Gridloc Hell
Rules
The rules are simple: just add the two numbers found in every Grid Locator for each contact you make in any mode of Hell. An explanation of the Grid Square Locator system is at the end of this page.
Example: If you contact Brad, WF7T, he is located in grid EM66pe. That's worth 66 points. Jen, KB1TSU operates from grid FN42, so she is worth 42 points. Collect grid numbers and before you know it you'll be on your way to earning one of these certificates:
BRONZE
SILVER
GOLD
PLATINUM
- Any member of the Feld Hell Club may enter.
- Any mode of Hellschrieber is accepted.
- All bands are accepted (including WARC bands).
- This award begins at 0000Z on May 1, 2010. Only contacts made after this date/time will be accepted for the Gridloc Hell Award.
- One QSO per band per station, please use 4 digit Grid Locators (eg. W1AW's grid square is FN31 for 31 grid points)
- You must exchange the Grid Locator as part of the QSO.
- Contacts made during contests count, but only if the Grid Locator info is exchanged.
- The grid number 00 counts as 100 points.
- Contacts with non-members will be accepted for this award.
How to submit for this Award
Just send an email to the Awards Manager with the required information in Excel (preferred), or a text file formatted like this:
Date, Time, Callsign Contacted, His FH Number, Band, Mode, Grid Locator, Points
Then, at the bottom of the page give us your total claimed score.
example:
WF7T, FH1152, 5/1/2010, 40m, EM66, 66
WB2HTO, FH683, 5/3/2010, 20m FN42km, 42
SCORE CLAIMED: 108
Certificates for printing will be provided via email.
Award Recipients - Page Updated: 2021 Sep 27
What are Grid Locators and Grid Squares?
(Sources: EI8IC web site "Introduction to the IARU Maidenhead Grid System" and the ARRL)
First proposed at a conference in Maidenhead, England in 1980 (and hence sometimes called Maidenhead Locators), grid squares allow three levels of precision (two, four or six character) to define a station's latitude and longitude.
The world is divided into a grid of squares that are ten degrees of latitude high by twenty degrees of longitude wide. Each square is identified by a diferent two-letter code. For example, Ireland is in location IO, as seen below:
Each of these squares is further divided into 10 on each axis, giving 100 sub-squares, each of which is one degree of latitude high by two degrees of longitude wide. Each of these squares is identified by the two letters of the alphabet from the map above (generally shown in capitals), and two numeric characters. For example, Dublin is in location IO63.
For higher precision, each grid square may be further divided into 24 on each axis, giving 576 sub-squares, each of which is 2.5 minutes of latitude high by 5 minutes of longitude wide, shown here:
Each of these sub-squares is identified by the two letters of the alphabet and two numeric characters as before, plus two lower-case alphabetical characters. Using this system, a station's location is thus identified to within better than 5.6 nautical miles anywhere on the surface of the Earth. For example, the centre of Dublin, at latitude 53d20m N and longitude 06d16m W, is in location IO63ui.