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Capital Cities Grid Squares Simple Wire Antenna Award Comments: This award is one suggested by Gary K1YAN. All questions about it go to him at  .Instead of just working each of the 48 (50) states, the object is to work the maidenhead grid square in which each state capital is located. Time Frame For Qualifying QSO's: March 1, 2011 0000Z through the present Basic Award Premise: Contact state capital grid squares within the time frame using QRP, CW, and simple wire antennas. NOTE: In some cases, the required grid square may encompass parts of more than one state. It is acceptable to take credit for the grid square even if the station worked is not in the same state as the capital city. The award is for grids worked, not states or cities. Categories: A - 48 continental USA state capital grid squares B - 50 state capital grid squares Equipment: YOU: Power: A,B - QRP or QRPp Antenna: A,B - Simple Wire Antennas by NAQCC standards HAM YOU WORK: Power: A,B - Any Antenna: A,B - Any QSOs: Any type of QSO is permissible - rag chew, DX, contest, net, etc. Other: What is a Maidenhead Grid Square? The Maidenhead Locator System derives its name from the town of Maidenhead England, where it was created in the 1980s. It is a system which divides the world into a series of squares, designated by the field (two letters) and the square (two numbers), for example FN41. A grid square measures one degree of latitude by two degrees of longitude and is about 70 by 100 miles in size. For some purposes, usually operation in the microwave bands, a more precise location may be desired. This is accomplished by the addition of two letters after the grid square which designates a subsquare, for example FN41pw. A subsquare measures 2.5 minutes latitude by 5 minutes longitude and is about 3 by 4 miles in size. Some logging programs include calculation of locators and distance calculation based on them and there are a number of grid locator maps and calculators available on the internet. Just do a Bing search for something like "ham radio grid squares". QRZ.com also lists locator information as part of a station's detail page. Click here for an ASCII text list of the grid squares for each of the 50 capital cities. Print it out and keep it handy for a reference as you work toward the award. Note on the list that some capital cities have two grid squares listed. Those cities lie on the boundary of two grid squares and working either of the grid squares counts for that city. A grid square is usually large enough to cover towns near the capital city also and QSO's with those towns also qualify for this award. So be sure to check the locators for towns around the capital city area. Certificate: A certificate sent to you via email is FREE. You may make a monetary donation, only if you wish to do so. There is no obligation to do so. If you want us to print your certificate and send it via regular mail, the fee is $3.00 per certificate. Web Site Listing: All categories will receive a listing on the web site. Endorsements: For either category completed using a single band for all QSO's. For either category completed using QRPp for all QSO's. For either category completed using all 2X QRP QSO's. For either category completed using all 2X QRPp QSO's. Endorsements are FREE if applied for at the time of issuing the original certificate and will be added to the certificate and listed on the web site. If applied for later, you have the following choices which are FREE: 1. A web site listing only 2. A new certificate with the endorsement added sent via email If you want us to print and mail a certificate with the endorsement, there is a $2.00 fee. Logs: Send a list with one QSO per line containing at least the following sorted in alphabetical order by state for which the contact is being claimed (see note in Basic Award Premise): Date, Time, Call, Band, State,Grid Square, (Your power for QRPp award, His power, listed as QRP or QRPp, for 2 way endorsements). See General Award Rules for information applying to this and all other awards. |