I set up in my backyard, due to other commitments, and didn't get on the air until only 1:20 was left in the contest. I worked most of what I heard, which wasn't much. It was amazing that the only signals I heard were working this contest!
Station was an FT-817 at 5W; a 132ft drooping doublet at 30ft in the center; a homebrew Buddipole on 20m at 12ft; set up in a 45 degree sloping dipole configuration, for comparison to the doublet; an LDG Z-11 autotuner; a just-finished NK0E Serial CW Sender as a keyer; and a Palm running NK0E's GoLog software for logging and automated keying.
With conditions as they were, I'm glad I didn't go to the trouble to head out to the field as originally planned. How about a fall and spring version of this contest?

WD9F/BB
Hiked down to the beach near Marquette, Michigan. Used fiberglass push up mast, folded dipole (20 meters) & K-1 at 3W with AA battery pack. Band was real poor. Nearly dead at start but some improvement off and on through the four hours. Delighted to make 16 Bee Q's and 20 Qs total on 20. Nice to take a few seconds & actually chat with Mike / N2ZU from his operating site in a park. Also managed to work Paul / AA4XX really down in the noise.. What were you running Paul? Thanks to all for a great time under very poor conditions. Wonderful Wx here on the U.P. 63F & clear... Sky & water beautiful! 72 de WD9F BB 161WD9F/BB
Don't think my report made it first time. Anyway, terrible band conditions but a bunch of little Bees seemed to open 20M a little. Had a great time eating junk food, enjoying sky and water of Marquette Bay & very pleased to eak out 20 Qs. THanks to all who were very patient with echanges! / Woody / WD9F NA8M/BB
Found a hilltop and set up a center fed Zepp and the K1. Weather was great, sunny and cool. Bands were poor, nothing on 40 and weak signals on 20. Managed to work a few, but they were all tough.Thanks to all that dug me out of the noise.

73 de NA8M John

KB2FEL/BB
Had a great time using my SW20 and PAC-12, it would have been nice if the bands were open.
72
Bob
KB2FEL/BB #169 BZZZZZ BZZZZZ

KA3WMJ/BB
Strange conditions. Stations were loud, loud one minute then gone the next.
Lots of fun. Thanks for the Bee Number.

WC7S/BB
Within sight of Cheyenne Frontier Days, with 5 watts, and watching the riders have more action than my s-meter. They had a lot more action with the bands flatter than un unseated bull rider. The action on 20 was the best, with the band acting like a follow me trail ride. Patience will pay off, with the next chance coming. Maybe it would be better to be a member, of ARS? At least a lot safer than trying for the PRCA.WB7FJG/BB
To bad the band conditions turned out so bad, but it was fun. The four hours makes it challenging.N7CEE/BB
I paddled my ancient kayak a couple of miles on Blue Ridge Reservoir, then hiked to the top of a hill. I ran an Elecraft K2 at 5 watts into a 170 foot end fed wire in the pines. Conditions were very rough on 20 meters and I never heard anything on 40, 15, or 10. Although very contact was work and a lot of stations couldn't hear me, it was great to operate from such a fine site.Thanks ARS for another fine FOBB!

72,
Bruce
N7CEE

N4SL/BB
Setup a K2, 5Ahr batter and 20m bisquare loop at 65' in Lord Hill Park near Snohomish, WA.
My first FOBB, it was planned and executed with flawless perfection (really) and was a lot of fun. Hiked 1.2 miles to the top of a low ridge with tall trees, used bow & arrow to shoot up the antenna.

It's a good thing I checked propagation before hiking out or I would have spent the entire contest trying to find the problem with my antenna/feedline/radio.

Conditions were horrible of course but with zero noise I still pulled 18 QSOs out of the air and amused the hikers and horseback riders all day.
"What are you doing?"
"How did you get that wire so high in the trees?"
"Will this harm my horse?"

What a shame the conditions had to go sour just for our day, but I'll be back next year.

73, Steve N4SL/BB #159

KC2AFK
Not the best of conditions, but fun to watch the Bees flit around. Rig K2, windom, 5W.WA0RSE/BB
Nice 1.5mi walk, 285 ft of altitude gain, to return to the picnic area above Lake Pepin in Frontenac State Park, MN. Superb weather: 72 deg F, 40% humidity with 2 mph wind. Heard many more stations than I could work. Big pile up in the 14.063 area heard. Spread out even more! Again, most of my contacts were other Bees this year. (Why is this?)Dipole close to the ground doesn't seem to be doing a good job. Going to an inverted V next year...

