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 Motor City Radio Club - W8MRM

Ham Challenge 2023

2023 is the Club's 90th anniversary. As part of the celebration we will be holding a club wide member challenge. 

Each month members will be provided with a new and exciting challenge to expand their skills set. Challenges will provide a diverse set of opportunities to expand a members knowledge in computers, operating, logging, digital modes and more. The hope is to keep all of the challenges accessible to all license classes. The first few months should be easy. As the year progresses the challenges will get more and more difficult and may require you to acquire some additional equipment. So be sure to check out all of the challenges so you can be prepared. 

Challenges may be limited to a specific month while others, like the Elmer-Padawan challenge, may span multiple months. Unless otherwise stated, you may only earn a challenge point one time. 

For each challenge a member completes they will receive the indicated number of challenge point(s). Each challenge point will be converted into an additional ticket in a drawing for one fabulous grand prize at the end of the year. Other surprise prizes will be awarded thorough the year.  We'll track the progress of the challenge on the club website. 

January - Off to a Great Start

  • Join the Discord Server - Use this link to join the W8MRM discord server. New to discord or already a member of the server - Earn your first challenge point by sending a direct message to @KD8HFX - Jim. Be sure to include your name and callsign in the message.

Bonus Challenge

  • Create an Elmer relationship - Are you a tech looking for some help in getting started? Earn 5 Challenge Points
  • Create a Padawan relationship - Are you a General or higher? Find a tech to Elmer into a new realm of ham radio. Earn 5 Challenge Points

February - 2m Easy Contact

  • Make a 2m SIMPLEX contact with another club member. We suggest using 147.42 exchange a QSL card and turn those cards in to KD8HFX for credit. Earn 1 Challenge Point You can earn challenge points for each unique QSO you make with other club members.

Challenge tip!!! 

Go on Discord under the ham-challenge-2023 channel Put an announcement out there when you will be sitting next to your 2m rig and what frequency you'll be on. Then wait for a club member to call CQ on that frequency. Earn all the easy Challenge Points. 

Bonus Challenge

  • Create an Elmer relationship - Are you a tech looking for some help in getting started? Earn 5 Challenge Points
  • Create a Padawan relationship - Are you a General or higher? Find a tech to Elmer into a new realm of ham radio. Earn 5 Challenge Points

March - Up the 10m Band

  • Make a 10m contact with W8MRM. Earn 2 Challenge Point
  • Planned Operating frequency is 28.330 - Check Discord for Frequency Changes
 Operator  Date  Time (Local)
 Jim - KD8HFX  Tuesday 03/07/23  2200 (After the 2m Net)
 John - N8KAM as W8GTZ Tuesday 03/14/23 2000 
 Jim - KD8HFX  Tuesday 03/14/23  2200 (After the 2m Net)
 John - N8KAM as W8GTZ  Tuesday 03/21/23 2000 
 Jim - KD8HFX  Tuesday 03/21/23  2200 (After the 2m Net)
 John - N8KAM as W8GTZ  Tuesday 03/28/23 2000 
 Jim - KD8HFX  Tuesday 03/28/23  2200 (After the 2m Net)
 Bob - W8RFC as W8MRM  Thursday  03/30/23  2000 - 2100
     
     
     
     

(Operators must contact KD8HFX to get pre-authorization to use W8MRM license.)

Bonus Challenge

  • Add yourself to the operating schedule as W8MRM and work your fellow club members. (once per member)
    Earn 3 Challenge Points (Contact KD8HFX to get added to the schedule)
  • Create an Elmer relationship - Are you a tech looking for some help in getting started? Earn 5 Challenge Points
  • Create a Padawan relationship - Are you a General or higher? Find a tech to Elmer into a new realm of ham radio. Earn 5 Challenge Points

April - Party Michigan Style

  • Michigan QSO party!!! - Make five QSOs in the Michigan QSO party. Submit your logs to https://miqp.org/ and Earn 5 Challenge Points

