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The NAQCC February 2017 Challenge

All challenge info such as rules are now in the hands of Gary K1YAN. Email him with any questions in that regard at pix_email_k1yan (1K).

The results on this page are the responsibility of Hap K7HAP. Email him with any questions in that regard at pix_email_k7hap (1K).


QRPp CHALLENGE

PREMISE:
QRPp : communication with a full RF gallon, or less. Oh, by the way, a full QRPp RF gallon is 1000 milliwatts. In a previous QRPp challenge soapbox, a number of you commented that it wasn't all that hard to make QRPp QSOs. Since we take member feedback seriously, the bar goes up a little to make this monthly challenge a bit more demanding and possibly make you QRPp wizards break a sweat.


TIME FRAME:
The first day of the month 0000Z through the last day of the month 2400Z


RULES:
Make 15 QRPp QSOs, including at least 2 DX entities other than your own country. All contacts must be started, carried on and finished with QRPp power. Starting at higher power and cutting back to QRPp levels is not allowed. The other station may be running any power. Only you must be QRPp power. General Challenge Rules apply, except as noted above.


AWARDS:
A certificate and Participation Point go to everyone who makes the 15 QRPp QSOs, working at least two DX entities other than your own, and reports their results before the deadline.

A Participation Point goes to everyone who makes at least 3 QRPp QSOs, and reports their results before the deadline.


PRIZES:
A choice of an item made by master woodworker Gregg WB8LZG as shown on our prizes page here goes to someone selected via a random drawing from all who participate and submit a report for this month's challenge. A person can only win once, then they become ineligible for future drawings.


LOGS:
Report the number of QRPp QSOs that you made and your DX entities.

You may also include comments about the challenge. Please preface any comments you want posted with "SOAPBOX:" so we will know what you want posted and what is private.

Send your results as text in the horizontal format shown above to:

E-mail: pix_email_k7hap (1K) (You must type that address into your email program.)
Subject must read: (your call) NAQCC (month) Challenge
For example: K3WWP NAQCC February Challenge

All entries must be RECEIVED before the 10th of the following month at 2400Z.


Final Results:

         QSO     DX
KG4MTN:   18      2
AH6AX:    24      2
K3WWP:    15     10
N5GW:     15      4
N8XMS:    15      6
W2JEK:    15      3
N9SE:     17      6
KJ4R:     15      5
KB5JO:    85     28
K1YAN:    24      9
PA9CW:    15      2
K1IEE:    15      8
NF1U:     22      3
PA0XAW:   15      5
WA5IEK:   19      3
W3IQ:     15      2
KA5PVB:   15      5
KF7WNS:   37      4
All the above get a certificate and participation point.

All below get only a participation point.

 
WI5H:       5     0
K0FNR:      3     1
AA4NN:      2     0
VE3FUJ:    18     1
WG8Y:       7     4

Soapbox:


KG4MTN: This was a fun challenge. I am always amazed at what can be accomplished with low power and a wire antenna.

K3WWP: I feel a bit ashamed after saying on my web site and a couple other places that I thought this would be a very hard challenge nearing a sunspot minimum. I was wrong. Oh, it was more challenging than it would have been a couple years ago at or just past the sunspot maximum. I particularly thought the requirement for 2 of the QRPp QSOs to be DX was going to be tough. Wrong again. 10 of my 15 QRPp QSOs were DX (if you count 2 VEs as DX, which I normally don't). 10, maybe 11 (not sure of C6ARU yet) were 1,000 MPW QSOs ranging from 1,024 (VO2NS) to 2,876 (PV8ADI) miles. I used 1W or what Gary calls a full QRPp RF gallon for all the QSOs. The QSOs came on 40, 30, and 20 meters. None of the 15 QSOs were all that hard to make, and included a couple fair length rag chews. Gary, I didn't break a sweat. HI I guess what that K3WWP fellow has been saying all these years about QRP (QRPp) and CW working, and working well, is indeed true - even at this point in a sunspot cycle.

N8XMS: This was a lot of fun! Going into this challenge I was pretty confident that I could make the required 15 QRPp contacts but I wasn't too sure about the DX. I figured that my best bet would be Canada and the Caribbean. Well, I'm happy to report that I was very wrong. I not only worked Canada and the Caribbean, but also South America, and Europe. My final DX list was Canada, Hungary, Cayman Islands, France, Lithuania, and Brazil. Everything was worked on 20, 30, and 40 meters (Does anything happen higher than 20 these days?) with 500 to 900 mW out to my trap vertical antenna. My best QSO was on 40-meters with HA8GZ at 500 mW for a total of 9376 mpw! I finished the challenge on the 12th and I think that I'm going to keep the power turned down and see how the rest of the month goes.

