Maidenhead to Lat/Long Converter

Convert Maidenhead to Lat Long instantly.

Free online converter with accurate results and clear explanations.

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How This Tool Works

The Maidenhead Locator System divides the world into progressively smaller longitude and latitude grid squares. Each pair of characters adds precision: fields use letters, squares use digits, subsquares use letters again, and the optional extended pair uses digits.

This converter validates the locator, decodes each character pair into the matching WGS 84 grid bounds, then returns the center point in decimal latitude and longitude.

  • Input: A Maidenhead grid locator such as FN, FN31, FN31pr, or FN31pr53.
  • Process: Decode longitude first and latitude second for each character pair, narrowing the grid cell at every step.
  • Output: The cell center plus latitude and longitude boundary ranges.

Why This Matters

Maidenhead grid locators are common in amateur radio because they describe a station's approximate location compactly without requiring a full street address or long coordinate pair.

Use the center point for mapping, distance estimates, and quick station lookups. Use the boundary range when the full grid cell footprint matters.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Keep the character order: Maidenhead locators alternate longitude and latitude characters within each pair.
  • Use valid ranges: Fields are A through R, subsquares are A through X, and numeric pairs must be digits.
  • Do not expect street-level precision: A 6-character locator is still an area, roughly a few kilometers across.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Maidenhead to Lat/Long Converter

This converter handles decimal degrees, degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS), UTM, MGRS, and other common geographic coordinate systems used in mapping and navigation.

Sources & References

Geographic coordinate systems

Latitude/longitude, UTM, and datum definitions underlying coordinate conversions.
→Source: NOAA — National Geodetic Survey

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