Convert a Maidenhead grid locator to latitude and longitude, and find the distance and beam heading to a second grid square.
A Maidenhead locator encodes latitude and longitude into a short code: two letters for the field, two digits for the square and two letters for the subsquare. The tool returns the centre coordinate, and the great-circle distance and initial beam heading to a second grid for pointing a directional antenna.
It is a compact way to give a location on the air. Two letters set a large field, two digits a square within it, and two more letters a smaller subsquare, like FN31pr. Hams exchange grids for awards, contests and pointing antennas.
A 6-character subsquare is about 5 minutes of longitude by 2.5 minutes of latitude, roughly 5 by 4 kilometres at mid-latitudes. The tool returns the centre of that subsquare, which is close enough to point a beam.
From the two grid coordinates the tool computes the great-circle (shortest-path) distance and the initial bearing from your location. Point a directional antenna at that bearing to work the other station the short way around.