I use the normal XX##zz gridsquare designation in the ADIF in HRD. I wonder if it’s an issue with how HRD uploads to QRZ.
From a systems and database design perspective, such requirements are somewhat of an anachronism. When logs were bits of paper and the claims for operating from various locations had to be recorded on a different bit of ledger paper, you could understand them requiring separate location-based logs. But where contacts are tagged with MY-GRID-REF or equivalent field in the ADIF file, they surely contain enough data keys to allow any extract required.
To stay on topic, we are all free to use whatever centralised logging systems we wish. We can choose one or many and use none, one or many.
I have not enough time or patience to go back through 54 years of logs to create a datafile for LOTW.
But if you were starting now, and keeping an electronic log, that would be much easier. Still requires you to create a location for every grid square you operate from.
73 Andrew VK1DA/2UH
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QRZ does default to your home Gridsquare but you can go in and change it after the fact.
Whether or not anyone logs to LOTW is their choice. But if you do the whole system depends on using the correct location data for where you made the contact from. It is not hard to create locations in TQSL for LOTW. You can create as many as you like. They can contain one or more of the following parameters. CQ Zone, ITU Zone, Gridsquare, County, State or IOTA. All contacts made from within the parameters selected can be uploaded using that location. The more narrow you make the location the more locations you would likely need.
That being said it is important that the correct location information be used for each QSO uploaded. Other Amateur Radio operators chase awards that depend on the number of States, Gridsquares, Counties, Zones or IOTA contacted and they depend on the accuracy of the data uploaded by the other party to LOTW. Improper data uploaded to LOTW will hinder others from enjoying this part of Amateur Radio and could even result in an award being issued that is not actually valid. Please upload to LOTW with proper location data for each QSO or don’t upload it at all.
Yes it would be nice if LOTW would include a selection for SOTA Summit (that feature was added to DXKeeper) like they did for NPOTA a few years ago by adding a selection for Park…
Jeff K6QCB
Thanks for mentioning Clublog Andy. It is a brilliant resource run by G7VJR which SOTA could chime into officially in terms of DXCC Countries activated and chased if the MT wanted it to.
Although SOTA is not a “Club” as such, in Clublog SOTA could be seen as one if it were registered. CLublog users could tick the SOTA box and and then league tables of SOTA registered users could be created as they are for clubs, e.g. RSGB, CDXC, GMDX, UKSMG etc, they would related to DXCC Countries and amateur bands used.
So would Clublog SOTA registration be any value to us as a “club”? If so it would hopefully manage itself.
73 Phil G4OBK
73 Phil
PS Clubs can create their own Challenges within Clublog, principally to provide their members with some internal long term competitions. These usually relate to DXCC Countries worked and Clublog provides a means of providing tables etc. Those clubs that promote these challenges such as CDXC suggest regular ADIF uploads by users so they provide almost live tables of how the challenge is progressing over time.
When LoTW came on line (I think it was late 1980s early 1990s) and I got my first PC in 1990 I decided to go through all my paper logs at that time and log on computer into the logging program I used then which was Turbolog, every DXCC country by band I had worked was recorded as metadata. This was only 8 years activity at that time but I was glad I bit the bullet and did it. This would only really interest someone into chasing DX though I guess and keeping detailed records of countries worked, so it would not be of any real value to SOTA fanatics. When ADIF and Cabrillo were introduced as formats it was a great help in moving logging data from computer to computer and in general station management and on to databases such as the ones we are discussing here.
73 Phil
AFAIK, that would require a manual edit of each record. That ain’t happening. 
I don’t understand why they don’t honor the ADIF file and use your home grid if the MY_GRIDSQUARE field is blank or invalid.
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I guess I’ve never paid much attention to my station location for the purposes of LOTW once I initially set it up but this thread has enlightened me. Yes, it is a simply process to add a location based on the summit gridsquare available on the summit page. So, for my last activation I created a station location for that summit and uploaded to LOTW. EZEE-PEEZY. Dean ~ K2JB
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At we, in YO, it is 3 summits in a single grid square (KN27SK) …
For this situations, a field SOTA is necesary.
