NAQCC February 2009 Challenge

Call - Number of First Ladies' names made:
N5PHT -  ALL
N1LU -   ALL
KE7LKW - ALL
N8XMS -  ALL
W9ILF - ALL
K3WWP - ALL
K2HPV - ALL
WY7N - ALL
WY3H - ALL
WA7HDI - ALL
KB3AAG - ALL
W2JEK - ALL
NU7T - ALL
All the above will receive a certificate unless they stated they didn't
want one.
K2HPV is the winner of the drawing for the "Ladder Grabber", however he
said he had no use for it. A second drawing among all the other perfect
scorers was made and WY7N came up the winner and confirmed he can use it.

N9AKF - 14
W2CRW - 10
N5MCI - 8
KH6OZ - 5
VE3HUR - 2

Soapbox: N5PHT - I am new member and this was fun. A challenge with 5 watts and my G5RV but fun! Almost messed up but got that I worked one station twice (KL2R) so had to go back and work another "L" and got HC2SL no problem! thanks again

N1LU - These alphabet challenges are my favorite. Got most of my names this weekend doing some of the many contests.

N8XMS - I used 34 different callsigns to complete the challenge. I probably could have squeezed that down a little bit. N3AO was the most useful call - I used each letter twice. Except for the K, I also used every letter in K4ALE two times, and it was also a nice addition to my suffix-word collection.

W9ILF - I completed this challenge using only 40 meters with my very simple MFJ 9040 rig. I used the QRP sprints and FISTS winter sprint to get some letters. The rest came from casual QSO's and my normal QRP/mobile operation. Now that it is over I'm happy to get back to my Icom 703! I appreciate the 703 much more after sticking with only 40 meters for 18 days.

K3WWP - Finally I got all the ladies' names. It's been a busy month and haven't had all that much hunting time. I fulfilled my prophecy though. At the beginning of the month I figured I'd probably finish the challenge in the ARRL DX test, and I did. Those pesky R's held me back at the end as they so often seem to do in our alphabet challenges. I heard KL7RA on 20M, and tried for about 10 minutes to no avail to work him for the final R. So I gave up and tuned up the band to find LZ2JR whom I worked on the first call. That completed the last lady's (no pun intended) name for the challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing how many names I'll have in our drawing for the Ladder Grabber. When I do the "drawing" by putting calls on pieces of onion skin paper and let them flutter to the floor, it's going to look like it snowed in my house. Oh and if you don't know the rest, the pieces that land with the call sign up remain in the "drawing" and I keep dropping until only one piece lands call sign side up, and that's the winner. I don't know of any fairer way to do it. It's nice to see a couple new names in there along with the standard challenge completers this month.
ADDENDUM: I had to do it. Before the month even started, I thought I'd try to do the challenge strictly from the ARRL DX contest, but then got tied up with a lot of work, and not till now (Mar 1) have I had the chance to go through my ARRL DX QSO's, and yes, I easily made the challenge again. For the statistically minded, I used calls from all six continents that I worked, and 27 different countries. Going straight through the list and straight through my QSO's, the first lady completed was Mary Todd, and the last was Barbara. I had trouble finding the second B until I got to JA7YBK. I just love these challenges and the many different approaches that can be taken to them. Congrats to Bruce WY7N who also did the challenge with only ARRL DX contest QSO's. Nice going!

K2HPV - Celebrated my 83rd birthday this month. Getting too old for this stuff!! (Oh come on, you're still a spring chicken - K3WWP) Man, this was a long-g-g one! The sheer size of it made it almost overwhelming. But I was determined to finish it during the DXCW contest this weekend. As you all know, punching thru that mess with 5 watts and a vertical antenna was a real CHALLENGE. Glad it is over but it was still fun.

WY7N - I'm seeing spots. SUNSPOTS! I completed the challenge using all DX worked during the ARRL International DX Contest. That was tons of fun!!!! The short version is 86 contacts and 39 countries--all with 5 watts to a very stealthy 100' wire at 23'!

