[amsat-bb] North and South Pole Gridsquares

[John Toscano]

Well, according to that web page, "The duration of our visit is largely
determined by weather conditions and will likely last between 45 minutes to
2 hours." So you would have to be very lucky to get a satellite pass in
range so that you could have a QSO while there. Of course, there would
likely be plenty of aurora activity, so you might manage an aurora scatter
contact on 6 or 2 meters without a satellite. That company does offer an
overnight stay option, but NOT at the North Pole, but at the "base camp" a
short helicopter ride away. But a contact from there would not do the job.
Your GPS needs to read 90.0000 degrees of latitude. I wonder what longitude
reading you would get?

On Mon, Jul 25, 2016 at 1:34 PM, Norm n3ykf <normanlizeth at gmail.com> wrote:

> http://polarexplorers.com/expeditions/north-pole/north-pole-flights
>
> 16900 Euros. Layover at pole possible. Who is up for a vacation? Pack
> your cold wx gear.
>
> By the web page description, it's a much visited place.
>
> On Mon, Jul 25, 2016 at 2:23 PM, Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)
> <amsat-bb at wd9ewk.net> wrote:
> > 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.
> >>
> >>
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