Grid Square Sprint 2012
The HQRP group is going out for the 2012 Grid Square Sprint. I am really looking forward to this event.
The weather is “IF’y” at best but we are headed out to Bear Creek Park this Saturday march 10th 2012 for the event. Please come out and say hello if you want to and see our operating site! Afterwards we may all head out for some lunch.
Directions to the site:
The park is located between State Highway 6 and Eldredge parkway and just south of Clay road. The best entrances are on Clay road and off of Eldredge. The GPS locations are at the following:
Clay Road Entrance: N 29 50.165' W 95 36.644'
Eldredge Road Entrance: N 29 49.200' W 95 36.639'
Highway 6 Entrance: N 29 48.801' W 95 38.711'
The Site is located just off Goldbow Drive on Liere Lane at: N 29 49.496' W 95 37.914'
The weather is “IF’y” at best but we are headed out to Bear Creek Park this Saturday march 10th 2012 for the event. Please come out and say hello if you want to and see our operating site! Afterwards we may all head out for some lunch.
Directions to the site:
The park is located between State Highway 6 and Eldredge parkway and just south of Clay road. The best entrances are on Clay road and off of Eldredge. The GPS locations are at the following:
Clay Road Entrance: N 29 50.165' W 95 36.644'
Eldredge Road Entrance: N 29 49.200' W 95 36.639'
Highway 6 Entrance: N 29 48.801' W 95 38.711'
The Site is located just off Goldbow Drive on Liere Lane at: N 29 49.496' W 95 37.914'
I have the rules for the Sprint posted here thanks to the: QRP Amateur Radio Club International
I have copied this directly from their site
HF Grid Square Sprint - this Saturday !
1500z-1800z, Saturday 10th March 2012
The HF Grid Square Sprint has now been running for 6 years.
It is a HF band CW contest where the multiplier is the number of Grid Squares contacted.
Unsure about Grid Squares ?
Don't worry - it's just a way of locating your position on the planet using a 6 character code. They have been used for years by VHF/UHF DXers, now grid locators are being exchanged on the HF bands too. For our purposes we will be exchanging just the first 4 characters (e.g. FN02). In the USA this equates to a roughly rectangular area 70 miles by 100 miles. There is a good explanation on Wikipedia.
If you know your latitude and longitude then you can easily work out your grid square using either the ARRL or AMSAT calculators.
Here's the easiest way of all - there's a really great propagation prediction program called VOACAP. Go to their QTH Locator web page, it shows Scandinavia by default.
Drag the map over to your location and zoom right in. You will find your latitude, longitude and grid locator displayed on the right hand side of the page.
See below for the full rules
A) Date/Time: 1500Z to 1800Z on 10 March 2012.
B) Mode: HF CW only.
C) Exchange: Members send: RST, 4 Digit Maidenhead Grid Square (i.e. FN02)
ARCI member number Non-Members send: RST, 4 Digit Maidenhead Grid Square (i.e. FN02), Power Out
D) QSO Points: Member = 5 points
Non-Member, Different Continent = 4 points
Non-Member, Same Continent = 2 points
E) Multiplier: Grid Square total for all bands.
The same station may be worked on multiple bands for QSO points and Grid Square credit.
F) POWER MULTIPLIER: >5 Watts = x1
>1 - 5 Watts = x7
>250 mW - 1 Watt = x10
>55 mW - 250 mW = x15
55 mW or less = x20
G) SUGGESTED FREQUENCIES: 160m 1810 kHz
80m 3560 kHz
40m 7030 kHz (please listen at 7040 kHz for rock bound participants)
20m 14060 kHz
15m 21060 kHz
10m 28060 kHz
H) Score: Final Score = Points (total for all bands) x Grid Squares (total for all bands) x Power Multiplier + Bonus Points
BONUS POINTS: If you are operating PORTABLE using battery power
AND a temporary antenna, add 5000 points to your final score.
You can NOT be at your shack operating from battery power using your home station antenna to qualify for this bonus.
This is to help level the playing field for contesters who work from the field against contest stations with 5 element yagis at 70 ft.
I) Categories: Entry may be All-Band, Single Band, High Bands (10m-15m-20m) or Low Bands (40m-80m)
How to Participate: Get on any of the HF bands except the WARC bands and hang out near the QRP frequencies.
Work as many stations calling CQ QRP or CQ TEST as possible, or call CQ QRP or CQ TEST yourself!
You can work a station for credit once on each band.