WA7HDI - Great fun and kept me working QRP all month

KB3AAG - Boy trying to do this one sure kept me on the air much more than usual! 46 qsos to make it mostly from the holler out at my cabin. I got a few from my home in town, a half size antenna compaired to the one at the cabin and only up 20 feet. Also an elecraft kx 1 that only puts out 3 or 4 watts at best. I kid a lot about being down in the holler with three hundred and fifty foot hills on all sides. I have made over 800 qrp contacts from there and have only heard two dx stations, one in the Ukrane about a year ago and with one call I loged him! In this I heard the DL5OB and the first call I got him! It was fun but it was a lot of work too! And I thought the sprints were work! Frank

WY3H - Well, as K2HPV said, this was indeed a long challenge. When John and I started getting the first names of First Ladies I guess we just got carried away. I didn't get the last two letters needed, an "S" and a "Y," until Feb. 24. Interestingly enough, when I needed only those two letters, I must have heard and tried to work at least eight stations that had an "S" or "Y" in their call. But either they didn't come back to me, or someone (a QRO station) grabbed them up. I admit I was getting frustrated. The last station I worked was W9OUY and I tried to either answer his CQ or tail-end him three times during the day before I got him on 40 Meters later in the afternoon. During this challenge I also managed to garner several Area Codes for the FISTS "Phone CW Area Code" challenge. (That's another story for another time). Well, whoever wins the "Ladder Grabber" donated by the folks at Emtech will have earned it. Since officers are not eligible it won't be me. Looks as if we're going to have to have a drawing of teh eligible contenders. I hope whoever wins will let us know what type of antenna they constructed using the Ladder Grabber and how it works, maybe they will even send a photo. By the way, a bit of research will show that not all First Ladies were president's wives. One or two were "girlfriends," one was a stand-in for a deceased wife and one was a daughter. Therefore, First Ladies do not have to be wives, necessarily. Tom

N5MCI - This was my first challenge and I had a blast (even though I fell short.) I can't wait for the next one.

N9AKF - Another fun word challenge! I found all the letters except for the second "O" that I needed for Rosalynn. CUL, Bart

W2JEK - lots of fun. got most calls before the arrl dx contest but did use a few from it for a couple of letters. 72 and 73 don younger w2jek #1135

KH6OZ - Giving out Montana for the LOTW TPA award hunters has been keeping me QRO this month or I would have made more names. These are my favorite challenges. Hope to see you on the bands 73's George KH6OZ

RULES:
Since February is the birthday month of several of our USA Presidents, including three of our most famous, Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan, we want you to spell out names of not the presidents this time, but their wives first names. Make as many as you can from the list below. The names in parentheses are there only to identify the president - you need not make anything in the parentheses.

Martha (Washington)
Mary Todd (Lincoln)
Eleanor (Roosevelt)
Bess (Truman)
Mamie (Eisenhower)
Jackie (Kennedy)
Lady Bird (Johnson)
Pat (Nixon)
Betty (Ford)
Rosalynn (Carter)
Nancy (Reagan)
Barbara (Bush)
Hillary (Clinton)
Laura (Bush)
Michelle (Obama)

Here is a list of the letters contained in the names for reference:

A B C D E H I J K L M N O P R S T U Y

You can use a letter in a call TWICE. For example, K3WWP's P could be used in PEGGY and PAULA if those were wives' names. If a call has two or more of the same letters, only one may be used. For example, K3RRR could only be used for two R's, not 6.

All QSO's must be 2XCW and you must use QRP power. The station you work can be using any power.

AWARDS:
A certificate goes to the two members making the most names.

PRIZE:
A Ladder Grabber - a device to make it easy to connect ladder line to your antenna. Donated by Emtech of Tracyton, WA. They make many fine products to help with your ham radio projects. If you contact them, be sure to say you heard about them from the NAQCC. The prize goes to the one making the most President's wives' names. In case of a tie, the tie will be broken by a drawing.

PARTICIPATION AWARD AND WEB LISTING:
Anyone submitting a report gets a Participation Point and a web listing, even if you make only 1 name.

LOGS:
For your report, just list the names you made and the stations used for each word as in:
WORD - K3WWP, N2OO, WA8REI, DK5WW

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

Send your results to us at:

E-mail:

You must type that address into your email program. No attachments - keep the log in the body of the message.

Postal mail: John Shannon, K3WWP, 478 E. High St., Kittanning, PA 16201
All entries must be postmarked or email dated before Mar 10, 2009.