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The NAQCC May 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 PEANUT BUTTER CHALLENGE  PREMISE: P B & J sandwiches, it is a safe bet that almost everyone had them growing up and still enjoy one today. The peanut butter part of this treat has been around since the 1800s, but it was a bit different back then. It was not a commercial product at first. You only had a version that was made by home roasting the raw nuts and then grinding them, perhaps in the same mill that made your morning coffee. The ground nuts were then mixed into a paste, with the addition of butter, and possibly sherry or port. It was know as peanut paste at this time. A smooth spread was only for those with a lot of ambition. Most were likely similar to todays chunky or natural versions. In 1895, Dr. John Kellogg, the cereal guy, invented his version of peanut butter. There are stories that claim his invention was meant for patients with poor teeth who could not chew meats and get needed protein or perhaps for mental health patients who were difficult to feed. A 1901 magazine suggests a multi-layer sandwich with three very thin slices of bread, a layer of peanut paste and a separate layer of currant or crabapple jelly. Not quite the childhood classic with grape jelly, smooth peanut butter and Wonderbread, but it's headed in that direction. The new peanut butter made an appearance at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. In WW1 and WW2 it became a common ration for troops in the field. Since its humble beginnings in the early 1800s, the peanut, the 12th largest US farm crop, has turned into a one billion dollar industry. In the early days, it was used mostly for oil, as a cocoa substitute and as food for the poor and livestock. It was a very labor intensive crop. The invention of mechanical methods for harvesting and processing helped grow demand for the product. Today it finds its way into many products and the peanut is part of some 2 billion dollars of retail sales. 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. PEANUT PASTE HOME ROAST AND GRIND SHERRY OR PORT DR JOHN KELLOGG P B AND J SANDWICH 12TH LARGEST FARM CROP The 86 total letters contain these 20 different letters: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U W Y 1 2 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 May 2026 Challenge All entries must be RECEIVED before the 10th of the following month at 2400Z. |