Multiple grids and LoTW

[w0dhb]

lele

This is from the VUCC rules:

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.

<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Awards%2 ... RULE1a.pdf>

It's become popular in the US to operate from multiple grid.
You are correct that ADIF has no way to represent it.

Dave W0DHB

[G4POP]

How thick is a grid line?

GPS accurate to what - 1 meter?

[gi0hwo]

In the great scheme of things, does this really matter ?

As G4POP asks, "how thick is a grid line ?". Is GPS that accurate ?

I really do think that this is taking things too far.

73 de John

[G4POP]

Dave,
Your comment about VUCC rules triggered one of my long dead brain cells

Your initial request about multiple references in the Locator (ADIF <Gridsquare>) is possibly what stopped my mental processes from functioning because the ADIF 3.04 field specification for Gridsquare is:

GridSquare - a case-insensitive 2-character, 4-character, 6-character, or 8-character Maidenhead locator

In other words a single locator, the suggestion to the ADIF group about using the 'GridSquare' field for multiple locators was vetoed

Now here is where my apology gets proffered

Your comment about VUCC reminded me that the final result of the ADIF debate was that a specific field for VUCC multiple grid squares was added to ADIF 3.04, (which, so far as I know, no developer including LOTW, EQSL or us have used) its called 'VUCC_GRIDS and it provides for multiple comma separated grid squares as follows:

VUCC_GRIDS - two or four adjacent Maidenhead grid locators, each four characters long, representing the contacted station's grid squares credited to the QSO for the ARRL VUCC award program. E.g. EN98,FM08,EM97,FM07

So it would be possible to add this field to Log4om, the problem will be that it may be some time before other developers start using this new ADIF field but thats their problem, we only use the correct format!

So my apologies for forgetting this field lets see what Lele can do with this information.

I am still puzzled how anyone can determine that they are straddling four grid squares with accuracy or why indeed they would want to do so? but thats a separate debate

[IW3HMH]

VuccGrids is already on Log4OM, as "unmanaged field". You already have this field for "MYVUCCGRIDS" in station settings section, that will be placed in the MYVUCCGRIDS field in ADIF export.
And we can show this field (somewhere...) in the UI for VUCC GRIDS of the incoming call. It's easy.

The main problem is that informations downloaded from LOTW should use VUCC_GRIDS field and not spawn GRIDSQUARE along multiple instances of the <gridsquare> tag, that is frankly an horrific thing (considering that the guy that works for LOTW is also the "owner" of the ADIF Group...)