[Laser] Wanted Laser's for VUCC Attempt

[Glenn Thomas]

FWIW, it seems to me that in addition to the north/south squares that 
Zack points out, an additional 4 squares are possible in the east/west 
direction with path lengths less of than 100 miles. If one were to sit 
at the intersection of four squares at a higher latitude, the distance 
to the next grid squares to the east and west can be significantly less 
than 138 miles. This is because the width of grid squares (east-west 
direction) measured in miles becomes less as a function of increasing 
latitude. Specifically, the width of a grid square in statute miles as a 
function of latitude is approximately 138*asin(.0349*cos(latitude)).  
Consider an extreme example, if your foot were placed exactly on the 
north pole, you would be standing in no fewer than 180 different grid 
squares!  (What color was that bear???)

For a more practical example, consider operation from the place where 
EO00, EN09, DO90 and DN99 meet. Contacts with those four squares should 
be trivial. Along with the four additional north/south squares 69 miles 
away that Zack has pointed out (EO01, EN08, DO91 and DN98 in this case), 
the four next-closest east/west squares, EO10, EN19, DO80 and DN89, are 
all only 98 miles away.

If you have a cooperative partner, getting 12 squares on any band is a 
matter of going as far north as you can and paying close attention to 
what mountains and which roads are where. The example I've given is 
somewhere in southern Manitoba. I've never been there but I understand 
that the landscape is pretty flat - not so good for microwave/optical 
propagation.

Perhaps a vacation in beautiful Fairbanks AK, where there are lots of 
mountains and the east/west size of a grid square is only 52 miles, 
should be in your plans... ;-)

73 de Glenn WB6W

On 3/27/2012 6:19 AM, Zack Widup wrote:
> Hi Les,
>
> Why do you need 180 miles? If you can choose your locations carefully,
> you can sit in a grid close to its corner and work north or south
> across the next grid to the second one over maybe a 75 mile path. For
> instance, I can operate in EM59xx and get the first four grids over a
> few mile path, then work someone in EN51xa which would be 75 miles to
> the north.
>
> Fortunately for me, there is a big hill in EM59xx.
>
> 10 GHz is much easier. I have 12 grids on 10 GHz right now.
>
> 73, Zack W9SZ