Thanks to all! It was a bee-utiful day to bee a Bee!

72, Paul -- wa0rse, Bee #9

W6AZ/BB
With the A index at 26 I wasn't expecting a lot. I did get a lot of practice with calling CQ and worked everyone I heard, except for one station in WI (WA9TZE.) I used the PAC-12 on 20m and put up a 40m dipole for 40 and 15. Turns out I only managed three Q's on the dipole and those were with stations first worked on 20m and then moved to the other bands. In spite of the conditions it was still a lot of fun. I'll do it again next year!K4KJP/BB
Plans were to operate from highest point in Fla.,but bad wx and the poor band conditions changed this plan. I bicycled to a spot under shade trees in a local park across the street from the highest point in town-the local cemetery.Worked hard for 16 QSO's and 9 States in extremely poor conditions. Most signals were right at the noise level. Not even the "Big-Boys" were on-only heard about 3 QRO sigs on 20M during the Sprint. Most consistently heard signal in NW Fla. was WA9TZE and most amazing signal was AD5JZ @ 1 watt! I suspect he had a super antenna at a home QTH. Had a great time. Another portable learning experience.
73, Terry, K4KJP

WF4I/BB
Operated from Lake James State Park in western NC. Eqpt. included FT-817, Z-11 auto-tuner, Super CMOSIII keyer and Palm Radio Mini-paddles. Antenna was PAC-12 w/ 6 15 ft. radials. Operated mostly on 20M but made 5 QSO's on 40M. Propagation was so bad that I checked antenna twice to see if it was properly installed. QSB also a problem. The weather gods cooperated however - no rain until I got home. The highlight of the day was paddling on Lake James that morning with my XYL - beautiful place to paddle!K6III/BB
K2 on Battery - only op the last hour.K5OOR/BB
Score: 594, 18 contacts single band, 11 states
Operators: Mark K5GQ and Virgil K5OOR
Location: Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens Humble/Spring Texas
http://www.texashiker.com/Mercer_Arboretum_&_Botanic_Gardens.htm
Walk-In setup. Antenna: W3EDP Antenna 85 ' to top of pine tree w/ 17' counter-poise. Rig: K2 with HF Packer Z-Match Tuner. Logging using T/R on laptop.
Rained during most of operation. Equipment covered by tarp and operators under umbrella. Spirits not dampened, fun event.

AB4PP/BB
Set up at Durant State Park, North of Raleigh, NC. Used a Norcal Doublet and a
PAC 12 and had very poor propagation. Rained out for a while and then got on the air and listened a lot, called a lot, but worked very few. Humidity and heat made for a long four hours plus. Drank 64 ounces of water and then went home. Had a good time and learned that the high wire antennas work better from this location and will try better next contest. AD5JZ (1w) was the strongest here with VE3DJX and N4GM next with S9 signals. N4BP was not strong here this time. That shows how bad the bands were. 72's and cul in next one.
JohnPaul/AB4PP

NJ0E/BB
My QTH was Pedernales Falls State Park in Central Texas. Used a Ten-Tec 1320 for
20 meters, a Small Wonder Labs SW40+ for 40 meters, and a 40 meter Center Fed
Zepp. Thanks for sponsoring the event.