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Even though it’s an older thread, I’ll mention what I do just in case it helps someone. I paper log on the summit, tried electronic, just didn’t like it. I come home, type in my log into my station master log (I use N3FJP’s AClog). That log works very easily with LoTW so I upload every qso and it’s easy to change the location, county, grid. Then I finally submit my log on the SOTA site.
Certainly many don’t worry about it, and it’s not a requirement for sure, but I do it for those who need/want the confirmation on LoTW–it literally takes a few seconds for me. Used eQSL for a few years for the same reason, but never use it for myself really and just got out of the practice. I will always return an actual QSL card when requested.
73,
Mike AC0PR
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I have used LoTW since April 2018 but had been holding back from submitting /P entries as I had not worked out how I was going to mange it with using /P from different locations.
As I use DXKeeper and not Log4OM I have had to adapt John’s approach, but it seem to work (as long as I create a filter to select the appropriate log entries before each upload).
I gave up trying to manage different accounts for different time periods in EQSL a while back and now just upload all my /P entries into one ‘Portable’ account with minimal information for the Grid.
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Glad it works now for you.
I use VK-port-a-log in the field. You can write the grid into comments/QSL message and use this for the eqsl upload. On the “card” itself you can leave off the grid then.
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Same here. Having hundreds of different accounts, one per qth locator is just unmanageable after a few dozen SOTA activations.
73,
Guru
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Yes for eQSL, I just use my home account with my home grid, but put the true grid (of the SOTA summit) in the comments.
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ARRL LoTW account - one TQSL Certificate for every DXCC Country I have activated from with my /P callsign (23 DXCC Countries) and one for every country I have operated from without /P callsign (G4OBK - 1 DXCC Country). Cannot see the need for what I do to specify LOCATOR information - DXCC is all that matters as I see it.
73 Phil
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In the begining, I confirmed by handwritten paper QSL cards. At one point, I found it was too much writing work and I shifted into printing labels which were pasted on the paper QSL cards, plus a rubber stamp with my callsign, name and postal address was put half on the label, half on the paper QSL card. I found myself in a point where I was reluctant to make all the QSOs I really fancied to do, just to avoid all the afterwards administrative work around QSL cards. I found that wasn’t good for the hobby.
After a number of years away from the hobby, I returned and found that eQSL had been created/invented and I joined. Not much later I also joined LOTW and I kept feeding both systems for some time. I changed laptop and my TQSL was left behind in the previous laptop. It later expired and I was too busy with work and life at that time as to get the upheaval of finding the older laptop, and making the necessary to update the TQSL and so on. So I quit doing LOTW and kept doing eQSL only. When I bought my FT-817ND in 2009 (prior to SOTA) to be able to play radio when on holidays with my family in EA1 (Galicia), I found the need to create a single account on eQSL for each of the different /P locations I were transmitting from because each account had an associated QTH Locator and having one single account for the base QTH wouldn’t be fair in terms of QTH Locator. Later, when I started SOTA, I also started to create different eQSL accounts for each activation because each summit had a different QTH Locator.
After having created this many different accounts (11 of them for SOTA activations), I understood that this had become unmanageable and quite a nightmare to check and maintain, so I decided to create a single specific account for EA2IF/P in SOTA activations.
That’s the one and only I use now. I know the QTH Locator in that account is not accurate, as it’s the one of my base station QTH, but the text in my eQSL informs that the SOTA database and SOTAwatch are available for summit Ref. and activation details.
This is all I’m willing to do for QSLing right now. I don’t feel like coming back to LOTW and much less to physical paper QSL cards.
73,
Guru
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Hi all
Today I receive few eQSL cards. You have some way to identify your activation !
This one, on the comments box
This one on the photo
This one on the address box
This one certify he wasn’t in EA5/AT-044 but in VGA-064 
like spotted on SotaWatch, had to move it from my chaser log 
Not sure is giving you “a lot of” work, in any case …
73 Éric
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Yes, Éric, that’s the problem.
I know it’s possible but the price in terms of work needed and time spent doing that is too high for me, for what I’m willing to do.
The fact is I like having fun with my hobby, not being trapped by huge amounts of boring administrative work.
My option of a single account is far from perfect but it lets me avoid too much work around QSLs, something I have lost my interest on.
Thank you for chasing me today in Mt. Erga EA2/NV-078. You were my second chaser of the day.
73 et à bientôt,
Guru
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