QTH - Revision history

Carlb: link Gridsquares

2009-04-17T13:06:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:06, 17 April 2009
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	There are multiple systems in use for identifying location (QTH) using zones or grid squares.		There are multiple systems in use for identifying location (QTH) using zones or [[gridsquares\|grid squares]].

	== Zone systems ==		== Zone systems ==
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	== Grid squares ==		== Grid squares ==
			''See [[Gridsquares]]''

	The zone systems represent an arbitrary division; a simple algorithm would not readily be able to estimate distance between two points based on a zone number pair. A more systematic approach would to be to use a latitude and longitude grid, such as WGS84.		The zone systems represent an arbitrary division; a simple algorithm would not readily be able to estimate distance between two points based on a zone number pair. A more systematic approach would to be to use a latitude and longitude grid, such as WGS84.

Carlb: /* QRA Locator */

2009-04-16T03:31:32Z

QRA Locator

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:31, 15 April 2009
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	=== QRA Locator ===		=== QRA Locator ===
	The original QRA-Locator system, devised in Germany and VHF Working Group in The Hague in October		The original QRA-Locator system, devised in Germany and adopted by the VHF Working Group in The Hague in October
	1959, was based on geographical longitude and latitude using a grid with an origin of (0°W, 40° N) ~~and full~~ coverage of Europe. Two letters would indicate an individual grid square; this would be followed by two numbers to sub-divide the grid into smaller squares. While a fifth character was added at the 1963 Region 1 Conference in Malmö (1963) as a further sub-division, this five-character QRA-Locator system remained unable to cover the entire globe without codes being repeated. This system was therefore replaced by a rival system devised by John Morris, G4ANB and adopted at a meeting of VHF managers in Maidenhead, England in 1980.		1959, was based on geographical longitude and latitude using a grid with an origin of (0°W, 40° N) to provide coverage of Europe. Two letters would indicate an individual grid square; this would be followed by two numbers to sub-divide the grid into smaller squares. While a fifth character was added at the 1963 Region 1 Conference in Malmö (1963) as a further sub-division, this five-character QRA-Locator system remained unable to cover the entire globe without codes being repeated. This system was therefore replaced by a rival system devised by John Morris, G4ANB and adopted at a meeting of VHF managers in Maidenhead, England in 1980.

	=== IARU/Maidenhead Locator ===		=== IARU/Maidenhead Locator ===

Carlb: /* QRA Locator */

2009-04-16T03:30:56Z

QRA Locator

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:30, 15 April 2009
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	=== QRA Locator ===		=== QRA Locator ===
	The original QRA-Locator system, devised in Germany and VHF Working Group in The Hague in October		The original QRA-Locator system, devised in Germany and VHF Working Group in The Hague in October
	1959, was based on geographical longitude and latitude using a grid with an origin of (0°W, 40° N) and full coverage of Europe. Two letters would indicate an individual grid square; this would be followed by two numbers to sub-divide the grid into smaller squares. While a fifth character was added at the 1963 Region 1 Conference in Malmö (1963) as a further sub-division, this five-character QRA-Locator system remained unable to cover the entire globe without codes being repeated. This system was therefore replaced by a system devised by John Morris, G4ANB and ~~adoped~~ at a meeting of VHF managers in Maidenhead, England in 1980.		1959, was based on geographical longitude and latitude using a grid with an origin of (0°W, 40° N) and full coverage of Europe. Two letters would indicate an individual grid square; this would be followed by two numbers to sub-divide the grid into smaller squares. While a fifth character was added at the 1963 Region 1 Conference in Malmö (1963) as a further sub-division, this five-character QRA-Locator system remained unable to cover the entire globe without codes being repeated. This system was therefore replaced by a rival system devised by John Morris, G4ANB and adopted at a meeting of VHF managers in Maidenhead, England in 1980.

	=== IARU/Maidenhead Locator ===		=== IARU/Maidenhead Locator ===

Carlb: /* ITU Zone */

2009-04-16T03:26:17Z

ITU Zone

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:26, 15 April 2009
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	=== ITU Zone ===		=== ITU Zone ===
	The ITU Zone system, devised by the International Telecommunications Union, is similar but uses 89 zones in three regions. ITU Region 1 is Europe and Russia, Region 2 includes all of the Americas, Region 3 is Australia and southern Asia.		The ITU Zone system, devised by the International Telecommunications Union, is similar but uses 89 zones in three regions. ITU Region 1 is Africa, Europe and Russia, Region 2 includes all of the Americas, Region 3 is Australia and southern Asia.

	[[image:ITU zones.gif\|center]]		[[image:ITU zones.gif\|center]]

Carlb: /* ITU Zone */

2009-04-16T03:25:03Z

ITU Zone

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:25, 15 April 2009
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	=== ITU Zone ===		=== ITU Zone ===
	The ITU Zone system, devised by the International Telecommunications Union, is similar but uses 89 zones in three regions. Region 1 is Europe and Russia, Region 2 includes all of the Americas, Region 3 is Australia and southern Asia.		The ITU Zone system, devised by the International Telecommunications Union, is similar but uses 89 zones in three regions. ITU Region 1 is Europe and Russia, Region 2 includes all of the Americas, Region 3 is Australia and southern Asia.

