What’s your grid square? Be prepared to answer that question a lot in 2018. The ARRL International Grid Chase 2018 begins this weekend and continues throughout the year. The Grid Chase kicks off at 0000 UTC on Monday, January 1, which is New Year’s Eve in US time zones, so get ready to hit your grid running.

This is an event for all radio amateurs, and taking part is as simple as just getting on the air and making contacts: The objective of the year-long event is to work stations on any band (except 60 meters) in as many different Maidenhead grid squares as possible, and then upload your logs to ARRL’s Logbook of The World (LoTW). All contacts on all permitted Amateur Radio bands, except 60 meters, are eligible for award credit. This includes contest contacts.

Each new grid square contact confirmed through LoTW will count toward your monthly total. Stations do not have to exchange grid squares for a valid contact, although it’s anticipated that many operators will do so. Some grid squares will be “rare ones,” however, and will be in demand. How about yours? Get on the air, and get behind your grid! If you can, get out there, and activate the scarce ones.

Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club KM1CC at the Cape Cod National Seashore has just announced that its members will activate rare grid square FN51 January 18-19 for the International Grid Chase.

Complete details of the ARRL International Grid Chase 2018 appeared in the December 2017 issue of QST. For more information, contact the ARRL Contest Branch.