KW4JS/BB
Lots of QRN from thunder and lightning around the area at my selected QTH. I finally was forced to take shelter about 1.5 hours into the BB contest. I was able to return briefly for approximately 1 more hour to once again be run back into shelter due to strong cloud to ground lightning. What great fun!! I hope to see everyone next year. 72, John KW4JSKO4WX/BB
Operated on top of Indian Rock in Peachtree Creek Nature Preserve--absolutely stunningly beautiful wetlands area in middle of large Atlanta, GA suburb (Decatur). The static from the geomagnetic storm was drowned out at times from the noise from all of the birds! Tried a new trick learned from Dick, G0BPS...tied small apples to the ends and support twine for my 20M dipole--worked perfectly, and after the event, tossed them into the woods for the wildlife. BB#70, running K2#2250 at 3 watts into 20M dipole at about 25'. 72 de Mike, KO4WXAB4GK/BB
A great afternoon of hiking in Fort Yargo State Park (Georgia). Used a KX1 into a 20m sloper located beside the lake for two hours of FB QSOs.AB1AV/BB
Hiked up North Pack Monadnock (2700') and set up AT Sprint II, homebrew PAC-12, and BLT in plenty of time to eat lunch and listen before the contest. Both 40 and 20 meters were awfully quiet! I spent the first hour of the contest on 40m but made only 3 contacts, like pulling teeth. Things were a bit better on 20m, but signals (in and out) were still very weak. I was surprised to work 3 other NH stations on 20 meters, before I called it quits after 3 hours of operating. I had tentatively concluded the PAC-12 and/or the BLT just don't work for me, until I saw how bad the conditions were for everyone.W0CH/BB
This was a "DXpedition" operation as I operated portable from Mt. Rushmore, SD this year. I was over 600 miles from home and several thousand feet higher MSL than our Missouri QTH. Nancy (N0FNZ) and I were on a vacation trip and just happened to be touring the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore on Bumblebee day. We set up operation from a picnic area about a mile from the main Rushmore viewing area. Rig was a K1 and a 33 foot vertical wire in a pine tree was the antenna. Conditions were very poor as I could only hear activity on 20 meters, and not much of that!

72, Dave W0CH BB # 6

WA1ZCB
Band condx were bad up here in the Northeast. Still funand hope we made some Bees happy. Ed WA1ZCB

WN4CW/BB
20 meters was very quiet but I was pleased with the contacts I was able to pull out. I was located deep in the 100 acre woods in Union County South Carolina in the upstate area. I have a small cabin without power and running water, an ideal spot for portable ops. I was using an SW20 / 1W with a FreqMite, a 5 AH Gel Cell and a portable 20 watt solar panel. So power was not an issue.
All in all a good afternoon considering the cndx and that I worked only the last 2 hours.

BB's:
N0JRN
AB1AV
N4BP
N4GM
AA1MY
WD9F
K0ZK
AK0M
W1SA

Others:
VE3DJX
WA1ZCB
K0IH
VE3OF
K5UV
AC5K

W7SW
Great Fun and quite challenging! Mni tnx! (Of course propagation was perfect "Just the way it was!" W7SW/Scotty W5YR
Rough condx but found ten Bees in the noise plus 3 other QRP stations. Appreciate the several personal greetings.George, W5YR

WB3AAL/BB
I finally got a chance to operate the contest as BB# 187. So far the past few years we had rain on the day of the BB Run. Skies were dark and threatening. Bands were not in the best of shape but I had fun operating from the Appalachian Trail near Strausstown, PA. I was about 1/2 mile south of Route 183 on the trail. Check out www.wb3aal.com on August 9, 2004 for my pictures. I have to find my cable to download my pictures after my move.72 and Thanks for the Q's.
Ron Polityka de WB3AAL
www.wb3aal.com
www.n3epa.org/

AE7RW/BB
Hiked from Chinook Pass up to Naches Peak, elev approx 5600 ft. It was a very nice scenic day in the alpine setting with temp at about 70 degrees. The wind picked up most of the time to keep the carnivorous mosquitoes away. Sling-shot lines into two noble fir tress. The 40M-20M multi-band dipole was about 40 ft above ground. Used KX1 mostly and FT-817. It was a good contest for me... as the time seemed to go by very fast. I only wish radio propogation was better. I could hear lots of stations but most were weak. During the 4 hours... I always heard WB7FJG/BB. WA9TZE/BB was very loud for about two hours. My only contact on 40 meters, KD7GIM/BB, was a suprise... as no other stations were heard on 40. I'll be back next year for another try. de Rich AE7RWK7UD/BB
I was in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains here in AZ. Pretty warm day here ... about 109 F at my locale. Radio condx were deplorable. Noise levels were high. I still had fun listening to the persistent activity of a few "hive" members. Most of my contacts were bees. K2 worked flawlessly as did my PW1 vertical and the solar power source. (Sorry Quinn! Never did hear you.) I'll look forward to it again next year. KO1H
My First Flight, Running Ft-1000mp @4.5-5w. 20m ant 2 element quad @26ft
and 40m antenna Iverted V @ 40ft. Only worked 1 hour had to cut the lawn and
make lunch only got on from 1942-2100.
Had Fun perhaps next year from the field if I manage to build myself a portable rig. de John ko1h HAD a great time.

