Nothing to do with SOTA, just reopening a thread I started about LoTW in 2014…
I was checking my ARRL Logbook of The World tonight after importing around 300 QSOs and I came across a recent confirmation for a 40m CW QSO I had with 5N Nigeria.
The QSO was over 34 years ago, yet it took until 29 August 2023 for the operator, W6QL to confirm the QSO via LoTW!
73 Phil
Hi Phil,
As i can remember this call is from Lloyd and Iris Colvin from the Yasme foundation.
They are may be SK as they were old travelers around the world.
I might have lot of QSO/QSL from them.
Gerald F6HBI
Oh yes Gerald, you jogged by memory. The Colvin’s / YASME indeed. I guess someone got hold of the Colvin’s logs and entered them into a database or computer logbook and thence on into LoTW. They are both SK now.
Thanks for reminding me about them. It was Iris Colvin I worked. Pasting this info from the YASME website:
At about that time, the famous husband and wife team, Lloyd Colvin, W6KG (SK), and Iris Colvin, W6QL (SK), began what they called the “Yasme Round the World DX-Pedition” under the auspices of the Yasme Foundation. Over the next almost 30 years, the Colvins would eventually operate from over 200 DXCC countries. Yasme volunteers served as their QSL manager, issuing hundreds of thousands of distinctive Yasme QSL cards.
I didn’t start using a computer to log contacts until 11-07-1991, but I then entered previous notable QSOs from when I was licenced in 1982 into the logbook I was using at the time. Thanks to your reminder I can tag the op’s name as “Iris” against that 1989 QSO.
73 Phil
All correct, Phil. In the early days of Yasme, there was no historian; so I volunteered to be the first, as indicated on my QRZ page. The paper logs were belatedly computerized to help deal with applications for several Yasme awards available. The massive number of QSL cards were kept in rows of metal file cabinets at the Colvin home, requiring the floor to be reinforced against the weight. Easily done, since Lloyd Colvin was a building contractor. The rarest of the cards were on display one year at the Visalia DX convention, and someone stole them all.
At one point, I worked to get YL DXCC. I got most of the way there with Iris cards alone.
Notably, a half dozen Yasme volunteers were members of FOC; about the same number as American SOTA activators who are in the FOC.
Elliott, K6EL
I hope Karma caught up with that thief. Pathetic.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
I have ZS3/W6QL confirmed and also theese:
I don’t know who’s doing it, but that is quite a job typing all those QSOs into a
computer log. I was one of the QSL “assistants” for several of Lloyd and Iris and
they made a LOT of QSOs in their travels. I can’t even guess how many cards
I answered in those years. They would come from the bureau in cardboard
boxes, and that was just for the logs I was working on, not to mention the ones
that were coming to my own mailbox direct once people found out I was the
one filling out the cards.
“:Those were the days, my friend”
73
John, K6YK
A few years back I transcribed/computerised all my paper logs for 1982 - 1985 and uploaded them to LoTW
Got 4 QSLs out of 100’s of QSOs.
Oldestt is shown below from 1982 and the QSL in 2017.
73
Dave
GM4NFI
Hello guys
With SOTA QSOs, most operations like /Portable and in LOTW they only post the CALL without /Portable.
This creates a data mismatch and does not confirm the contact.
73
Carlos
PY2VM
In time. some QSOS SOTA with Europe and USA. improves propagation.
Very true Carlos, that is why it is important for any SOTA Activator who uploads to LoTW to ensure they obtain from ARRL secure certificates for both their callsigns, without the /P suffix and with the /P suffix, for example:
I only operate with a fixed station callsign from England when I am home SOTA/POTA chasing, DXing, contesting, rag chewing etc.
73 Phil
Hi
Am I correct in thinking that if you work /P then you need to also have a station location for the /P operation otherwise you can get a mismatch if the locator squares don’t match.
If you are doing frequent activations then your list of Station Locations could get quite long.
I also have several callsign certificates.
Yes you are right about the Maidenhead Locators, but my main interest using LoTW is DXCC not Maidenheads. I can’t be bothered with submitting different locators for all the summits visited so I don’t submit them as part of my submissions. Others may do so, not sure?
73 Phil
You don’t need to create a station location for every location you work from, you just need to make sure the locator is in the ADIF file.
I use Log4OM and upload to LoTW from there. When I used v1 I created a new location for each summit but since upgrading to v2 I haven’t. I’m not sure if this was a change in Log4OM or just a change in how I do it.
I create my activation log in FLE. I set the SOTA summit and locator in the header and generate the ADIF. I upload this to the SOTA database and import into Log4OM and then upload to LoTW. I can see the correct locators for my QSOs if I log into lotw.arrl.org.
I assume that this would also work with other logging programs and with a direct TQSL upload.
I do have certificates for different countries, as well as one for GM0GAV/P. But delete the station locations of non GM certificates when not in use.
I always like to put in an accurate locator, so I quickly edit the GM0GAV/P station location with correct Grid prior to each upload. Very quick, copy and paste the locator from Sotlas. Then do Sign & Upload in Log Operations.
I use VKportalog in good weather, paper or KX2 internal logging + FLE in poor weather.
|Call Sign |# QSOs |# QSLs
|GM0GAV/P |11,376 |3,567 |
LOTW stats for GM0GAV/P is showing just over 31% confirmed. So LOTW not really popular for SOTA types. Compared to my main GM0GAV log which is 54%.
73 Gavin
GM0GAV
My logging process is very similar to yours and Gavin’s GM0GAV and this takes one or two steps away… Thanks for the tip!
Relevant setting described inTQSL manual:
Hi
LotW states the following.
TQSL can employ the value of each QSO record’s station location fields to override the corresponding value given in the station location that is selected in TQSL on a QSO-by-QSO basis. A highy useful feature for mobile, rover and portable operations. The ADIF station location fields recognized by TQSL are:
MY_DXCCMY_STATEMY_CNTYMY_CQ_ZONEMY_ITU_ZONEMY_GRIDSQUAREMY_VUCC_GRIDSEven if not used to override the values specified in the station location, TQSL will by default check for consistency between each QSO record’s station location fields and the corresponding values specified in the station location selected in TQSL. This helps to ensure the integrity of the data uploaded to Logbook.
I use Logger32 as my logging program. MY_GRIDSQUARE field is not recorded in the main log.
When exporting an ADIF file you need to
File->Export Logs->ADIF
but before starting the export select Setup Custom ADIF fields
In ADIF field enter MY_GRIDSQUARE
In ADIF field text enter the grid square e.g. IO76kt
Now when you export your log there will be the following entry
<MY_GRIDSQUARE:6>IO76kt
For every record
This should avoid the need to have a separate Station Location for every activation.
Hope this helps any other Logger32 users
73
Dave
GM4NFI
Well, I checked my log and SOTA uploads, etc. and found that I have received
NO confirmations from the W6KG/W6QL expeditions through LOTW.
Interesting! My QSOs are in there, too. Maybe whoever is uploading their
stuff is only doing DX stations and not USA? I don’t know.
But I can say I have received some confirmations as old as 30 years through
LOTW, so if you’re hoping for something to come in, it may come in some day.
73,
John, K6YK
Hi
You can download a LoTW users file from either LoTW or Club Log (latter has more info) to check if a callsign is regularly uploading.
In Logger32 when you enter a callsign in the entry window it adds a coloured marker if they are regular LoTW users.
73
Dave
GM4NFI