Overview & DETAILS
FOR THE ADVENTURE RADIO SOCIETY
Goal: Have Fun making QRP CW
Contacts
The Flight of the
Bumblebees is a four-hour event held twice each Year
- Annually on the last
Sunday of July.
- Annually on the 3rd
Sunday in September.
Open
to all QRP CW operators – there is no membership requirement.
You
run QRP CW – You can work Non-QRP Stations
(The “Bumblebees” are the stations that are operating out in the
field).
EASTERN 1300 to 1700 EDST
CENTRAL 1200 to 1600 CDST
MOUNTAIN 1100 to 1500 MDST
PACIFIC 1000 to 1400 PDST
WHO CAN PLAY?
Home Based Stations and Portable QRP
Stations.
OPERATION
Use 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters, around standard QRP CW frequencies.
Call
CQ BB Or listen for calling stations and
respond.
Bumblebees will add /BB to their calls.
(NOTE:
Home-based stations do not ever add /BB to their callsign.)
EXCHANGE
If you are a Bumblebee:
- RST
- Your State, Province, or Country
- Your BB Number
If you are a Home Station:
- RST
- Your State, Province, or Country
- Your Power Output
How do I know that I worked a Bumblebee?
Bumblebees will put a /BB after their Call, and/or will give you
a BB Number.
Keep track of how many
Bumblebee you work - that total will be needed.
WHAT COUNTS ?
You can work each Bumblebee or Home Station once on each Band.
Working the same Bumblebee on a different band counts as an
additional Contact and as an additional Bumblebee Worked.
So, try looking for Bumblebees on all of the bands that are open during this event.
SELF-SERVE BUMBLEBEE NUMBERS
If you plan to operate the FOBB as a
Portable Field Station – you need a Bumblebee Number
Bumblebee Numbers are only valid for One FOBB Event.
You must request a new sequentially issued BB Number for each
ARS FOBB Event.
Get your Bumblebee Number here :
* Bumblebee Numbers are Not
Available Yet - Check Back Later. *
(Problem obtaining a BB Number?
Send an email to fobb-number@ars-qrp.com)
Have
a Bumblebee Number but have forgotten it?
Click Here to Find Your
Existing Bumblebee Number
REPORTING
If you choose to report your results, go to 3830scores.com, and
select the ‘ARS FOBB’ (on the Left side)
Select 'Home' or 'Bumblebee' so that you end up in the
proper Results List
You will enter your [Total Contacts] that you made and the [Number of
Bumblebees] that you worked.
([Total
Contacts] includes both Bumblebees and non-Bumblebees)
If you are a Bumblebee, Soapbox comments may
also include your portable location, power, equipment, antennas, band
conditions, outdoor conditions, outdoor experiences, and anything else about
the event that you wish to comment on.
If you are a Home Station, Soapbox comments may include your power,
equipment, antennas, band conditions, and anything else about the event that
you wish to comment on.
SCORING
Total Scores will be
Automatically Calculated using this Formula:
[Total Score] = [Total Contacts] x [Number of Bumblebees] x 3
Working the same station on a different band counts as another contact.
(Defaults to [Total Contacts] = 1 and [Number of Bumblebees] = 1)
Separate Reports will be available for
the 'Home' and the 'Bumblebee' entrants.
OTHER BUMBLEBEE NUMBER REPORTS
AVAILABLE:
Click
Here to See the Bumblebees in One Specific SPC
Click
Here to See the Quantity of Bumblebees in Each SPC
Click Here to See ALL of the Bumblebees -
Sorted by SPC
Click Here to See ALL of the Bumblebees -
Sorted by BB Number
SUBMITTING BUMBLEBEE PHOTOS
If you would like to submit Photos of
your Bumblebee Operation, email your .jpg files to:
fobb-pictures@ars-qrp.com
Include your Call and Name. Add any Comments that you wish to add.
As time permits, they will eventually
get posted on https://ars-qrp.com
NOTE ABOUT POTA/SOTA OPERATIONS AND HIGHER-POWERED HUNTERS/CHASERS:
Many of the Bumblebees have indicated
that they will be operating from POTA or SOTA locations.
Many Bumblebees have said that they
will also be responding to POTA Hunters and/or SOTA Chasers.
As long as a Bumblebee Number is sent
in the Outgoing Exchange, that will be a valid FOBB Bumblebee Contact.
Participating FOBB Home Stations are
expected to be running 5W QRP Maximum.
However, most POTA Hunters and SOTA
Chasers will be running more than 5W QRP.
A Bumblebee should strive to obtain and
log the Power of the POTA Hunter or SOTA Chaser.
However, that is not always going to be
possible - do not dwell on it - it is a FOBB Contact - move on.
(POTA Hunters and SOTA Chasers running more
than 5W QRP cannot Submit FOBB Results)
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.
Here is a nice video from Bumblebee WG0AT in 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0-0-pMH8Y4
Looking forward to working you during the Flight of the Bumblebees.
73, Jody – K3JZD on behalf of
Russ Carpenter - AA7QU and Richard Fisher - KI6SN
The Adventure Radio Society
Last Updated : 15NOV25