TARA-Grid Award Rules

The

Award Program

The TARA Maidenhead Grid Locator Award

Operated by The Troy Amateur Radio Association [TARA]
Manager: Ernie, WM2U
En Espanol: tnx Joaquin, EA4ZB

The Troy Amateur Radio Association [TARA] recognizes the achievements of Amateur Radio Operators world wide, for confirming two way communication by offering it's new Digital Maidenhead Grid Awards Program. This award is available in MIXED, RTTY, HELL and PSK with more coming out. If you feel that you qualify for a non-listed digital mode, please request that we review your information. To assist you in selection look at our Grid Locator table at Grid Squares or ask for the booklet.
All applicants must submit a copy of their Grid Locator list indexed on the Grid Locator number in alpha-numeric order, date (if available) and call sign worked. See example of excel file. My files are kept in Excel. Download this blank Excel work sheet for you to use and submit to me as your entry. I will check it and if any changes are made and I will send you back the official copy. Each time you apply for an endorsement to increase the number of Grid Squares claimed, simply submit a new copy of your excel sheet clearly showing your additional grid squares on the original excel page. In the case of Band and Mode basic certificates, please send these each to their own excel sheet and on making further endorsements simply submit your updated Band or Mode list. These should be emailed or snail mailed to the TARA-Grid Award Manager at:

The fee schedule for these awards can be viewed at awards pricing All QSO's must be confirmed either by QSL card, LoTW , QRZ logbook or eQSL, and should be made available to the TARA-Grid Award manager upon request. Do NOT send QSL cards unless requested to do so.
If your application includes columns that show confirmation in one of the above confirmation methods, that will be taken as a signed certification of QSO confirmation. If your application does not include those columns please copy this certification statement and include it at the bottom of your email application.
To claim a UN BAR we need to define this differently. To prove one has worked a UN compound one would need to be confirm a UN call sign.

I certify that I have worked and have the QSL cards, LoTW, QRZ logbook or eQSL proof of contacts confirming the Callsign, Data, Band and Mode for each of my claimed contacts, and will produce them to the TARA Award manager upon request. I understand that this application may be rejected if I fail to submit the required information upon request, or if any doubt about authenticity. I also agree to abide by the decisions of the TARA Officers.

Don't forget to include your full name, address, call sign and snail mail address with any and all applications.
There is no start date so dig deep into your log and claim those past digital contacts.
This is a Amateur achievement award, not a location award, so your contacts count from where ever YOU made them.
Endorsements will be mailed about the first week of January, April, July and October. Of course you might get lucky and get em! earlier. :)
All successful applicants will have their respective Grid achievements, permanently displayed on the TARA OnLine Award Record.
Regardless of method of generation, CW is not considered a valid mode for this award.
The certificates will be mailed out unfolded in a 9x12 envelope or mailing tubes.
Any licensed Amateur or SWL, world wide can claim this award. SWL stations can claim grid credit for both stations if able to copy both stations.
You do not need to be a member of a club to apply.
Due to the high possible volume of endorsements and BARS available for each certificate, room for the stickers will be a premium. We suggest these different storage and display options for your convenience.

We will make available supplementary, blank certificates to match the original certificate background and theme.
Display your certificate(s) in a 3 ring binder using clear protective, plastic covers. If you use binder index pages you could produce a really nice book of your different Grid Square achievements. With this is mind we have available spare pages, complete with TARA-Grid header, for expansion of your DX, US, VE and VK BARS, in any mode.
Please click here to view some of the theme dedicated spare sheets and certificates that are available.
Design the TARA OnLine Award Recognition (OLAR), web page.
It is highly recommended that the stickers, BARS and endorsements be mounted on the relevant sheet using Mount Hinges. Many thanks to Roger Banks, KE5AQD for finding this OnLine outlet for those hinges. I did buy them at OfficeMax a few years ago. Staples could also handle them. Take a look at http://www.kenmorestamp.com/hinge-mounting.asp

Applications for Basic Certificate:

