NAQCC April 2006 Challenge

Call      # Professions  # stations
K3WWP -   16             16
KI4DEF -  23*            23*
KD2MX -    4              9
N9AKF -    7              7

* Winner most professions & most stations

Soapbox:
K3WWP - I didn't really put all that much extra effort into this month's challenge. I usually tell my profession (retired from broadcasting) in any QSO that goes beyond a few minutes anyway, and that's how I got my 16. I probably could have gotten a lot more had I gotten on and really worked for it. It was fun though and did lead to some extended rag chews.

KD2MX - Lots of retired guys out there. Hope to join them someday. For one reason or another, many of my QSOs ended before I could get a specific profession (or any profession) but I did manage to get some info from nine different stations.

KI4DEF - I had a lot of fun with this challenge, as I usually do with any challenge that gives me an excuse to prolong a QSO (as if I need one, hi!). Almost one-third of my QSOs this month (23 out of 76) were long enough for me to ask the other guy's profession. These QSOs lasted an average of 27 minutes each (ranging from 9 min to 52 min each). Of the remaining 53 QSOs I had, 27 lasted 5 minutes or less (mostly from the few contests I operated, or short QSOs under conditions to poor to continue). Of the remaining 26, I guess we either just never got around to it, or I forgot, or we were struggling just to get basic info for one reason or another.

N9AKF - This was my first time participating in an NAQCC challenge and I really enjoyed it! I hope to participate in many more as ragchewing on CW is my primary ham radio operating interest. I made 14 contacts for the month. Didn't get professions from others due mostly to QSB, QRN, or not enough time. (Great to have a first-time participant in our challenges. Welcome aboard! Hope to have your reports in many more months ahead. - K3WWP)

PREMISE:
This is another NAQCC event that promotes getting to know the person you work a little better. So many QSO's consist of a very basic exchange of info and do not promote real fellowship between hams. Many times a QSO will consist of 5 basic items or less - RST, QTH, Name, Rig, WX and/or an exchange of a club number. What do you really know about the ham you worked after that? Not much. This month we want you to find out what the person you work does for a living. Try to get as many different professions as you can from as many different hams as possible.

TIME FRAME:
April 1, 2006 0000Z through April 30, 2006 2400Z

RULES:
You must use QRP and the other station can be using any power. You can use any antenna you want.
You can get one and only one profession from any one person. If a person worked in multiple jobs, you must pick one of them to list for that person.
If someone is retired, pick one of the jobs he had when he was working. If he just says retired, count retired as his profession.

AWARDS:
Two certificates will be issued. One to the person listing the most different professions, and one to the person finding out a profession from the most different stations.
A tie-breaker will be the earliest submission date.

PARTICIPATION AWARD AND WEB LISTING:
Anyone submitting a report gets a Participation Point and a web listing, even if you collect just one profession.

LOGS:
Your results consist of a list of all stations worked from whom you got a profession plus a count of the different professions represented in the list and a count of the total number of stations in the list.

Please preface your soapbox comments with "SOAPBOX:" so we will know what you want posted and what is private.

Send your results to KB3LFC at:

E-mail:

You must type that address into your email program.

Subject must read: (your call) NAQCC (month) Challenge

For example: K3WWP NAQCC June Challenge

No attachments - keep the log in the body of the message.

Postal mail:
Tom Mitchell, KB3LFC
RD6 Box 122A
Kittanning, PA 16201

All entries must be postmarked or email dated before May 10, 2006.