W1PID/BB
It was an amazing Flight of the Bumblebees. Before noon I tuned around
on 40, 30, 20 and 15 from home. I didn't hear a single signal! So I delayed
leaving. I listened at 1:00. There were signals. Bees buzzing. Only on the
QRP freqs. The rest was dead. Amazing. The tiny buzzing of bees was
being heard across the country. I packed up and left almost immediately.
I rode my bike into the Pemigewasset flood control area and reached the
site around 2:00. I put up an 80 foot dipole fed with 300 ohm ribbon between
two trees... a linden and an oak. The antenna was up about 30 feet. KD1JV's ATS2
and a ZM-2 tuner. Power from 8 AAs. I operated about 2 hours.
and worked 12 stations. Congrats go to Chris
N3XRV for pulling me out of the hive. He gave me a 229 but got the whole exchange!
WA9TZE never heard me although I could copy him pretty well. I worked Carter
N3AO twice. Once for the exchange and once later for fun. NK9G in WI was the
best DX. I did fine to North Carolina. I had a blast! To think of those signals
making it through deader than dead propagation. It's awesome. Here's the log.
Thanks to all. Jim W1PID

K4BYFK6UIZ
Conditions not very good here.
N7OU was the big signal most of the day on 20M.
Great job AD5JZ with 1 watt.

N7CQR
This year I did a joint operation (all Elecraft!) with Lee,NB7F up at the top of Portland's Mt.Tabor. This is a city park where you do a short hike to the top. There was a nice open area with numerous tall firs, so we erected a number of portable antennas; slopers,dipoles, etc. Lee is a marvel with his slingshot!Of course,like everyone else we had lousy conditions on the bands so I ended up with 10 contacts total, mostly locals and a few CA stations. I could hear guys in other areas, but they couldn't hear me. I did learn a bunch from Lee about how easy it is to erect antennas in the trees, so it was still fun.Maybe next year.KC9EUH
My 1st flight of bumblebee's but not my last. Conditions weren't good here 1st 3 hours 20 meters barely readable but thanks to the great ops made some contacts. Got called away to watch daughter with half hour left got1st 40 mtr contact had to quit. Used my K-2 at 5w with G5RV up 30ft at home worked mostly bee's. Applied for membership last night but haven't recieved number yet. Can't wait for the next one thanks for holding it.K4AQ
Yaesu FT-897 transceiver operated at 5 watts into a 5-MHz OCF 28-gauge insulated wire stealth antenna up 40 feet in heavy foliage trees next to I-75 in downtown Atlanta industrial area. SGC SG-237 Smartuner. WriteLog 10.47e.--
Matt, K4AQ
(ex-WB6BWZ)
Atlanta, GA

KB0VCC/BB
Just some casual operating on what is probably the best WX I've experienced for a BB event. Low humidity and temps in the 70s. I couldn't find the unmarked and overgrown trail-head for my planned destination (probably for the best) despite my topo-map's insistence it was there! So, I chose my contingency location along the same road. A hike I've done once before with the family. "Black Cap" mountain (2369') in the Green Hills Preserve, which overlooks Conway, NH. About a 1.5 mile, easy to moderate hike to the summit. Found the expected crowd of tourists at the summit, so I walked past to an open shoulder of ledge on the SW side of the summit, just beyond a thick wall of brush. Antenna was 100' of wire that I tossed through some tree-tops down the SW slope, fed by an MFJ random wire tuner with a multi-band (40m/20m/15m) counterpoise. Rig was an OHR-500 at 4.5w. I sat there upon the ledge, taking in the spectacular view, whiffing the light and fragrant summe! r breeze while working my BB peers in distant locations unknown, but likely equally as remarkable. An awesome thought.