Send a copy of your confirmed list of Grids, using only the four (4) place grids (ie FM32, IM98) . You need 300 different Grids to claim the Basic Mixed certificate. See table above for other mode requirements.
To qualify for the Mixed certificate, which requires 300 confirmed grids, the number of grids per representative mode must be at least equal to it's endorsement increment, and there must be at least 2 different modes.
You can include any number of Grid Squares, Band and/or Mode endorsements in a single application. Make sure that you send your latest, updated Grid Square, Band and/or Mode list when claiming endorsements. This way it cuts down the amount of paperwork in the files and/or computer memory. :)
Operating Modes: RTTY is normal Teletype operation. PSK modes are BPSK, QPSK, PSK63 and PSK10. Mixed is RTTY, PSK, and may include other Modes like; MFSK, Hellscheiber, Throb and MT63 etc.
The ARRL World Grid Locator Atlas, the ARRL North American Grid Locator Maps, the DX Atlas by VE3NEA shown at http://www.dxatlas.com/ , F6FVY Grid Locator at http://f6fvy.free.fr/qthLocator/ and the 6 Club maps shown at http://6mt.com/square.htm are some of the sources of Grid Square information available to you. Remember that the confirming QSL need not necessarily show the actual Grid Square as long as the QTH info shown allows you to positively identify which Maidenhead Grid Square it is in.
In light of the Netherlands Antilles break-up the PJs (the combined Bonaire/Curacao and the combined Saba/St Eustatius/Sint Maarten) worked on or before 9 Oct 2010 will still be issued. After that date, QSO claims for Bonaire, Curacao, Saba & St Eustatius and Sint Maarten will be issued.
HF Bands, 160m through 6m including WARC bands are included in this award.
Please note that there is a DX BAR for K, VE, VK, Antarctic and Marine Mobile contacts, although these also have separate collector achievement sheets. Please check out the requirements for each on our list of Grid Squares
The Marine Mobile or Wet Award is a special certificate. To qualify for this endorsement the grid square MUST be completely, 100% water. No islands, no shore lines, water only. Since you only need to work each m/m grid once for credit you will get an endorsement for each per claim. This award is Mixed and is not Band or Mode specific. The first successful claim will get you a standard m/m DX BAR, and a Special STAMP sticker for your m/m wet award collectors sheet. For all future m/m claims you will get a special STAMP sticker. After receiving 18 of these stamps and filling this sheet you can claim the coveted Neptune Award Certificate. A special m/m collectors sheet, the Neptune Endorsement sheet can be claimed so you can continue collecting these fine Stamps. For very 5 endorsement you get on this sheet you can claim a Neptune Award endorsement sticker for the certificate. Please note that the m/m BAR for your DX sheet does count towards your DDXCC total. (This does not appear on the ARRL DXCC list)
The Antarctic Award is now available. Similar to the m/m award above, you will get credit each time a different political Antarctic entity is worked. Although this award is not Band specific it is offered in different Modes. On the first endorsement you will get the regular DX Antarctic BAR and a Special BAR for your collectors sheet. All future claims will be special BARS. Remember that this DX BAR counts towards your DDXCC total.

Application for Endorsements:

For each Grid endorsement upgrade please submit an updated copy of your grid squares list.
For Band and Mode endorsements, a separate, updated list showing your claimed Grid Squares. ie List of all 20 meter grid squares, and/or a list of all European grid squares etc. Submit any number of different endorsement applications.
Submit a complete 4 digit Grid Square list, indexed on Grid Squares and in alphabetical order.
Band endorsements; The table below shows the endorsement required for each band/mode.
Note: the Band and Continent Endorsements are a one time endorsement. You can claim these for the specified number of confirmed contacts as shown below. Remember that the mixed endorsements need at least two (2) modes represented. Any mode represented should be an activated mode. i.e. A certificate in that mode has been issued or authorized.

Banda	Mixto	RTTY	SSTV	PSK	MT63	Throb	MFSK	Hell	JT65
160m 80m 40m 30m 20m 17m 15m 12m 10m 6m	45 180 240 45 300 45 300 45 300 90	38 150 200 38 250 38 250 38 250 75	8 30 40 8 50 8 50 75 50 15	38 150 200 38 250 38 250 38 250 75	8 30 40 8 50 8 50 75 50 15	8 30 40 8 50 8 50 75 50 15	30 120 160 30 200 30 200 30 200 60	15 60 80 15 100 15 100 15 100 30	38 150 200 38 250 38 250 38 250 75

Mode endorsements are available for working more than the basic certificate requirements. They are offered per mode. Mixed, Rtty, PSK, and MFSK in increments of 50. SSTV, MT63, Throb and Hell. in increments of 25. See table above.
Continent endorsements: The table below shows the endorsement required for each Continent/Mode. As a rough rule of thumb, they are calculated on a percentage of the Basic certificate requirements hence. AS - 25%, AF - 30%, EU and NA - 60%, SA - 40% and OC - 20%. See table below for actual values.
Note: the Band and Continent Endorsements are a one time endorsement. You can claim these for the specified number of confirmed contacts as shown below.

Continente	Mixto	RTTY	SSTV	PSK	MT63	Throb	MFSK	Hell	JT65
AS-Asia AF-Africa EU-Europa NA-N.America SA-S.America OC-Oceania	75 90 180 180 120 60	63 75 150 150 100 50	13 15 30 30 20 10	63 75 150 150 120 60	13 15 30 30 20 10	13 15 30 30 20 10	50 60 120 120 80 40	25 30 60 60 40 20	63 75 150 150 100 50

Application for the BARS:

This program offers these hard to get BARS for those who wish to strive to the ultimate level of Maidenhead Grid Square collecting.
These distinguished endorsement(s) will be offered to those successfully producing proof of working the required number of Grid Squares in any U.S State. Further to this, BARS will be cut for those who work at least 50%, or up to a maximum of twenty (20), 4 digit Grid Squares in any DXCC country (ARRL defined). Click here for our list of Grid Squares to be used to define the DXCC entity claimed. Please note that we will print the revision level on any booklet sent to you by mail. The Web Page version of this list will always be marked with the most current version number.
The BARS are offered for each mode separately. To qualify for any of these BARS you must hold the appropriate certificate for that mode. Any mixed BAR claims must have at least 2 modes represented.
We realize that there maybe a few DXCC entities that are completely surrounded by a single grid square. Yea! these count. You only need one (1) Grid Square to claim this Bar.
In some cases a grid square will touch more than one state/country or claimed entity, in this case the geo-political entity must be defined by the confirming QSO.
It might be necessary at this time to make changes to the rules, certificate, endorsements and/or BAR requirements. In light of this we have added revision list at the end of this narrative.

