[amsat-bb] Re: KB5WIA California Lost Coast Expedition (CM79/CM89/CN70/CN80) August 7-8, 2011

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi Ted!

> Wonder if the VUCC rules will allow 4 grids to be put on 1 card ? Might be a
> tough sell to a card checker !

It should not be a tough sell to the card checker.  They are to examine
the card, and the checker can disallow the card if it has been altered.
ARRL can call into question the card and what grids are being shown
on it when they receive the application, and it is ARRL - *not* the VUCC
card checker - that can request the station that issued the card provide
the documentation as outlined in the VUCC rules (photos of the GPS
receiver's display and the GPS receiver with the station, or a video clip).
I've had many exchanges with the ARRL on this, especially when the
VUCC rules were updated a couple of years ago, to make sure my
grid-boundary operating would be acceptable under the new rules.

When ARRL updated the VUCC rules a couple of years ago, they
clearly laid out what they will consider satisfactory documentation of a
station on a grid boundary or intersection - at least two photos showing
a GPS receiver (one close-up of the receiver's display, the other of the
receiver in the station setup), or a video clip that shows the close-up of
the GPS display with a wider view showing the receiver in the station.
Previously, the VUCC rules mentioned that stations needed to be able
to document their location, but did not go into detail on what would be
considered satisfactory documentation.  The advent of the Fred Fish
Memorial Award, a VUCC-like award for 6m operators confirming QSOs
with all 488 grids in the continental USA, brought about the VUCC rule
update regarding grid boundaries and documentation.

Sometimes the card checkers confuse VHF/UHF contesting with the
VUCC award.  Where the VUCC award rules clearly define how to
place your station on a grid boundary or intersection, most VHF/UHF
contests only deal with exchanges of a single grid locator - even if
you are in 2 or 4 grids simultaneously.  Reminding the card checker
that the VUCC rules explain how stations are to be placed on these
locations and how to document them can get past this potential issue.
Another way stations who operate from these grid boundaries and
intersections help ease the minds of the card checkers is to include
a picture of the GPS receiver display (or of the whole GPS receiver)
showing the readout at that boundary or intersection.  You've seen
the GPS receiver's displays on my cards, and I know others do this
as well.  It is *not* mandatory for stations to put the GPS display on
the QSL cards under VUCC rules, nor is it mandatory for stations
to even show the latitude/longitude for a location on the QSL cards,
but it is helpful when the cards are being checked.

Looking forward to hearing Dave on from that intersection in a few
days....

73!






Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/