J) Email Log Submission: Submit Logs in plain text format along with a summary stating your Call Sign, Entry Category, total # of QSOs with members, total # of QSOs with non-members on different continent, total # of QSOs with non-members same continent, total # of SPCs worked, Actual Power and Station Description, along with score calculation to [email protected] This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
K) Snail mail Log Submission: Submit Logs in plain text format along with a summary stating your Call Sign, Entry Category, total # of QSOs with members, total # of QSOs with non-members on different continent, total # of QSOs with non-members same continent, total # of SPCs worked, Actual Power and Station Description, along with score calculation to:
ARCI Grid Square Sprint c/o Jim Rodenkirch, K9JWV 762 Saint James Lane Saint George, UT 84790
L) Deadline: Entries must be received OR postmarked on or before 24 March 2012.
If you are using snail mail for your log entries, notify the contest manager at [email protected] This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it when you mailed your entry.
M) Results: Will be published in QRP Quarterly and shown on the QRP-ARCI website. N) Certificates: Will be awarded to the top scoring entrant in each category. Certificates may be awarded for 2nd and 3rd place if entries are sufficient in a category.
I have copied this directly from their site
HF Grid Square Sprint - this Saturday !
1500z-1800z, Saturday 10th March 2012
The HF Grid Square Sprint has now been running for 6 years.
It is a HF band CW contest where the multiplier is the number of Grid Squares contacted.
Unsure about Grid Squares ?
Don't worry - it's just a way of locating your position on the planet using a 6 character code. They have been used for years by VHF/UHF DXers, now grid locators are being exchanged on the HF bands too. For our purposes we will be exchanging just the first 4 characters (e.g. FN02). In the USA this equates to a roughly rectangular area 70 miles by 100 miles. There is a good explanation on Wikipedia.
If you know your latitude and longitude then you can easily work out your grid square using either the ARRL or AMSAT calculators.
Here's the easiest way of all - there's a really great propagation prediction program called VOACAP. Go to their QTH Locator web page, it shows Scandinavia by default.
Drag the map over to your location and zoom right in. You will find your latitude, longitude and grid locator displayed on the right hand side of the page.
See below for the full rules
A) Date/Time: 1500Z to 1800Z on 10 March 2012.
B) Mode: HF CW only.
C) Exchange: Members send: RST, 4 Digit Maidenhead Grid Square (i.e. FN02)
ARCI member number Non-Members send: RST, 4 Digit Maidenhead Grid Square (i.e. FN02), Power Out
D) QSO Points: Member = 5 points
Non-Member, Different Continent = 4 points
Non-Member, Same Continent = 2 points
E) Multiplier: Grid Square total for all bands.
The same station may be worked on multiple bands for QSO points and Grid Square credit.
F) POWER MULTIPLIER: >5 Watts = x1
>1 - 5 Watts = x7
>250 mW - 1 Watt = x10
>55 mW - 250 mW = x15
55 mW or less = x20
G) SUGGESTED FREQUENCIES: 160m 1810 kHz
80m 3560 kHz
40m 7030 kHz (please listen at 7040 kHz for rock bound participants)
20m 14060 kHz
15m 21060 kHz
10m 28060 kHz
H) Score: Final Score = Points (total for all bands) x Grid Squares (total for all bands) x Power Multiplier + Bonus Points
BONUS POINTS: If you are operating PORTABLE using battery power
AND a temporary antenna, add 5000 points to your final score.
You can NOT be at your shack operating from battery power using your home station antenna to qualify for this bonus.
This is to help level the playing field for contesters who work from the field against contest stations with 5 element yagis at 70 ft.
I) Categories: Entry may be All-Band, Single Band, High Bands (10m-15m-20m) or Low Bands (40m-80m)
How to Participate: Get on any of the HF bands except the WARC bands and hang out near the QRP frequencies.
Work as many stations calling CQ QRP or CQ TEST as possible, or call CQ QRP or CQ TEST yourself!
You can work a station for credit once on each band.
J) Email Log Submission: Submit Logs in plain text format along with a summary stating your Call Sign, Entry Category, total # of QSOs with members, total # of QSOs with non-members on different continent, total # of QSOs with non-members same continent, total # of SPCs worked, Actual Power and Station Description, along with score calculation to [email protected] This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
K) Snail mail Log Submission: Submit Logs in plain text format along with a summary stating your Call Sign, Entry Category, total # of QSOs with members, total # of QSOs with non-members on different continent, total # of QSOs with non-members same continent, total # of SPCs worked, Actual Power and Station Description, along with score calculation to:
ARCI Grid Square Sprint c/o Jim Rodenkirch, K9JWV 762 Saint James Lane Saint George, UT 84790
L) Deadline: Entries must be received OR postmarked on or before 24 March 2012.
If you are using snail mail for your log entries, notify the contest manager at [email protected] This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it when you mailed your entry.
M) Results: Will be published in QRP Quarterly and shown on the QRP-ARCI website. N) Certificates: Will be awarded to the top scoring entrant in each category. Certificates may be awarded for 2nd and 3rd place if entries are sufficient in a category.