WA8HSB/BB
This was my first "Flight" as a bee. Biked to a nearby municipal park and operated for about an hour before the thunderstorms got too close and the rain started. I packed it in and barely made it home before the heavy rain and lightning started. Signals on 40 were real weak and heard nothing on 15 or 10. Overall, I had a great time with my recently finished K1 and a 33' wire up in a tree. Can't wait until next year!!! 73/72, John WA8HSB BB#219WV0H/BB
Wow, talk about no signal in CO, nobody ever moved the S meter. I had up a 20m phased array and it was very marginal. "Hiked" into the back yard with my K2 and a lawn chair. The weather was okay, but the band was pretty quiet with all of the solar flares. I operated only one hour of the contest before the condx just faded away. Oh well, theres always next year.KI0II/BB
Last minute family and "Grandpa" duties limited my operating time to less than 30 minutes but what a great day to be outside. One had to be quick or signals would disappear before all info copied. Certainly challenging conditions but then QRPers don't mind a challenge do they? WA9PWP
Bands really bad but somehow QRP got through!WD5AGO/BB
Thanks for putting on the event.Started out to run only 40m, all HB equipment, but heard no signals on the band. Walked home and checked the base rig and no sig's. Grabed the 20m portable (DSWII)and the 2*hamstick dipole, 1 hour later was up and running with a few in the log so not to be left out!

Fun as always and a record low of 62 deg that morning made for a nice outing here in OK.

72
Tommy WD5AGO/BB #55

AA6AV/BB
Great fun even though some time was spent in casual QSO's as conditions
weren't great. See you next year.
72
Peter

AD6WE/BB
Put up a brand new delta loop for 20 meters in the park on Friday...contacted two IOTA's on East Coast. Left the antenna in the tree - should have known better - when I got there today, it was gone, so I had to rush amd throw together a new antenna quick. I knew those baby pacifiers would make good insulators sometime. Thanks to Dick, WB6JDH for his help and the use of his K2.This is my fourth time as a Bee, and my best year so far with 10 QSO's. Every year band conditions have been less than favorable.

20 meters was lousy. Conditions changing rapidly - W0YSE with one watt came out of the noise just in time for quick QSO, then died out again. N7OU/B consistently strong here.

Heard absolutely nothing on 15 and 40 meters.

Tried over and over to answer WA9TZE/B - signal was very strong into So. CA, but he apparently couldn't hear me. No other stations heard that direction.

Thought N5ESE was answering me near the end, but if he was, he faded out...better luck next time.

As always, I hope to have better luck next year.

Del, AD6WE

N0IBTKC9BXV/BB
Rain, rain, rain! WX changed plans but we've got a great spot picked for next year. A short hike to set up at Lincoln Trail State Park, Marshall, IL. 40 meters not so great for our Midwest location, but heard several stations in the pile. TNX ARS.K1BR/BB
Took my K2 out for a walk up Morse Mountain, in Phippsburg, ME. Used a 20 meter inverted-vee with 40 meter extensions attached as needed. Operated from about 1 till 2:30 Eastern. 40 meters was dead for me, but had some fun on 20, including working K1CGZ, who was a bee on the beach just down below the mountain. Mosquitos finally chased me off the air, but it was a lot of fun.

N1KSN/BB
What a difference a year makes! Very tough conditions from my location, a city park in Menasha, WI, to which I bicycled. Operated as Bee 110 for only two hours, all on 20m, before I gave up. At least the non-space weather was perfect, sunny and temps in the mid 70s. Only 7 contacts, all other Bees. Heard only a handful of other operators. Took four tries to get N2CQ. Used basically same setup as last year, my K1 and an 85 foot wire as an inverted L between two SD-20s with three counterpoise wires. A 5Ah gel cell provided the power. New station item this year was a custom mini single paddle made by Richard Meiss.

