[amsat-bb] North and South Pole Gridsquares

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Peter,

The VUCC rules are silent on the maximum number of grid locators
that can be given with a single contact. Reading over the latest
copy of the VUCC rules I could find, in a November 2014 PDF at:

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/DXCC/VHF%20UHF%20Rules20141pdf.pdf

section 4(e) refers to stations that claim to operate from more than
one grid locator simultaneously. There are two examples cited,
the boundary between two grid locators or a four-grid intersection,
but the VUCC rules do not state these are the only examples of
operating from more than one grid locator simultaneously.

VUCC rule 4(f) explains how to document operating from more than
one location, again giving examples of the two most-common ways
this would happen (two or four grids). The GPS would need to have
a display with 90 degrees North or South to establish a location
at either pole. Otherwise, the operator would have to provide
ARRL with other documentation that is sufficient to show the
station was at the North or South Pole. Documentation other than
GPS might require a change in the VUCC rules, in that case.

Logbook of the World, on the other hand, would be trickier. LOTW
is configured to accept up to 4 grid locators for an individual
station location. An operator could attempt to define a series of
station locations, covering 4 grids at a time, that will cover all
of the grids at either pole. Multiple QSOs are currently required
in LOTW for those operating at a US county or state boundary,
a Canadian provincial boundary, or any international boundary.
LOTW only allows for 1 DXCC entity, one US county and state, or one
Canadian province per station location. I know this from my 2010
operation at the Peace Arch on the Canada/USA border between
Seattle and Vancouver, operating from a few US state lines, and
a few county lines over the past few years.

Then again, using a QSL card that lists all of the grids covered at
the North or South Pole may be easier than trying to make all of
the station locations and QSOs to satisfy LOTW. Add in some
photos of a GPS receiver on the QSL card, to help anyone who sees
the QSL card know where the station was located. :-)

73!




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




On Mon, Jul 25, 2016 at 5:48 PM, Peter Laws <plaws0 at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> As fun as that would be, VUCC rules only allow for contacts from
> within a single grid, from the line between two grids, or from the
> corner of 4 grids.
>
> You could always petition the ARRL to change the rules, though.
>
>