Our Bumblebee adventure began as a desire to do more team QRP operations after our very successful QRP Field Day. The QRP Field Day operation for the Williamson County Radio Club was a ton of fun and we scored a huge amount of points too! After several of us read about the Bumblebee contest we were anxious to begin yet another adventure. So, the application for a Bumblebee number was a quick message to Russ, AA7QU. One day later, I received a message from Russ stating that K5LN/bb could operate as bumble bee number 97.
Getting the Bumblebee number was the easy part. Now what to do for the adventure. After talking it over with some of my QRP enthusiasts, a team was formed. The team roster was: John -AB5UP, Dave - AB5WX, Bob -AF5Z, DC –KE9IT and me (BILL-K5LN). After reviewing the different locations and evaluating several efficient set up plans (which became most important in everyone’s mind and BACK), the teams consensus was to use the same site where the club had held the Field Day event (Russell Park, Georgetown, TX). The Location was a good one and we could use the same setup used for Field Day. Interest in taking a long hike, riding a bicycle for any great distance, or boating to a remote location was minimal (must have had something to do with the 99 degree temp!).
With the location determined and the setup plans established, the team agreed to put a twist to the operation. We decided to set up a multiple rig QRP radio presentation at the site, and use a different rig for each hour of the contest. Operators and loggers would rotate among the rigs as required. Everyone agreed and felt the 50-foot hike from the parking lot to the shelter should qualify just fine as a field trip, after all we had a lot of equipment to carry and set up.
After the planning phase of the adventure, came several weeks of effort to round up all the equipment a week prior to the contest date, ensuring that all cables, connections, and power source were available, and testing all of the equipment to ensure all was in working order.
The day of the contest started with a great breakfast
at the local diner 
where
a few of the club members meet for breakfast every weekend. After our light
breakfast (NOT) the trip started with everyone driving out to the park.
The park is located on the West Side of Georgetown Lake about 4 or 5 miles
west of Georgetown, TX. It is a army corp. of Engineers campground and
picnic facility, very well maintained, overlooking Scenic Lake Georgetown.
I was the first one to leave the diner and I arrived at the site about 10 minutes before the rest of the team. To my surprise, the location where the club set up for Field Day was not available. Now for Plan "B" and since there are numerous shelters available (if you get there early) to accommodate everyone, it wasn’t difficult to find an alternate location. The alternate site we agreed on (after everyone arrived) was great! It was located on the top of a hill where the breeze blew continually across the shelter and made the operation bearable (The temperature was well into the 90’s and quite warm). Our new location also supplied a great view of the lake, its continuous boating activity, and a superb view of the beach.
Cushcraft
R7 multiband vertical mounted on a 10 foot pole and guided to anchors supplied
by nature (trees). The second antenna (to take advantage of changing conditions
and polarization) was a full wave 40-meter Delta Loop mounted horizontally
in the trees. Bob used his trusty fishing pole tied to a weight (I don’t
remember if it was a rock or a lead weight) to launch a line over the trees.
He threw his line over the top of the trees with the fishing pole and tied
the fishing line to a guy string. Then he pulled his line and the guy string
back to the fishing pole. Using this method he secured two sides of the
Delta Loop. DC took care of the other end of the Loop by using his trusty
slingshot using a weight and fishing line configuration. DC used the same
process as Bob; he pointed his trusty tool at the top of the trees and
launched the weight and line over the top of the tree. Both of these launch
tools worked great and the antennas were up in no time. As they were off
installing the antennas, I was setting up the operating table with equipment
while listening closely for the calls of "heads up, missiles away, and
most importantly DUCK!".
Our
operating headquarters consisted of 5 QRP transceivers and peripheral equipment.
Our picnic table was garnished with quite a collection of QRP gear: a TenTec
Argonaut 509 (with external calibrator and CW filter), an MFJ-9020 single
band 20 meter rig mounted on top of the MFJ QRP tuner and power supply,
followed by a Heathkit HW-9 with the Heathkit HD-1418 Active Audio Filter.
An HW-8 with another HD-1418 Active Audio Filter and a Vectronics 821 active
filter followed, with another TenTec Argonaut 505 all band transceiver
(spare rig, you know, just in case). The rigs were wired with all the cables
and connections to the battery supplied by Dave. Since we were blessed
with plenty of Sunshine that day, the battery was connected to a Solar
Panel to ensure constant battery power. An alternate (very large battery)
was on standby to supply power to 12-volt muffin fans for those moments
when there was no breeze, but the fans were never used. Our lake breeze
was continuous through the day, being on the top slope of a hill had paid
off. Each of the radios were assembled on 2 small risers so a home brew
antenna tuner and other items could be positioned under the equipment,
thus leaving plenty of room on the front of the table for the important
items like elbows, drinks, and food.
