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Introduction

One of the first things you will notice when you tune the low end of any VHF band is that most QSOs include an exchange of "grid squares." What are grid squares? Well, they're more like rectangles and are just a way of dividing up the surface of the Earth. Grid squares are a shorthand means of describing your general location anywhere on the Earth.

Although probably the most valuable areas on this page is the Web Links section, the article, "Lab Notes -- Where Am I?", explains how grid squares came to be and how they are determined. The other article shows you how to convert latitudes and longitudes to grid squares.

Additional resources

The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs
The ARRL Operating Manual
The ARRL Grid Locator for North America
ARRL Map of North America--this large laminated map has grid squares
The ARRL World Grid Locator Atlas

Articles

Note: Some of the following articles are in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. To view and print these files, you'll need a copy of Adobe's Acrobat Reader program. (Version 3.0 or later required). More information here.

• Lab Notes - Where Am I?
  QST April 1994, pp. 86-88
  Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Coordinates and Grid Squares But Were Afraid to Ask.
  
• Conversion Between Geodetic and Grid Locator Systems (360,448 bytes, PDF file)
  QST Jan 1989, pp. 29-30, 43
  This simple paper system lets you convert latitudes and longitudes to grid locators.
  

Note:

Contact information for suppliers mentioned in the above articles should first be confirmed using TIS Address Database Search.

Web Links

• Grid Locators and Grid Squares
  About Grid Locators and Grid Squares

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maidenhead_Locator_System

  The Maidenhead locator system has been explicitly based on the WGS 84 geodetic datum since 1999.
• Calculate Grid Square
  Enter your latitude and longitude.
• Location by City and State
  This form lets you find the county, ARRL section, ARRL division, grid squares and latitude/longitude of a location (city and state) in the US.
• Find Grid Square by entering Place Name
  For example, enter "cambridge, ma" to look up Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• Try An Address
  Find longitude and latitude using a street address
  
• TopoZone
  We've worked with the USGS to create the Web's first interactive topographical map of the entire United States.
• GRID SQUARE MAPS
  This is a good one—view/download maps from all over the world!
• Maidenhead Grid Locator Converter on the AMSAT web page
  This one goes to the third two digits!
• Grid Square Conversion (and distance calculation) by DK3VN Waldenmar Kebsch DK3VN has an online grid square calculator.
• VUCC Rules Important info if you want to operate precisely on a grid square boundary and have the contacts count for the VUCC award.

Article Reprints:

You can get a photocopy of any ARRL published article for $3 ($5 for nonmembers) for each article requested. Contact the ARRL Technical Department (reprints@arrl.org ), 1-860-594-0390, Noon to 5PM, Tuesday thorough Friday if you wish to get photocopies.

This information was prepared as a membership service by the American Radio Relay League, Inc., Technical Information Service, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111 (860) 594-0214. Email: tis@arrl.org (Internet). ARRL HQ is glad to provide this information on the Web free of charge as a service to League members and affiliated clubs.

If you have any questions concerning the reproduction or distribution of this material, please contact:

TIS Coordinator
American Radio Relay League
225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111
Tel: 860-594-0214 Fax: 860-594-0259
(email: tis@arrl.org)