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Originally Posted by Thorn
Why? No idea. Maybe KC7GR can explain it.
It seems to be used for mainly for DX contests, something I've never had an interest in doing. Since it was invented in the early Eighties and therefore predates GPS systems and software, I'd guess that was easier to determine a rough location by grid coordinates and therefore facilitate antenna aiming, rather than obtaining the exact Lat/Long.
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<snippety>
I was never certain of what had sparked the existence of the Maidenhead grid system myself. However, what you suggest (a tool for antenna aiming, especially since an RF beam is hardly coherent) makes perfect sense to me.
While I am indeed a hamateur, I'm not a DXer. I tend to use the Maidenhead system primarily because I like doing things a little differently from the mainstream. It's also fun to see how many (or how few, in some cases) folks 'get it' or are curious enough to look it up.
On my original topic: Thanks for the explanations. I should have made it clearer that all I want is a multi-standard PCI card that can deal with a/b/g networks, has an external antenna connector (RP-SMA), and the top legal limit (for the U.S.) of +19dB transmitter output. Most of the cards I've seen seem to be +15dB, max.
Keep the peace(es).