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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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27th May 2022, 6:21 pm | #1 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,951
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Great Circle maps.
In days-gone-by the wall of every SWL/Ham's shack was adorned by a large Great Circle map showing the directions to aim your beam [if only...] and the ham-radio prefixes of different countries.
Mine came from "Short Wave Magazine" some time in the early-70s; I remember the annoyance of the postman at having to deliver this five-foot-long cardboard tube. I guess that these days the 'functional' replacement would be a bit of software running on your phone/tablet/laptop/PC, probably connected to your beam's rotator so you can tap the screen and a few seconds later you're aiming at a particular country - but I'd rather like to re-create the decorative effect of a wall-hung Great Cirle map. Can anyone recommend a _modern_ supplier of a full-size [sides at least 48-inches] Great Circle map marked with the current ham prefixes?
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27th May 2022, 9:13 pm | #2 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,799
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Re: Great Circle maps.
Don't know who it was but at the last few rallies at the Braehead centre in Glasgow there was a stall selling a variety of large format maps. Rather good quality.
DAvid
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27th May 2022, 10:17 pm | #3 |
Octode
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Penrith, Cumbria, UK
Posts: 1,993
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Re: Great Circle maps.
Mines from the RSGB shop, but it's not 48 inches square.
Andy. |
28th May 2022, 6:55 am | #4 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bracknell, Berkshire,UK.
Posts: 1,168
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Re: Great Circle maps.
Now very tattered but the RSGB one still hangs on my shack wall - can't be bothered to find a ruler but guess is is about 20 inches each side. I also have the old 'QRA Locator of Western Europe', similar size, and a somewhat smaller 'World Map of Amateur Radio Prefixes' (even more tattered) which are excellent for quickly seeing where places are and far better than the maps they do for the new locator system.
73 Dave G3YMC |
28th May 2022, 7:57 am | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 9,427
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Re: Great Circle maps.
The RSGB web site quotes the one available now is 610mmx610mm, about 24 inches square.
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Frank |
28th May 2022, 12:23 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,675
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Re: Great Circle maps.
I had one on the shack wall surrounded by QSL cards.
I remember the dilemma of deciding whether to put the map pin at London, the map centre or Manchester where I was. I opted for the latter, not that it made much difference.
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28th May 2022, 1:19 pm | #7 |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Tintinara, South Australia, Australia
Posts: 2,324
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Re: Great Circle maps.
There's a couple of places that might be of interest where you can get/do printed maps:-
Printed - https://www.dxmaps.co.uk/product/great-circle-map-2/ - only 24 x 24 inches though. Or https://ns6t.net/azimuth/azimuth.html - this one you can download and will have to take somewhere to be printed for the larger sizes - 90cm x 128cm (~35 x 50 inches). |
30th May 2022, 10:46 am | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,951
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Re: Great Circle maps.
A 24x24-inch map seems stupidly small; does it come with a voucher for Specsavers too?
I _might_ be able to get the printable one printed - someone I know has access to a big professional colour printer they use for producing advertising posters....
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30th Jun 2022, 8:08 pm | #9 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Newmarket, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 611
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Re: Great Circle maps.
I kept an eye open in Friedrichshafen
All the great circle maps I saw were around A3 sized Bigger grid square and world maps but not Great Circle Fred |
30th Jun 2022, 9:43 pm | #10 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ashhurst, Manawatu, New Zealand
Posts: 570
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Re: Great Circle maps.
Save the results from "https://ns6t.net/azimuth/azimuth.html" as a pdf and take it to a printer. Get your 5-year-old to colour it in!
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