W2JEK: Made 15 QRPP QSO using my Oak Hills OHR 500 at 900 MW measured with Oak Hills WM-2 wattmeter and using simple wire antennas. There were three DX contacts in two entities, P4 and C6. They were W3IQ, K9DP, W2KJ/QRP, KC2NYU, WA9YXG, P49X, W5LNI, KW1C, C6AKQ, NK8S, C6AUM, WB0PYF, N4AR/8, W9ZN, AND W4FKM/QRP. SEVEN OF THE STATIONS WORKED ARE NAQCC MEMBERS. THE DX STATIONS AND W5LNI ARE OVER 1000 MILES AWAY. USED 20,30, AND 40M. BAND CONDITIONS NOT GREAT BUT CW GETS THRUOGH JUST THE SAME 72 AND 73 DON YOUNGER

KA5PVB: SHOCKED, to find that my 700 milliwatts and G5RV antenna was able to work both Costa Rica and Turks and Caicos Islands for my DX entities. Both stations had pile ups (I could hear others calling) and I still got though. Many of my USA contacts were made with other QRP-er operators (I think they have their ears tuned for lower level signals). 7 Stations help me qualify for MPW certificates and 1 contact was made 2X QRPp with AK4JA in GA. I had a ball with this challenge and look forward to the next QRPp event! 73 one and all, thanks for hearing me! 73, Chuck

KJ4R: Thought this was going to be really tough this month, but turned out to be not bad at all. I think i could have made more QSO's but work kept me busier than usual this month. All of my QSO's were on 40 meters except for a KP2 on 20 meters and one QSO with a station in AR on 30 meters. DX for me was CO, KP2 (20 and 40), VE, PJ4, and VP5 Almost had one more DX on 40M with an FG, but he couldn't get the "R" in my call. Kept sending KJ4? and after a few tries I got the dreaded "SRI QRZ?" meaning " I'm done trying to dig your signal out of the noise, on to the next caller".........hi hi. This was my first effort with QRPp and found it lots of fun. Used my PFR 3B for 10 contacts and did the other 5 with IC 756 Pro 3. Used a homemade attenuator to get a final output measured by my WM-2 at 900 - 950 mw. Still being amazed at what can be done with so little power.

KB5JO: Used a K1-4 @ 0.8W to either EDZ or 40M FW Loop on 15, 20, and 40M. DX entities were Alaska, Aruba, Bahamas, Balearic Is., Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Ecuador, France, Hawaii, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Cook Is., Turks & Caicos Is., Uruguay, USA, US Virgin Is.

K1YAN: An interesting month for challenges. Challenge number one was keeping a signal on the air. My large, old power supply went to the great junkbox in the sky to start the month, exit the IC-746 and attenuator. I fired up a little, old, 3 amp. supply with my FT-817. Casualty number two ... the 817 went from 1 watt to 0 watts, real QRPp. On to a SW Labs DSW40 and attenuator for a rockcrushing 250 mW on 40M. A trip to HRO got me back into the game with the IC-746. I did, however, manage a new, lowest power yet, QSO at 250 mW. Challenge number two netted 11 states, VP9, DL, EA, G, C6, S5, RU, HA and ZF in the logbook. I had some serious help from my 20 meter RU contact who was running 500 W to a 12 ( ! ) element yagi at 60 meters.

PA9CW: QSO's made with Elecraft K3 and power 1 W measured with my WM-2 QRP Wattmeter. Antenne I used is a HyEndFed 41 meters long. CU in next challenge. 73 es good luck Tonnie

K1IEE: For some reason this was a difficult challenge for me. Had to really focus on making time and going between 20M and 40M with the little HW-8 which at times can be a challenging rig to operate. Thank to all 73 Dick

NF1U: Decided to run the entire month of February using 500mw on the K3s to include this challenge. Like a few others here I had some apprehension of making the 2 DX contacts but that turned out to be easy as well. Good Challenge. I did participate in the Novice Radio Roundup and shifted to a Ten Tec Argonaut 509 and went back to QRO 2-5W for three days before a severe Head cold Made copying too uncomfortable. All my challenge contacts were at 500mw and did not include any of the NRR contacts in this challenge.

PA0XAW: The stations I worked (exept 2) where QRP as well and around 7.030. My rig homemade 1 watt TX 40 meters VXO cortrolled. RX old HW-101 and keyer also Heathkit. Together with my "longwire" some 20 meters long, it's amazing what can be done and realy fun!

WI5H: Did not have as much operating time as usual. When I did get a chance, it seemed like condx were poor. CU in March 72...

WA5IEK: Got started late because I had to build a 10 dB attenuator to join this challenge. Ordered the resistors from eBay and waited for them to arrive. Most of the QSOs were on 80 and 40 meters using my MFJ-9200 QRP rig but no DX. Moved to 20m and worked XE1XR, XE1RK, and a new entity for me 5J0NA.

K0FNR: Full of excuses, but, I'll take the participation point. Kudos to the finishers !!

VE3FUJ: I managed 18 Qso's but only one was a DX Qso. The Dx part was very elusive I must have tried to tail-end and/or answer a dozen Qs0's with only one contact to show for it. Brion

WG8Y: I participated in the last Sept. 2016 QRP/p challenge & had fun. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to complete. Well,since I like playing patio portable I decided I'd see if I could do it with a portable antenna from the the back patio, I used a HB coil loaded 10ft Tripod mounted Vertical. Well, didn't get the job done but I did try to get out & work at it but didn't have as much time as I thought I would to play. I only worked 3 stateside Q's but managed 4 DX Q's . Best DX was PV8ADI. That's my longest QRP/p contact to date. One of my Stateside contacts was with Don, K3RLL. He was at a park in FL. with the NAQCC-FL gang & we were both QRP/p power. I cheated on that one. I used a 40M full wave loop to pull him thru. I had been listening for them on the back patio and only heard a whisper out of WB4OMM on 20m. By the time I strung a pc of coax over to the loop he was gone. Went up to 30m and listened to the noise for a bit and then I heard Don calling. We made it. Cool Maybe we can have a summer challenge similar to what I tried. Maybe a few less Q's & it will be a little warmer then. Course, I'll have to spend more time at it & dig out my ham stick DP for it.