Int. HF Grid Location Contest
=============================
<Rules 1996/12.99>


I. Announcing
    Second annual International HF Grid Location 
(GridLoc) contest.

II. Objective
    For Amateur Radio operators around the world to 
contact other Amateurs in as many Maidenhead grid 
squares as possible during the contest period.

III. Contest Period
    1200 UTC April 13 to 1200 UTC April 14, 1996 
(Second full weekend of April).  All entrants may operate a 
total of 18 of the contest's 24 hours.  Off periods must be 
no less than 30 minutes.
{02SAT04:1200:1440}


IV. Operator Classes
    There is only one power class (less than 150 watts).
    1. Single Operator, phone only, CW only and mixed 
mode.  One person performs all operating and logging 
functions.  Use of spotting nets, DX Alert Packet Systems, 
telephone, etc., is not permitted.
    2. Multi-Operator, Two Transmitter.  Mixed mode.  
Only 1 signal per band permitted.  Once a transmitter has 
made a contact on a given band it may not change to 
another band for at least 10 minutes.  All transmitters and 
receivers must be located within a 500 meter diameter 
circle or within the property limits of the station licensee's 
address, whichever is lesser.  The antennas must be 
physically connected by wires to the transmitter.
    3. Rover.  Mixed mode.  One or two operators of a single 
station moving between two or more grid squares during 
the contest, and making contest contacts, using the same 
equipment and antennas at each site.  A rover station should
sign "rover" after their callsign for voice and "/R" for CW.

V. Modes
    Contacts may be made using CW or SSB.

VI. Bands
    All HF bands (160-10 M) excluding the WARC bands 
(30, 17, 12 M).

VII. Valid Contacts
    A given station may be contacted only once per band 
mode from a given grid square.  Rover stations may be 
worked once per band mode in each grid square they visit.

VIII. Exchange
    All stations must transmit a proper Maidenhead grid 
square (i.e. EM10) and an operator name.  If the 
Maidenhead grid square is unknown stations may be 
counted for QSO credit only.

IX. QSO Points
    Count 1 QSO point for each valid contact made during 
the contest.

X. Multiplier Points
    Count 1 multiplier point for each Maidenhead grid 
square worked per band, not per band mode.  Stations not 
supplying valid Maidenhead grid squares do not count for 
multiplier credit.

XI. Final Score
    Total QSO points times the total multipliers equals the 
total claimed score for all entrants except rovers.  Rover 
stations must add the total number of QSO points from 
each grid,  add the total multipliers from each grid and 
multiply these to produce the final score.

XII. Score Submission
    Log submissions should be sent within 30 days of the 
end of the contest to:
Internet: geoiii@bga.com  Mail: GridLoc
                                P.O. Box 180703
                                Austin, TX 78718-0703
GridLoc is an Open Log contest and all log submissions 
become the property of the GridLoc organizers.

XIII. Awards
    To be decided.

Q. Are there any rules changes this year?
A. Yes.  This year stations may be worked once per band 
mode instead of just once per band.  This rule change 
aligns GridLoc with other multi-mode contests (like the 
IARU HF Championships).  For example,  mixed mode 
stations may work each other on 20M phone and then again 
on 20M CW.  Both QSO's count for 1 point but any 
multiplier credit applies only once.

Q.  Why use Grid Squares as multipliers?
A. More common than countries and zones,  Grid Squares 
provide a large number of multipliers which can be worked 
on each band.  This makes the flavor of this contest 
different from any other since WPX multipliers can not be 
worked on each band.

Q.  How do I determine my Grid Square?
A. There are a number of ways to determine this.  Ask 
other amateurs in your area (especially VHF operators) 
what the grid square is.  If no is knows either consult the 
ARRL grid square map (which will be useful only if your 
community is clearly within a grid's boundary) or type in 
the BASIC computer program available from the ARRL 
Operating manual.  It will determine your grid square 
based on longitude and latitude.

Q.  Why is the contest 24 hours long?
A.  To give everyone around the world equal opportunity 
to operate at peak propagation hours.

Q.  Why does it start at 1200UTC (7AM CST)?
A.  This start time gives everyone around the world ample 
time to get home from work on Friday and prepare for the 
contest the next day.  The contest ends before Monday all 
over the world.

Q.  Why limit stations to 150 watts of power?
A.  One hundred fifty watts is more than enough to work 
stations around the world.  Higher power would raise QRM 
levels on the bands and result in complicating the GridLoc 
rules with the additional categories.

Q.  What are the suggested frequencies?
A.  There are no suggested frequencies.  However it is 
expected that most activity will be centered around the 
lower edge of the general sub-bands and the Novice/Tech 
portions of the 10 meter phone band.

Q.  Are there any DX awards for HF Grid contacts?
A.  Yes.  The Japanese Amateur Radio League offers the 
Worked All Grid award to Amateurs who work stations in 
100 or more Grids.  Endorsements are available for 
multiples of 100 additional grids.  For more information 
write to:
    The Japan Amateur Radio League, Inc.
    Award Desk
    14-2, Sugamo 1-Chome, Toshima-ku,
    Tokyo 170, Japan

Q.  Why are packet spotting systems not allowed?
A.  Packet is not allowed for single operators only.  An 
entry using a packet spotting network would be part of the 
multi-two category with "net" as one of the operators.

Q.  What is an "Open Log Contest"?
A.  An Open Log Contest is a contest in which operating 
logs submitted for entry to the contest organizers are made 
available to the public.  It is the intention of the GridLoc 
organizers to make all of the submitted logs available 
electronically.  This allows everyone to study the 
techniques of the top operators and to analyze logs using 
common software tools.

Q.  Do any logging programs support GridLoc?
A.  N6TR's logging program TRLog supports the GridLoc 
contest starting with version 5.19.  W5XD's logging 
software WriteLog (for Windows) now includes a GridLoc 
multiplier module.

Q.  Will there be any awards?
A.  Yes.  The organizers will produce awards based on the 
amount of activity for the contest.  At this time it is certain 
that continental winners in each operating category will 
receive certificates as will the top ten scorers in each 
division worldwide.  Certificates for the top college clubs 
are also planned.

Q.  Where will the results be published?
A.  There are several possibilities being investigated.  The 
organizers hope to have the results published so as to reach 
the most Amateurs as possible.

73,

Robert Barron, KA5WSS                 barron@liant.com
Liant Software Corporation            Hook 'Em Horns!


