I have a question maybe silly to many, I have traveled three times in the past two months to the grid EK34 and EK44, take my portable radio equipment, do not work because my GPS was damaged and another time I forget, but I'm sure the position where I was, may be valid if these grids work and send my QSL with the coordinates where you work? no photo of my gps? I have received many cards from American stations QSL writing grid over your home to put the new grid that time. this is valid? can be done? I have also contacted many stations and sent my QSL card with a photo of the coordinates, I think is best, but not always possible, this'm glad because I think that means that the word amateur is a great value. not if I explain.I had no problems for the ARRL accept these cards an American amateur, whatever the same if that makes a Mexican ham? or any other country? thanks for help.
XE3DX David Maciel xe3dx@amsat.org www.qsl.net/xe3dx/ Amateur Ham Radio
David Maciel wrote:
I have a question maybe silly to many, I have traveled three times in the past two months to the grid EK34 and EK44, take my portable radio equipment, do not work because my GPS was damaged and another time I forget, but I'm sure the position where I was, may be valid if these grids work and send my QSL with the coordinates where you work? no photo of my gps? I have received many cards from American stations QSL writing grid over your home to put the new grid that time. this is valid? can be done? I have also contacted many stations and sent my QSL card with a photo of the coordinates, I think is best, but not always possible, this'm glad because I think that means that the word amateur is a great value. not if I explain.I had no problems for the ARRL accept these cards an American amateur, whatever the same if that makes a Mexican ham? or any other country? thanks for help.
Hi David,
I think the photo of the GPS is only necessary when operating from a grid boundary or intersection. If you know where you are by using a map, and claim only one grid, that is perfectly fine! I know EK34 and 44 would be new grids for me, so by all means get on the air!
73, Drew KO4MA
How accurate does the GPS need to be? I know GPS are similar but very different in price. Some are accurate enough to be used for map making. But for verification of grids worked, how accurate do they have to be?
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Andrew Glasbrenner Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 11:43 AM To: David Maciel Cc: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Grids and QSL´s
David Maciel wrote:
I have a question maybe silly to many, I have traveled three times in the
past two months to the grid EK34 and EK44,
take my portable radio equipment, do not work because my GPS was
damaged and another time I forget, but I'm sure
the position where I was, may be valid if these grids work and send
my QSL with the coordinates where you work?
no photo of my gps? I have received many cards from American stations QSL
writing grid over your home to put the new
grid that time. this is valid? can be done? I have also contacted many
stations and sent my QSL card with a photo of the
coordinates, I think is best, but not always possible, this'm glad because
I think that means that the word amateur is a
great value. not if I explain.I had no problems for the ARRL accept these
cards an American amateur, whatever the same
if that makes a Mexican ham? or any other country? thanks for help.
Hi David,
I think the photo of the GPS is only necessary when operating from a grid boundary or intersection. If you know where you are by using a map, and claim only one grid, that is perfectly fine! I know EK34 and 44 would be new grids for me, so by all means get on the air!
73, Drew KO4MA _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Jim Bennett wrote:
How accurate does the GPS need to be? I know GPS are similar but very different in price. Some are accurate enough to be used for map making. But for verification of grids worked, how accurate do they have to be?
heck http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Awards%20Application%20Forms/VUCCRULE1a.pdf , Item 4f:
Grid boundary lines and grid corners must be established using a GPS receiver whose map datum is set to WGS84, the global default for current GPS receivers. The GPS receiver should be set to use WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) if so equipped, since this improves the error figure to as little as 5 feet. In no case may the GPS receiver show an error figure in excess of 20 feet. Any modern GPS receiver equipped with WAAS will easily meet this requirement, as will most older units without WAAS.
On the newer auto GPS units like the Nuvi series, you can go to the Menu, then to I think "Where am I" and it will give you a lat long readout. I'd tell you for sure what the Garmin sequence is to get to that, but some hoodlum in Dayton relieved me of my wife's GPS this year, as well as a rental car window. ;-)
73, Drew KO4MA
-------------------------------------------------- From: "Andrew Glasbrenner" glasbrenner@mindspring.com Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 10:43 AM To: "David Maciel" xe3dx@prodigy.net.mx Cc: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Grids and QSL´s
David Maciel wrote:
I have a question maybe silly to many, I have traveled three times in the past two months to the grid EK34 and EK44, take my portable radio equipment, do not work because my GPS was damaged and another time I forget, but I'm sure the position where I was, may be valid if these grids work and send my QSL with the coordinates where you work? no photo of my gps? I have received many cards from American stations QSL writing grid over your home to put the new grid that time. this is valid? can be done? I have also contacted many stations and sent my QSL card with a photo of the coordinates, I think is best, but not always possible, this'm glad because I think that means that the word amateur is a great value. not if I explain.I had no problems for the ARRL accept these cards an American amateur, whatever the same if that makes a Mexican ham? or any other country? thanks for help.
Hi David,
I think the photo of the GPS is only necessary when operating from a grid boundary or intersection. If you know where you are by using a map, and claim only one grid, that is perfectly fine! I know EK34 and 44 would be new grids for me, so by all means get on the air!
73, Drew KO4MA
Here is the rule from the ARRL website on VUCC grid squares....
(e) Stations who claim to operate from more than one grid locator simultaneously (i.e., from the boundary between two grid locators or from the intersection of four grid locators) must be physically present in all locators to give multiple locator credit with a single contact. These stations should be prepared to validate their claim. For a mobile station, this means parking the vehicle exactly on the line or corner. For a portable station, this means that the total area occupied by the station's physical setup, including operating position(s), power source(s), and antenna(s), must occupy some portion of each of the two/four grid squares simultaneously. Operators of boundary/corner stations should be prepared to provide evidence of meeting the simultaneous occupation test if called upon to do so. Two photographs -- one showing the placement of the GPS receiver in the station setup, and a close-up legibly showing the GPS reading – are typically needed as evidence of compliance. Video footage showing an overview of the operating site and then, uncut and in real time, zooming in on the GPS display coordinates is even better.
In other words.... if called upon to verify you were there, you will have to provide the picture at that time. If it is not provided, the ARRL could do one of many sanctions at their discretion... they could remove all credits from hams you gave the grid squares to, they could ban you from further participation in the program. I seriously doubt they would ban you however, if everyone plays by the same rules, then it is a fair playing field. I would suspect the rule came about when people said 'I am close to the grid square boundary, but that cliff makes it impossible for me to move 2 more feet.' You know how that goes. Notice they said 'uncut and in real time....' that way you cannot go back on another day and just take a picture of your GPS.
73...bruce (ARRL VUCC award checker)
On 7/21/2010 10:22 AM, David Maciel wrote:
I have a question maybe silly to many, I have traveled three times in the past two months to the grid EK34 and EK44, take my portable radio equipment, do not work because my GPS was damaged and another time I forget, but I'm sure the position where I was, may be valid if these grids work and send my QSL with the coordinates where you work? no photo of my gps? I have received many cards from American stations QSL writing grid over your home to put the new grid that time. this is valid? can be done? I have also contacted many stations and sent my QSL card with a photo of the coordinates, I think is best, but not always possible, this'm glad because I think that means that the word amateur is a great value. not if I explain.I had no problems for the ARRL accept these cards an American amateur, whatever the same if that makes a Mexican ham? or any other country? thanks for help.
XE3DX David Maciel xe3dx@amsat.org www.qsl.net/xe3dx/ Amateur Ham Radio
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (4)
-
Andrew Glasbrenner -
Bruce -
David Maciel -
Jim Bennett