This year's Flight of the Bumblebees was Sunday July 30th, and I operated from Mr. Pinos for the third year. Attempted improvements were antennas and an antenna tuner. I was bumblebee number 73 this year and while I had some concerns as to how well this would be understood there were no requests for repeats.  Full rules and results for the activity both past and present are available at the Adventure Radio Society web site: http://www.natworld.com/ars/pages/pageone_material/events_idx.html

My results were:
 

Equipment used consisted of a Sierra modified for 5 watts on 40m and 20m and 4 watts on 15m and 10m, OHR SCAF audio filter, EMTech ZM-2 antenna tuner, CMOS-III keyer, OHR WM-1 wattmeter, AADE digital dial and dipoles for 40m, 20m and 10m supported from trees using a Sling-a-Line.  Power was in the form of a 4.0 Ah gel cell with a flexible solar panel to maintain the charge.  Experiments with the charge controller resulted in filtering added to both the input and output ports of the device, which proved effective in eliminating RFI when the battery was in the float mode.  Logging was done the old fashioned way with a mechanical pencil and writing pad.  No stinking computer needed, and the signal reports were not typical contest reports.  An effort was made to provide representative signal reports as best I could by ear (no S-meter).

The ZM-2 antenna tuner works well, but from an operational view I found myself often trying to work stations with the unit still in the tune mode, which reduces output power to the antenna to amount 25% of the full transmitter output power.  I found it very embarrassing the number of times I caught myself trying to work stations with it in the tune mode.  I anticipate using a custom antenna tuner and wattmeter in the future.  The wattmeter is needed in order to establish the output just below 5 watts on 40m and 20m where my Sierra can easily exceed the 5 watt level if not set correctly.

The ZM-2 use of a LED for a reflected power indicator seems to work well even in full sunlight, but it is best viewed from a position that is directly above the LED's lens.  The AADE liquid crystal frequency display was housed in a very small, light weight, plastic box and remained readable in moderate sunlight, but does not appear to update the display as quickly and smoothly as the OHR DD-1 when tuning.  The digital display could probably be eliminated, since the my custom marked dial on the Sierra is adequate for finding the QRP calling frequencies.  The optional keyer and digital dial has been attractive to me due to my preference for external keyers with greater flexibility, and my use of the free panel space for controls such as an RIT with center detent and larger knob located an adequate distance from the main tuning control to prevent bumping the main tuning with my knuckles.  I use my right hand for the controls and my left hand for the keyer.  Hence, the stock layout of the Sierra controls is very uncomfortable.

The weather was very cooperative for the third year in a row.  I arrived on site at approximately 7:40 a.m. local time (1440Z) following a two mile hike to the top of the mountain.  The antennas went up easily using the Sling-a-Line which is a fly casting fishing reel mounted on a wooden sling shot.  The first attempt cleared the largest pine on the mountain top and the 40m and 20m were in place.  The sky was covered with a nearly complete alto cumulus overcast that gave way to a thinner cirro stratus partial overcast later in the morning.  The equipment was setup on a flat rock with a stool fashioned from flat rock stacked next to the large rock.  It proved to be marginally comfortable.  The temperature got to be very warm by local noon (1900Z) and the flies were very noticeable.  The past two years there had been no flies.

After the Flight of the Bumblebees the 20m Summer Fox was quickly located and called for a QSO at 2101Z.  I was still in the bumblebee mode and forgot to include my name in the exchange, but N5TW quickly picked it up with a fill request.  The next hour was spent enjoying some of the flowers which were out more than 1999 but not as much as 1998.  It had been a dry winter, but there had been some late spring rains this year.  A quick summary of the log was made, and at 2200Z I had a quick QSO with K6VNX on 40m CW to let him know how I did.  Some pictures were taken, and by 2300Z the antennas were all down and the backpack was packed for the return trip.
 

73, Harvey, N6MM.