 
|
The NAQCC January 2026 Challenge NAQCC Monthly Challenges are originated and information regarding rules, ideas, or suggestions go to Gary K1YAN. Email him at  .Challenge results and the Challenge App (the online Challenge tracking and reporting application) is administered by Charlie N1AOK. Email him with any questions at  PLEASE SEND ALL CHALLENGE SUBMISSIONS TO CHARLIE!!! (If you use the online Challenge App, it will automatically send it to him). LINKS: Challenge App: http://naqcc.wb5rvz.org Challenge Worksheet: challenge_tracker.pdf THE RAILROAD SIGNAL CHALLENGE  PREMISE: You approach a railroad crossing and are met with flashing warning lights and a gate across the road. The train passes by, the lights go off and the gate rises. Ever wonder what kind of system controls those crossing safety devices? It is actually pretty simple, quiet and low profile. Railroad tracks are divided into sections called blocks. Each block of track has an insulating joint at each end that electrically separates it from the adjacent blocks. Take a close look at a run of track and you will see that each segment of rail has a jumper wire that bonds it to its neighbor. This creates an electrical conductor made of rail with an insulator at each end. Now we add a battery and a relay, connected by the two rails and we have the basic control circuit. The batteries are usually found in a vault or other secure enclosure and provide a low voltage, around 20 volts or less. At the other end of the circuit we find a gravity drop relay. When it is energized, its normal state, its contacts are electrically held open. When de-energized, the relay contacts close by gravity. This provides a fail safe property for the system. If the battery fails or something causes the rail conductor to open or short out, the relay drops and its contacts close. This puts the crossing into a warning state, stopping traffic. Better to stop traffic with no approaching train, than to not stop it with a train actually coming through! This is all nice, but how does the approaching train make the signaling respond. Those steel sets of wheels bridge both rails and create a short circuit. This causes the relay to drop out, activating the crossing warnings. After the train passes through, removing the short circuit on the block of track that controls the relay, the relay resets, clears the warning system and allows traffic to again pass. This idea is also used in the control of switches and the movement of trains between main lines and sidings. TIME FRAME: The first day of the month 0000Z through the last day of the month 2400Z. RULES: Just make these words from calls of stations you work, subject to the General Challenge Rules. ROAD CROSSING WARNING SYSTEMS BLOCKS OF TRACK GRAVITY DROP RELAY LOW VOLTAGE BATTERIES FAIL SAFE DESIGN The 88 total letters contain these 20 different letters: A B C D E F G I K L M N O P R S T V W Y You can use each letter in a call TWICE. For example you could use K3WWP for 2 K's, 4 W's, and 2 P's. Subsequent QSO's with the same station cannot be used for additional letters. For example, no matter how many times you work K3WWP, you can only use his call for 8 of the letters in the words. See General Rule #5 for more details on what callsign letters can be used. If you need some help with your alphabet challenge record keeping take a look at our Alphabet Tutorial page for everything from some great pencil & paper methods to fully computerized tools. AWARDS: A certificate and Participation Point go to everyone making all the words and submitting their report before the deadline. A Participation Point goes to everyone making at least 1, but not all the words and submitting their report before the deadline. YOU MUST COMPLETE AND SUBMIT AT LEAST ONE WORD TO RECEIVE A PARTICIPATION POINT! LOGS: For your report, list the words you made and the station used for each letter in the word. The number of stations listed must be the same as the number of letters in each word, even though you use the same station for more than one letter as in: WORD - K3WWP N2OD WA8REI N2OD NEXT - NF8M W8REI N8XMS K9EYT (Note how N2OD is listed for both the O and D.) 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 Charlie N1AOK at: charlie.wilber AT gmail.com (You must type that address into your email program.) Subject must read: (your call) NAQCC (month year) Challenge For example: K3WWP NAQCC January 2026 Challenge All entries must be RECEIVED before the 10th of the following month at 2400Z. |