NS5Z/BB
This was my first Flight of the Bumble Bees so I loaded up my kit and headed out to
Mt. Driskel the highest point in Louisiana. Rig was a FT-817 and PAC-12 antenna. It was a hot and steep climb for this 53 year old out of sharpe guy. I was so exhausted when I got to the summit that I was out of breathe for 10 minutes. Really thought that I would make more QSO's but I have bigger plans for next year. I made 7 contacts and got 2 ticks bites!
QSO's with NF0N, W8VE, K9ESE(very nice signal), W4ZV, N2XE, N9NE, K3TW. I also heard N2CQ,N1EU,N4GM,W9FNB,W8DIZ, WV0H, plus many others and WA9TZE ( He couldn't have been QRP he was 20 over.) 72/73 John NS5Z

WA5ZNU/BB
I was using my Elecraft KX1 at the Palo Alto, CA Baylands. I put my SD-20 over a convenient metal stake and set up a wire vertical with the SD-20 and a single radial about 2ft to 4ft off the ground. The vertical top was 22ft up and was 28ft long. I tried the PAC-12 with Alan's Balun and just one 16ft radial but it was worse. My lone 40M was QRM'd suddenly and lost the last-minute contact on 20M when I got confused by a request to QSY to 15M -- I misunderstood and thought I was QRMing someone. Oh well -- I need more work on my oeprating skills!

Not too bad for a day with a geomagnetic storm!

http://wa5znu.org/log/archives/2004_07_01_index.html#109079020484582258

K8JV/BB
Sure was a beautiful day for it in the Detroit area, but quite a challenge picking out sigs with such poor conditions.N4DMI/BB
Had difficulties with antenna. Next year I will check it out before the event! Thanks to AA1MY, N2XE, K3TW, KC2AFK (non-bee), K9ESE, W4ZV, KA3WMJ and W9FNB for contacts.AD6GI/BB
Tnx to my DX: K7TQ and N7OU and special tnx to all my Silicon Vly help: W6AZ, WA5ZNU and K6III. Cndx can only get better;hope to cu nxt time.

73,

Chuck
AD6GI

W2LJ/BB
Wow !! For a while I thought my radio or antennas were broken! The bands were dead with a capital "D" !!! Whoever wins this year's event really deserves the honors! I hope we have beeter band conditions next year!K4BAI/M
8 x 6 x 3 = 144. I was mobile in Alabam returning from operating the IOTA contest FD style on St. George Island, FL with KU8E as KU8E/P. Sorry I couldn't spend more time in the contest. KU8E asked me to take over the driving. 5 watts from IC706 and Hustler mobile whip. 73, John, K4BAI/M.AA7QU/BB
Roy Lewallan (W7EL) and Russ Carpenter (AA7QU) got together for an adventure on the McKenzie River, Oregon. On Saturday, we ran the whitewater in Russí raft to a gorgeous campsite on the north shore of the river. We used a slingshot to get Royís Field Day Special into the fir trees, about 50 feet high. Sunday featured wretched radio conditions but great circumstances for yakking. Since the radio opportunities were so limited, we took it easy, listening to 20 meters every once in a while, and otherwise discussing every topic under the sun. We ended up with eight contacts, an all-time low! But running the whitewater and hanging out in such a beautiful forest made it all worthwhile.VE3JC/BB
The great thing about combining a love of qrp with a love of human powered adventure is that, when one of the two is disappointing, the other can fill the void. I combined a 90-mile (round trip) bicycle ride to the north shore of Lake Erie for my 2004 BB adventure. Found a deserted conservation area with a wooden lookout tower perched on a high bluff above the lake. An ideal operating location and a wonderful view. I'll definitely go back there, sometime when the bands are open! Used my Sierra and a W3EDP antenna. Packed up early, and worked my last contact (W4ZV in NC) from the bicycle on the ride home. 72, JCNR5A/BB
Not being a contester so operating habits not good I'm sure. Had poor band conditions, and a 20-30mph wind made it a chore. Set up by a golf course. Not sure how to figure score but I know its pitiful.Jerry - NR5A - South Dakota - NR200

