Flight of the Bumblebees
July 2012

I operated at a spot not too far from the trailhead this year
because of impending rain. It poured after an hour of operating,
but I still had a great time. I made 13 QSOs from a 200 acre
spot about two miles from home. For a complete description
of the Flight of the Bumblebees event click here.



I hiked about a quarter of a mile in from the road and set up
in an old field under a tall pine tree.

I brought a basket pack so that I could turn it upside-down and
use it as a table. I also had a little three-legged stool for a seat.
I usually operate directly on the ground, but today everything
was wet from earlier rain, and I didn't want to get soaked.



I used the Chinese HB-1B at 4 watts. The antenna was a half-
wave wire straight up to a pine branch. I only operated on
20 meters. I listened on 40 but didn't hear a thing. I got
started around 2:30 pm and quit about 3:30 when I looked
up at the sky and saw a wall of dark clouds moving quickly
from the east. It started to sprinkle before I finished packing
up. By the time I got back to the car, it was raining hard.

Here's my log:

29 Jul-12 1803  14.062  KX0R   CW 559 559 CO 24  field 
29 Jul-12 1805  14.067  AC7A   CW 559 559 AZ 5   field 
29 Jul-12 1808  14.06   K4BAI  CW 589 589 GA 5W  field 
29 Jul-12 1810  14.061  WB4MNK CW 549 559 FL 2   field 
29 Jul-12 1815  14.0    W4MPS  CW 599 599 NC 5W  field 
29 Jul-12 1816  14.061  W4ZV   CW 559 559 NC 72  field 
29 Jul-12 1820  14.05   WF4I   CW 599 599 NC 36  field 
29 Jul-12 1821  14.05   WQ8RP  CW 559 559 MI 80  field 
29 Jul-12 1823  14.05   K9EW   CW 559 559 IL 90  field 
29 Jul-12 1824  14.05   N9AW   CW 559 559 WI 28  field 
29 Jul-12 1834  14.06   AB4I   CW 599 599 VA 47  field 
29 Jul-12 1836  14.06   K4UPG  CW 549 599 FL 23  field 
29 Jul-12 1840  14.061  WF4I   CW 559 599 NC 36  field 
29 Jul-12 1950  14.0    NK9G   CW 599 599 WI 27  home
29 Jul-12 1955  14.060  K9NE   CW 559 559 WI 50  home
29 Jul-12 2026  14.058  VE3LFN CW 559 559 ON 12  home  
29 Jul-12 2029  14.0    K0NE   CW 599 599 NE 110 home

I continued under shelter back at the house using a 65 foot
horizontal wire up about 25 feet. I made four additional
QSOs on 20 meters.

Many thanks to everyone for the contacts. 73 Jim W1PID