Bonus Challenge

  • For every 10 additional QSOs made Earn 1 bonus challenge point. (Up to 10 additional points)

May - Easy Digital

  • Take a swing at PSK31 - PSK is an easy mode to get up and running. The simplest of TNC and software can get you going on PSK 31 in no time. Don't have access to equipment? Look to your ELMER to see if they can help you get started. Earn 5 Challenge Points

Bonus Challenge

  • Get registered with as a member of the Feld Hell Club and get assigned a Feld Hell number. (No contact needed) to Earn 2 Bonus Challenge points
  • Make a FeldHell mode contact with W8MRM (Schedule to be published) to Earn 2 Bonus Challenge Points

June - Field Day Spectacular

  • Operate Field Day - Earn 1 challenge point for every hour of operating you perform. Operating hours between 2 am and 6 am Sunday morning earn you an extra 1 challenge point per hour. (Max of 6 operating challenge points. ALL OPERATING HOURS MUST BE PRE-REGISTERD)
  • Logging Field Day - Earn 2 challenge points for every hour of logging you perform. Logging hours between 2 am and 6 am Sunday morning earn you an extra 1 challenge point per hour. (Max of 8 logging challenge points. ALL LOGGING HOURS MUST BE PRE-REGISTERD)

MORE FIELD DAY POINTS TO BE ANNOUNCE LATER

July - Digital Level FT8

  • Get on the air with FT8 - Submit a log of 5 FT8 contacts and Earn 5 Challenge Points

August - Mystery Challenge #1

August us here and we need a mystery challenge. 

This one is going to be a bit of throwback for some and maybe introduce some of our younger members to what computers were like in the time before the internet. 

I spun up a good old-fashion dial-up BBS. Now dial up modems don't actually work that well anymore so you can access this BBS one of two ways. 

1. Telnet to bbs.kd8hfx.net

2. Point your web browser at http://www.kd8hfx.net/bbs/

There you will find a Syncronet BBS hosted by me.

How you can earn points. 

  1. Just create an account on the BBS and earn 5 point.
  2. Send the Sysop (that's me) a message on the BBS and earn 3 points.
  3. Upload a manual, schematic, or other ham related file to the Ham Radio file section and earn 3 points.
  4. Engage in some AMAZING door game action and take on Xur-of-Rylan in a game of intergalactic trade and war. 10 points

This is a fun way to spend a warm August evening. Playing with technology from the '80s.

September - End of Summer Packet up

  • Break out the old packet station and make pass a packet message with W8MRM and Earn 5 Challenge Points

  • Connect to 144.930 W8MRM-1

Bonus Challenge

  • Keep that packet station going and get listed on APRS.fi as an I-Gate or a Home Beacon Earn 5 Challenge Points

October - Jamboree on the Air 

Participate in the B.S.A. Jamboree on the Air. Earn 5 Challenge Points for 10 JOTA contacts. 

Submit your logs to KD8HFX before November 1st to qualify for points.

Bonus Challenges 

  • Make 50 JOTA contacts and earn 10 Challenge points.
  • Renew your membership BEFORE October 31st Earn 5 Challenge Points

November - Sweeps Madness

  • Join an inter club team for CW or Phone sweeps and Earn 1 Challenge Points
  • Submit your logs file to the ARRL and Earn 5 Challenge Points

Bonus Challenge

  • Host a fellow club member for a multi-op station (up to two total operators) and each participant will Earn 3 Challenge Points
  • Sign up to pass a dish at the December Holiday celebration and Earn 1 Challenge Points

December - Santa Brings Prizes

The current prize bin consists of:

  • New Lenovo 11e laptop - Donated by KD8HFX
  • Radio Shack 10m mobile radio - Donated by KC8JAE
  • Baofeng  - Six Pack of 2m/70cm HT - Donated by KD8HFX
  • ARRL Radio Receiver Kit - Donated by K9JP
  • Mystery Box

And more to come.


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MOTOR CITY RADIO CLUB
P.O. BOX 1337 SOUTHGATE,
MICHIGAN 48195
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