science

QRA locator

QRA locator is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand QRA locator rather than just read about it. In short: The QRA locator, also called QTH locator in some publications, is an obsolete geographic coordinate system used by amateur radio operators in Europe before the introduction of the Maidenhead Locator System. As a radio transmitter or receiver location system the QRA locator is considered defunct, but may be found in many older documents.

Key takeaways

QRA locator belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect QRA locator to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of QRA locator from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The QRA locator, also called QTH locator in some publications, is an obsolete geographic coordinate system used by amateur radio operators in Europe before the introduction of the Maidenhead Locator System. As a radio transmitter or receiver location system the QRA locator is considered defunct, but may be found in many older documents.

History The QRA locator system in the 4-character format was introduced at a meeting of the VHF Working Group in The Hague in October 1959. The QRA locator was further developed with the addition of the fifth character at the Region 1 Conference in Malmö (1963). The QRA locator was officially adopted by IARU Region 1 in 1966 and was renamed "QTH-locator" a year later.

Description QRA locator references consist of a string of two capital letters, two numerical digits and one lower case letter, e.g. FG32c.

The two capital letters mark an area, or square, of two degrees longitude by one degree latitude, like the squares of Maidenhead Locator. The bottom left corner of square AA was at 40.0° N - 0.0° E. Therefore, square "AA" of the QRA locator corresponds to square "JN00" of Maidenhead locator. Maidenhead locator square "IO91", which covers part of Greater London, belongs to QRA locator square "ZL". The main squares are subdivided to 80 smaller squares, each one covering 12' by 7'30", and which are numbered from 01 to 80. The small squares are numbered from North to South and West to East. The northwest corner of the main square is indicated with "01" and the southeastern corner with 80.

Each small square is further subdivided into nine squares, each one covering 4' by 2'30", indicated by the letters 'a' to 'j' (excluding 'i'), in a spiral pattern.

With this system, a location at 52° 26' 12" N - 0° 13' 6"E would have a QRA locator reference AM52g.

Disadvantages The QRA locator system has two disadvantages, which led to its replacement by the current Maidenhead system:

The main disadvantage of the QRA Locator system is that it covers only an area with a Longitude of 52° and a Latitude of 26° so within Europe this does not present a problem, but the coverage cannot not be extended to cover other regions without location ambiguity. Conversion from longitude and latitude to locator reference and vice versa is somewhat complicated.

References

See also World Geographic Reference System or GEOREF

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with QRA locator

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what QRA locator claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to QRA locator before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about QRA locator ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of QRA locator

In research: QRA locator appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses QRA locator in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: QRA locator is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Amateur radio, Geocodes, Geographic coordinate systems, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for QRA locator outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study QRA locator in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what QRA locator means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain QRA locator out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is QRA locator in simple terms?

Why does QRA locator matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study QRA locator?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on QRA locator.