Replace Ruby scripts with a single python script 
for Gridsquare display in Conky

Make sure python3 and pip3 are installed:
python3 --version
pip3 --version

Install maidenhead and gpsdclient for python:
sudo pip3 install gpsdclient
sudo pip3 install maidenhead

Create script equivalent to 'grid' + 'get_grid' 
sudo nano /<path to file>/PyGridsquare.py

-----
#!/usr/bin/env python3

from gpsdclient import GPSDClient
import maidenhead as mh

client = GPSDClient(host="ip_address_of_host_of_gpsd_service")

for result in client.dict_stream(convert_datetime=True):
    if result["class"] == "TPV":
        lat = result.get("lat", "n/a")
        lon = result.get("lon", "n/a")
        gridsquare = mh.to_maiden(lat, lon)
        print(gridsquare)
        break
-----
<ctrl> x, y <enter> to save and exit

Make it executable
sudo chmod +x /<path to file>/PyGridsquare.py

Modify your .conkyrc file:
sudo nano /<path to file>/.conkyrc

comment out line: (Put a "#" at the beginning of the line)
${font Arial:bold:size=18}${color White}Gridsquare ${alignr}${color Yellow}${execi 25 /home/pi/grid | cut -c1-6}
so it appears:
#${font Arial:bold:size=18}${color White}Gridsquare ${alignr}${color Yellow}${execi 25 /home/pi/grid | cut -c1-8}

add line above or below:
${font Arial:bold:size=18}${color White}Gridsquare ${alignr}${color Yellow}${execi 25 /<path to file>/PyGridsquare.py | cut -c1-8}
<ctrl> x, y <enter> to save and exit

In a few seconds the gridsquare should appear.

Notes:

/<path to file>/PyGridsquare.py  should be something like /home/pi/PyGridsquare.py or /usr/bin/PyGridsquare.py

In the PyGridquare.py file, if you have a GPS attached directly to the machine running this, set
client = GPSDClient(host="ip_address_of_host_of_gpsd_service") to
client = GPSDClient(host="localhost")
if you have gpsd running as a network server on another machine, set the above line to that IP address.

This has been tested on Pis running RaspberryPiOS Buster & Debian on several models of Pi, 
Ubuntu 20.04 and 21.10 on VMs in Virtualbox and on an M73 TFF PC.

Please let me know if you find any errors or issues.