[NLRS] Crying out loud

[Baker, Donn B]

Hi John,
Just a comment:
(below)

> One nice feature of mine is that if you put in the two 6-digit grid 
> squares, it will compute the distance points automaticaly.  
> And it also 
> computes the unique callsign points for you.
> 
> By the way, there are two data entry "pages" in the 
> spreadsheet, and the 
> one that shows up by default is NOT the one most people will want to 
> use.  The page that comes up allows you to log by lat/long 
> using "exact" 
> coordinates.  Just click on the next page back which is the "log by 
> gridsquare" page, and you will see it is much more user-friendly.  I 
> don't recall offhand if it computes the distance from 
> sub-grid center to 
> sub-grid center, or from the SouthWest corner of one sub-grid to the 
> SouthWest corner of the other sub-grid, but I doubt that 
> there would be 
> a significant difference even though the Earth is not flat...

There really isn't!  A few years ago, I did my score both ways... actual location to location, vs center of 6-digit square to center of 6-digit square.  The difference was NOT worth the effort.  (I also did it by rounding all distances to whole kilometers and adding, vs adding with tenths of a kilometer and THEN rounding.  There WAS a difference there... add the indivitaul scores, including the 10'ths, and THEN round --I truncate that final answer, actually-- to whole kilometers.)

However, you really do need to calculate from center of 6-digit square to center of 6-digit square if you're not using the actual locations.  This does two things: first, 
its what others are doing, so your answers for a given QSO will be the same as the other guiys, and second; its what the rules say.  

>From the ARRL 10GHz COntest Rules:
6.5. In making the distance calculations, a string (or ruler) and map may be used. However, calculations by computer program are preferred. Several such programs are available in the commercial market, including a basic program listing in The ARRL World Grid Locator Atlas ($5). For purposes of making calculations, stations are defined as being located in the center of the 6-character locator sub-square (most computer programs make this assumption). 

This last sentence is obviously wrong, but none-the-less its what the rule says.

73 Donn
WA2VOI/0