KC1FB
A tough contest, the bands were not so hot. Few stations heard and QSB awesome!AI4BJ/BBAA2AD/BB
My third contest as a Bee, the first one without a torrential downpour and lightning. Murphy won't be thwarted, however. Because of a bad in-line fuse holder, my solar-charged battery wasn't as charged as I thought it was. Another thing to add to next year's checklist, I guess!AE4YQ/BBN1AIA/BB
Conditions poor. Neighbor K0ZK was strong, but nobody else was. No sigs on 15.NR4EKD5ONS/BB
About a zillion CQs, one pounce, and a few bits of work in the greenhouse to get something done. I worked from the edge of our property with a Windom and my trusty K2. Our 26 acres is about the only wooded area in many square miles of active logging and clearcut areas. The location was at the edge of a few hundred foot drop off facing entirely in the wrong direction. If the bees would have been in Japan and China I would have had a better shot at working them. The folks East of Portland simply did not exist. My one pounce was a guy in Nevada working another op. He mentioned his K2 and his being a bumble bee. I waited until the end of the contact and tailended him. I tried to get his K2's SN but he had moved elsewhere. But when I scanned my log I found I had worked his K2 before :)
An interesting first experience at contesting. Four hours of work for five contacts. Four of which were within reach of an HT! Hmmm... it sure would have been nice if we had not called for those coronal mass ejections. Next time let's leave that off the to do list ;) But it was an interesting sight when I dragged out the telescope.
72 to all,
Kevin. KD5ONS/BB #228

K1CGZ/BB
I set up my BB station at Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg, ME. The rig consisted of a DSW-II-20, a MFJ tuner, a Code Warrior Jr. key, a gel cell, and a 12' paint roller pole as an antenna support. An inverted-V dipole was hung from the paint roller handle that was stuck in a "sand spike" fishing pole holder. In addition to the usual complexities of operating portable (key falling off leg into sand, tide coming in, etc.) there were the additional distractions of mosquitos, and their QRO associates, the green head flys. Just try to operate a magnetic iambic key balanced on your thigh and swat biting flies at the same time. Strongest signal from a bee: K1BR/BB who was feeding the mosquitoes on nearby Morse Mountain. 72/73 de K1CGZ - PaulW2AGN/BB
Worst conditions ever. Then, I find I've lost the 20M module for my ATS II. Had KX1 for backup.
NO signals heard on 40M. Had brief flurry on 20M, but only signals from midwest and one GA.
Started drizzling and packed it up. Just getting over pneumonia ;-)

KD5UDB/BBKD7GIM/BB
Good contest. I think I'll get back into 20 meters next year. The weather was great.It really was exciting to get my first contact of the contest. I was straining to pick out faint signals, and then I heard this 579 signal, and it was easy to work. At the end of the contest, I got blasted by a fellow club member, and then he reported his QTH was the same as mine. He was about 300 ft above me on Haystack Butte.I will submit photos, and story.

NK6A/BB
I loaded up my Trek Hybred bike to head of to a suitable park. I peddled off to Marina Del Rey and set up at on a small grass area with a few trees. This was not the best of locations as a nearby street was full of traffic, however, I was determined to make a few Q's and try out my new KX1.Conditions were lousy. 4 Q's. I kept hearing N7OU who had a great signal down here in Southern California. Worked him already.
I look at this as a good way to get outdoors and get some excercise. Next time I'll head for the hills.

KC2LYQ
I am 12 and this introduced me into CW contesting! Lots of fun and I liked the short contest period! -Mike VE3XT/BB
Well never seen conditions like this but thats only half the story of this beeHere is the Readers Digest of VE3XT/BB adventure

Drive 45 km to trail head and start hiking in 2 km to site
Last 200 metres is straight up and completed hand over hand with pull rope
Half way up pack opens and spreads most of contents over face of mountain
Back down hand over hand to collect stuff
Back up hand over hand to operating position
My goodness there is lots of bear poop!
As setting up dipole wire breaks and just twist it together
Hmmmmm, not many signals, but lots more bear poop
Rats, I lost my sandwitch in the way up
Maybe best the bear get it anyway and not be worrying about his next meal when I am here..........
No signals, take down dipole and check it out........its ok....haul it back up
In one hour work one station, thanks W8DIZ/BB
Pull down dipole and put up long wire
In next hour manage to work 3 stations
In North West Ontario in the bush QRN (mosquitoes) is S9, QRP signals are S2
This is nuts, pull down station and head home
Lose footing on way down, yes you remember the hand over hand rope thing
Make a much faster descent than ascent
Spend the next 15 min trying to staunch the bleeding from the gash in my arm and collect my stuff again, getting much faster at this now!
A nice 2 km hike back to the car and home