Everyone brought their essential operating tools (keyers
and paddles) and prepared for rapid-fire contact succession. By the way
I can’t forget to mention the special speakers. In past Field Day outings
we learned how important a good resonant speaker is to enhance the signal
and help filter out noise. We had 2 such items, an old Skytec CW-1 resonant
speaker (does anyone remember that one) and Dave’s home brew resonant speaker.
Dave hit on a formula to create these speakers out of PVC pipefitting and
the CW ops are asking Dave when he is going to make more. Hint Hint…….
We were ready about 2 hours before "T" time (12:00 noon
local time) and enjoyed the last minute preparations in checking out all
the equipment, and getting a bit to eat before the activity started. This
was when we finalized the operating schedule and who would operate what
radio, at what time.
The operation started at 12:00 noon sharp, with Dave operating the MFJ-9020 rig on 20 meters. Because DC had to leave early, he manned the Lap Top computer and logged for Dave. John -AB5UP, (ABout 5 UP, and he wonders why he never gets answers to his call on frequency) arrived just as the contest started. So the team was at full strength for the start of the contest and as Dave took the helm and DC logged, the rest of us took up the back seat driving positions. Boy!, that’s when the full flurry of help was unleashed, and Dave and DC received more help than they ever needed (or wanted). All was in good fun and the total 100% ribbing of their operating technique and stile and critiques of why Dave and DC were not making contacts faster came fast and furious. Come on guys we need to get the rate up!!!! Dave’s comment was, "Little did they realize that they were soon to be on the receiving end of such banter themselves." REVENGE IS SWEET! This was great fun and we all had a hard time hearing for all the laughter.
Well the contacts came at the alarming rate of about 15 contacts per hour. Boy I thought this was a contest not Code practice. Again lots of fun and ribbing. Everyone knew that the ribbing would continue as long as the contest was in full swing. This was definitely not the type of contest setup where you must be quiet and the operator and logger use headphones. Everyone needed to hear what was coming out of the speakers so they could participate. So the resonant speakers were given ample amplification and we shared the sweet sounds of CW with the entire picnic area. This attracted several people to our site, including one ham who was down at the beach and thought he was losing his mind (he couldn’t figure out why he kept hearing Morse code in his head, BEEN THERE BEFORE?)
Bob followed Dave in the operating position for the second hour using the TenTec 509, while I Logged, and again everyone else supplied ample amounts of back seat driving and code deciphering for the CW OP and Logger (this was the most fun of all!).
The third hour was followed by my turn at the paddles and Dave logging. I used the HW-9 for this part of the contest.
Dave then followed for the forth hour operating the HW-8. By that time the rest of us were alternating between logging and taking trips to the rest room. It’s amazing what happens when sitting for long periods of time drinking fluids to keep your body from dehydrating.
Since we had a spare rig, Dave turned the controls over to Bob to use the spare radio for the last half-hour (the second TenTec Argonaut). Bob finished out the contest and we wound up a great day of operating.
Band conditions were not the best and we wound up using the R7 Vertical most of the time. We alternated a few times between the Vertical and the Delta Loop with no distinct advantage with the Loop. It is amazing to hear the difference between the two forms of polarization (vertical and horizontal). Everyone who witnessed became a believer.
Well 4PM came all too soon and now it was time for the ten-minute station tear down (NOT!). Actually, it took about an hour to take everything down and packed into the team vehicles. Why does it always take less time to take the station apart then putting it together? We were leaving the parking lot by 5:00 PM and on our way home.
After getting home and unloading everything, I started to review the logs. We finally wound up with 39 contacts on 20 meters and 12 contacts on 15, for a total of 51 contacts after all the dupes. 40 and 10 meters were not in good shape in Central Texas, and we didn’t make any contacts on those bands. We wound up working 28 Bumblebees. I believe the score wound up looking something like 51 total contacts on 20 and above which contained a multiplier of 2 points per contact. 28 Bumblebees total with a multiplier of 3 points per Bumblebee contact. (51 x 2) x (28 x 3) = 8,568
It was a great contest and speaking for everyone on this end, we all had a great time and can’t wait to do it again. Evan as I write this, plans are already being made to participate in the next contest "BUBA". I know that Dave, Bob, and I and even maybe John, will be in the August Spartan Sprint. So give us a call if you hear us.
72,
Bill, K5LN
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