	[[image:ITU zones.gif\|center]]		[[image:ITU zones.gif\|center]]

Carlb at 03:24, 16 April 2009

2009-04-16T03:24:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:24, 15 April 2009
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	== Grid squares ==		== Grid squares ==
			The zone systems represent an arbitrary division; a simple algorithm would not readily be able to estimate distance between two points based on a zone number pair. A more systematic approach would to be to use a latitude and longitude grid, such as WGS84.

			In order to reduce the length of a pair of geographic co-ordinates when transmitted in [[Morse code]], various schemes have been used to abbreviate grid square identifiers based on latitude and longitude.

	=== QRA Locator ===		=== QRA Locator ===
			The original QRA-Locator system, devised in Germany and VHF Working Group in The Hague in October
			1959, was based on geographical longitude and latitude using a grid with an origin of (0°W, 40° N) and full coverage of Europe. Two letters would indicate an individual grid square; this would be followed by two numbers to sub-divide the grid into smaller squares. While a fifth character was added at the 1963 Region 1 Conference in Malmö (1963) as a further sub-division, this five-character QRA-Locator system remained unable to cover the entire globe without codes being repeated. This system was therefore replaced by a system devised by John Morris, G4ANB and adoped at a meeting of VHF managers in Maidenhead, England in 1980.

	=== IARU/Maidenhead Locator ===		=== IARU/Maidenhead Locator ===
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	[[image:QTH locator.gif\|center]]		[[image:QTH locator.gif\|center]]

	As lines of longitude converge to the north and south poles, the divisions created by this system are not, in fact, square. They may appear to be rectangular on some maps, depending on the projection used.		As lines of longitude converge at the north and south poles, the divisions created by this system are not, in fact, square. They may appear to be rectangular on some maps, depending on the projection used.

			Much like political and geographical divisions have been used as entities for QSL collection for HF [[awards]] (Worked All Continents, Worked All Britain, Worked All States, DXCC), the individual grid squares have been used as the basis for collection of awards by VHF and UHF radioamateur operators. A typical contest objective would be the establishment of contact with stations in one hundred different grid squares on a given band or mode from one location.

	== External links ==		== External links ==
	* [http://www.sarl.org.za/public/QRA/Abt_Locators.asp All about locators], SARL		* [http://www.sarl.org.za/public/QRA/Abt_Locators.asp All about locators], SARL
	* [www.qrz.ru/vhf/qth_h.pdf The locator system], QRZ.ru		* [http://www.jonit.com/fieldlist/maidenhead.htm The Maidenhead Locator System], Folke Rosvall SM5AGM
			* [http://www.qrz.ru/vhf/qth_h.pdf The locator system], QRZ.ru
			* [http://www.arrl.org/locate/gridinfo.html Grid Locators and Grid Squares], ARRL
			* [http://homepages.tesco.net/~a.wadsworth/gridmaps.htm Locator and zone maps], G3NPF & M1AIM
			* [http://www.amsat.org/cgi-bin/gridconv AMSAT grid square converter]
	* Online Maidenhead [http://f6fvy.free.fr/qthLocator/fullScreen.php QTH locator], F6FVY		* Online Maidenhead [http://f6fvy.free.fr/qthLocator/fullScreen.php QTH locator], F6FVY

	{{operation}}		{{operation}}

Carlb: New page: There are multiple systems in use for identifying location (QTH) using zones or grid squares. == Zone systems == A number of systems exist to divide the world into zones and regions. In s...

2009-04-16T02:47:25Z

New page: There are multiple systems in use for identifying location (QTH) using zones or grid squares. == Zone systems == A number of systems exist to divide the world into zones and regions. In s...

New page

There are multiple systems in use for identifying location (QTH) using zones or grid squares.

== Zone systems ==
A number of systems exist to divide the world into zones and regions. In some cases, the divisions and numbering schemes are arbitrary, as with the CQ Zone and ITU Zone systems often used to identify a station's location on [[QSL|QSL card]]s.

=== CQ Zone ===
The CQ Zone system, originally devised by ''CQ Magazine'', divided the world into forty arbitrary zones.

[[image:CQ zones.gif|center]]

=== ITU Zone ===
The ITU Zone system, devised by the International Telecommunications Union, is similar but uses 89 zones in three regions. Region 1 is Europe and Russia, Region 2 includes all of the Americas, Region 3 is Australia and southern Asia.

[[image:ITU zones.gif|center]]

== Grid squares ==

=== QRA Locator ===

=== IARU/Maidenhead Locator ===
The IARU Locator (also known as the QTH Locator or Maidenhead Locator System) is based on a division of the globe, by latitude and longitude, into an 18 x 18 grid with origin (AA) at (90°S, 180°W). The system is based on the WGS84 co-ordinates and each 10° latitude x 20° longitude field is in turn divisible into a 10 x 10 array of "squares", each 1° x 2° in size. Each of these may then be further divided into "subsquares", using a 24 x 24 array.

The resulting code is sent as two letters (field), followed by two numbers (square) and optionally two more letters (subsquare). For instance, (0°N, 0°W) would be abbreviated as JJ00aa.

[[image:QTH locator.gif|center]]

As lines of longitude converge to the north and south poles, the divisions created by this system are not, in fact, square. They may appear to be rectangular on some maps, depending on the projection used.

== External links ==
* [http://www.sarl.org.za/public/QRA/Abt_Locators.asp All about locators], SARL
* [www.qrz.ru/vhf/qth_h.pdf The locator system], QRZ.ru
* Online Maidenhead [http://f6fvy.free.fr/qthLocator/fullScreen.php QTH locator], F6FVY

{{operation}}