HAD A BLAST, but better conditions would not have hurt

72 Bill VE3XT/BB

W0YSE
Just finished a Rockmite 20 in time to try it out. Missed several Q's due to QRN from the computer in the next room....Discovered it in the LAST hour of the contest....arghhhh!! KQ6NO/BB
QTH was Mt. Pinos, northern Ventura County, CA. A beautiful spot for a hike and picnic, which was good, because the propagation condx were crummy.W5ACM/BB
Ouch! Band conditions were so bad that I went back to the house to compare reception with the home station. Ouch!W2NED/BB
KX1 and a hamstick vertical, 3 watts, set up on the shore of the Susquehanna river in central PA. I had very limited time and band conditions were terrible, but I was able to dig out a few contacts. Looking forward to next year.KC9LCN8XD/BB
It was a beautiful day here in Michigan. I watched an air show at a little airport while operating today. Except for a few sporadic contacts, I didn't hear much of anything on the radio -- but the Bi-planes and Jets were sure 559+40!K2EKM
Home-based. TenTec Argonaut V at 5w to 88 foot doublet up about 20 feet.
Could only be on about 10 minutes... conditions terrible, most signals
at esp or below levels. Big exception was the impressive signal of WA9TZE/BB
in Wisconsin - a true 599 in Northern VA. Must have been one really impressive location/
antenna setup! 72, Bill K2EKM

VE3WMB
I only managed about 10 minutes of operating from home at around 19:46 UTC.
The bands sounded terrible with lots of noise and a few very weak signals.
I did manage to work BBs in NC and FL. I hope condtions were better for
other folks.

K7ESUN9CJT
Heard a short (maybe 20 minutes worth) burst of signals on 20 meters, all with one-calls. AA1MY (Bee #41) was nice enough to tell me what the /BB on his call meant, so now I know. Maybe I'll catch y'all next year! --Noel N9CJT ECI-QRP #10

K6LG
Unexpected circumstances upset my BB plans and delayed my starting time, but I was able to work from home the last two hours of the event. Propagation left a lot to be desired and no activity was heard other than on 20M. The only station east of the Mississippi I was able to hear was WA9TZE who did not hear me,
although he had a very big signal here at times. N7OU also had a great signal most of the time. Some of the Texans came up strong near the end.

Thanks to the following for contacts: N7OU, AD6FR, K6UIZ, KI0II, AD6WE, WC7S, W5YR, NE5DL, K5OTX, KS7W, N6ESE, AD5JZ.

We'll be back next year!

N6XI/BB
Got to the site (a repeat visit to Martis Peak) but Murphy was there ahead of me. That plus truly terrible conditions resulted in 3 signals heard, 1 of which was participating in FoBB. No contacts after an hour, so I hiked on, visited with the fire lookout people, admired the views and went home. Even there, I only heard one more participant. Awful, awful...AD6FR
Poor conditions here but I enjoyed working two of my friends during the Flight of the Bumblebees. We're going to give 30 meter QRP a try half an hour before the Spartin Sprint each month as an experiment and just for the fun of it.KI4DEF/BB
Skunked on my first FOBB! Went out to Goose Creek State Park (Beaufort County, NC), on the shores of the creek at Dinah Landing and threw an end-fed half wave wire up in a pine. Hooked up the ATS2 and BLT and proceeded to listen... and hear little... and work none! I did hear several bees having Q's: Bob N4BP #35, Tom WD5AGO #55, Forrest WD9F #161, Sammy K9GHD #199 and Virgil K5OOR #202 (FB guys!). Called them all, but they must not have been able to hear me. Also tried calling CQ BB a bit, but no takers. Oh, well, it was a pretty site and a nice day just the same (and the storms stayed away). Maybe next year...72 es 73 to all, Kevin KI4DEF #113

WB6HQK/BB
Pedestrian mobile using AT-Sprint, fishing pole vertical, and trailing counterpoise.KG6TGI/BB
Time constraints allowed minimal operation on 40m only. Rig was IC-703 on battery, 20 ft of coax into PAC-12 in garden, surrounded on three sides by 5' wrought iron fence 7' stucco wall and the side of the house. Operated from 10:30-11:45am and 1:30-2:00pm PDT. Heard W6AZ but no answer back at around 10:45, otherwise very quiet.AC7YE/BB
A poor location with bad propagation = no contactsAF4XL/BB
Next year I'll try going to mountains on the 25th of july instead of aug 1st
Hi Hi.
AF4XL