[NLRS] About that older ARRL grid map

[Bruce Richardson]

As I recall, "grids" came out in 1983.  But the talk about them
preceeded that.  During my senior year in college at Univ of Ill at
Champaign-Urbana, I was a Geography student trying to specialize in
Cartography.  I graduated in May 83 so the newly completed map was
pressed right into service by the ARRL. I knew one of the Geography
Prof's was Curt Roseman and a ham as K9AKS.  While I was a licensed ham,
I was an inactive ham during college and had made a whopping 3 or 4
contacts in my life since age 17 when was first licensed.

So in the Cartography lab was a Geography grad student named Alan
Hobshied working on a project FOR Professor Roseman K9AKS. It was this
grid map.  I did not have Prof Roseman for any of my classes so only
knew of him.  I watched for several weeks while Alan put that together.
Just found Alan Hobshied's personal website at:
http://www.alanhobscheid.com/

I guess the odd thing for me is how coincidental and important "grids"
have become to my ham radio activity.  I collect them and I activate
them.  Those 2 by 1 degree lines of longitude and latitude mean a whole
bunch to me :-) .  The last three Septembers, I traveled along the 94th,
98th, and 102nd Meridians just to activate grids for the Reverse VUCC
award that CSVHFS sponsors.

The ARRL came out with a bigger and improved printed "grid" map a few
years ago. Costs more, but it's very attractive.

Based on some line drawing maps I made of the state of Wisconsin and its
counties for the WIVUCH program, I ought to tackle making available some
maps for grids and the US.  I first made a line drawing in GIMP--which
yields raster graphics.  Later, I needed to make a vector graphic of the
same in Inkscape.  But my point is that with layers, a LARGE file can be
offered up where the user sets the color shading for any particular grid
they want and then save the image and spit out a .jpg from the master
.xcf (gimp) file.  Another project for when I work the list of pressing
projects down :-) .

73
Bruce Richardson W9FZ/R