Bangladesh 17 Grids of Glory

Exclusive activations of locators via QO-100 (January - December 2026)

In period January to December 2026 the radio amateur community can look forward to an extraordinary project called "17 Grids of Glory", which will bring activation 17 exotic Maidenhead locator squares through a geostationary satellite QO-100 (Es'hail-2). Of them up to 14 squares have never been unactivated before, which makes this project extremely attractive especially for locator and diploma hunters.

Project concept

They will be from every locator two stations active during 2–3 days. Aktivácie budú rozložené during celého roka 2026 v závislosti od dostupnosti lokalít, počasia a logistických možností.

Types of operation used

• mainly SSB (Phone)

• partially CW

• FT4 on request - interested parties can enter their request in the project comment

Extremely demanding locations

Some of the planned locators are located in extremely demanding areas, ktoré predstavujú veľkú výzvu z technického aj logistického hľadiska:

• border and mountainous areas

• Sundarbans – extensive mangrove swamps

• swampy and difficult to access terrains

Access to some places will only be possible:

• on foot

• by using small local boats (dinghies)

Pri six squares marked in dark red the team will be forced carry their own power plants, which increases the difficulty of the expedition even more.

List of squares

The project covers the following Maidenhead locators:

• NL41 – NL46

• NL51 – NL55

• NL60 – NL65

Categories of inconvenience of locators

Individual locators are divided according to the difficulty of activation:

• Dark red (DARK RED) – extremely demanding
  (mountainous terrain, Sundarbans)

• Light red (LITE RED) – demanding
  (coastal areas)

• Yellow (YELLOW) – very difficult
  (outlying areas)

• Blue (BLUE) – urban areas, simple

• Green – home station

A team of operators

An experienced team of operators participates in the project, while the composition of the team will change depending on the location and date:

• S21YLJ

• S21AM

• S21RC

• S21FIA

• S21HMX

• S21MOB

• S21 RED

• S21ACP

Every operator will work with own brand.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh, a country in South Asia, is a fascinating combination of untamed nature and incredible human energy. It is known primarily as a country of rivers; powerful flows Ganges a Brahmaputra here they create the largest delta in the world, which shapes the fertile landscape, but also the rhythm of life of the local residents.

Although it is among the most densely populated countries on the planet, it hides gems such as Sundarbans – the most extensive mangrove forest, which is home to the rare Bengal tiger. The capital city Dhaka is a vibrant metropolis known for thousands of brightly colored rickshaws and non-stop movement.

Bangladesh faces challenges related to climate change, but its people are recognized worldwide for their resilience and hospitality. The country's economy is mainly based on the textile industry and rice cultivation. For the traveler seeking authenticity, Bangladesh offers a deep cultural experience, tea plantations in Sylhet and endless sandy beaches in Cox's Bazar. It is a country where tradition and determination walk hand in hand towards the future.

QSL ticket

QSL management is extremely important for such a large-scale event:

• not all operators use LoTW

• some have different QSL manager or they don't have it at all

• S21DX team leader will ensure uchovanie a archiváciu logov

It will be released for this project special paper QSL card. Processing of QSL requests will be ensured centrally S21DX team.

⚠️ Important notice:

• DO NOT send green stamp or IRC – they get lost in transit

• online QSL request system will be launched soon

Involvement of radio amateurs

Interested parties can project comments state:

• about which locator have the greatest interest

• possible request for FT4 operation

More on https://s21dx.org/