The Pinnacle Series! do you qualify?

This series of numbered awards honors the best of the best, the crème de la crème. They are based on your performance in the TARA-Grid Award program, indeed your entrance to this hall of fame is only through that route. We will add new certificates at intervals but if you have a suggestion for a new one, please let us know.
Note: Use the maidenhead Grid Square tables to determine the claim requirements for the Pinnacle endorsements.
The following are now available:

TARA-DDXCC (digital DXCC) award. If you have successfully claimed and hold at least 100 TARA-Grid DX BARS, drop me an email to claim your certificate. Endorsements are available in increments of 20 up to 200, 10 up to 300 and increments of 5 beyond that.
TARA-DWAS (digital WAS) award. After holding all the US State BARS, you can claim this award. The certificate has space for all the US territories as well, including Guam, Midway, etc. In fact there are 18 extra stickers available.
TARA-DVE (digital worked all Canada award). This certificate is available if you have worked and hold all the Canadian Province BARS, VE1 through VE8. Two endorsements are available. The VE0 endorsements and the CY0/9 endorsements for working both CY0 and CY9.
TARA-DVK (digital worked all Australia award), for BARS VK1 through VK8. Two endorsements are available. The VK0 for working the two VK0's listed in DXCC and the VK9 endorsement for working the 7 VK9's also listed.
The NEPTUNE Award. This very difficult award is offered to anyone confirming all 18 WET (Marine Mobile) Grid Squares on the wet award collectors sheet. Wet Award certificate. Endorsements are available in increments of 5.

1) Introduced the Wet Award. A special award for Marine Mobile. 08/08/05
2) Introduced the Antarctica Award. 08/08/05
3) In an attempt to clarify the BAR requirements, Notes 2, 3 and 4 added to the Rules under Application for the BARS. 08/29/06
4) Statements added to include both the Antarctic and Wet Award DX BARS in the DDXCC total. 10/2/06
5) In NOTE #4 above the Activated Modes requirement has been dropped and changed to any digital mode.
6) A small fee to cover postage and materials will be applied as of 1/1/07
7) Pinnacle series awards for both DDXCC and The Neptune Award are now available. 3/5/08
8) JT65 mode added 3/1/12

Please keep your eye on this section. This is where any new certificate, endorsement or Bar will be announced. This can be a product of TARA's ongoing improvements or our acceptance of one of your suggestions.
If you would like TARA to consider other BAR possibilities not covered above, please feel free to email us with your request.

Ideas under consideration:
a)   Worked a complete Maidenhead Field.
b)   Worked all Continents.
c)   BINGO!! Play Bingo on any Grid Field of your choice, ie IO, FN etc, and fill in the Bingo requirement(s) working that Grid Field's Squares. :-))
d)   Worked all CQ zones.
e)    Worked all ITU zones.
f)    I'm waiting for a JA, DL or I (or indeed any country) to ask for it's own award. Yea! we'll do it. :) etc. etc.

Revision List

Note 1: Please be aware that the effective date(s) for the rules, endorsements and BAR qualification, is the one on this web site and not the one printed on the snail mail Grid Square booklet.
Note 2: BARS can only be claimed after the basic certificate for that mode is issued.
Note 3: To activate a mode, you must hold the basic certificate in that mode. This brings that mode into play when wanting to include it to claim Mixed BARS and other Endorsements.
Note 4: Mixed BARS should be a mix of two or more grids from any digital mode. There must be at least one (1) representative grid in the short suit. In the case where the BAR requirement is for one (1) grid only, this can be from any activated mode. An activated mode is one in which a certificate has been issued or authorized.
Note 5: To claim a UN BAR we need to define this differently. To prove one has worked a UN compound one would need to be confirm a UN call sign.
Note 6: The Pinnacle endoresment requirets are better defined.

Please read the following and note that by implication, when you email or snail mail the above endorsements you are agreeing with the pledge.

I certify that I have worked and have QSL card or eQSL proof of contact confirming the Callsign, Date, Band and Mode for each of my claimed contacts, and will produce them to the TARA-Grid Award Manager upon request. I understand that this application may be rejected if I fail to submit the required information upon request, or if there is any doubt about the authenticity. I also agree to abide by the decisions of the TARA Officers.

Good luck chasing those Grids, Ernie WM2U