Some activators also submit their logs to LOTW and I have noticed that some use their home location when uploading to LOTW regardless of where the activated summit is. This practice is corrupting LOTW. I will get a confirmation on LOTW for a contact made with an activator on a summit in Nevada, as an example, and the confirmation in LOTW will show California, as an example, because that is the activators home location. As a result of this a person could get WAS without actually working all States. The same holds true for Counties and Grid Squares. If an activation is going to be uploaded to LOTW it needs to show the correct location. You can set up multiple locations in LOTW and you can choose to show state, county, grid, ITU zone and CQ zone, or not. At least one needs to be selected. What ever you select needs to accurate for the location of the summit activated. As an example a new location can be created selecting state and grid then all summits activated in that grid can use that location. Then for summits in a different grid would need a new location created in LOTW. When you download the confirmations from LOTW it is corrupting your in-house log. It is getting very difficult to keep track of what is accurate and what is not. Please if you are going to upload your SOTA logs to LOTW create and use a location that is accurate to the summit you were on.
Jeff K6QCB
I totally agree that if you are using LOTW, you should be using an accurate station location. I even have multiple station locations for the same summit! Summits are often right on county/state lines and depending on where I set up makes a difference.
73, pat - ki4svm
I always create a new station location in TQSL and then I set up a new config in Log4OM for the summit (or holiday home, camp site, beach etc) linked to that LoTW location.
Yes, important that G4TGJ for sure - if you are in a different DXCC country/entity, but for SOTA within England for instance, it makes not a scrap of difference. I hold LoTW certificates for 25 DXCC entities from which I have operated from since 1982. Mostly for SOTA operations but with a few pre-2002 non-SOTA holiday DXpeditions.
What is worth noting, (and I’m fairly sure of this unless someone corrects me) is that if you sign /P for SOTA then for LoTW validation by the station worked you need an encrypted callsign certificate containing the /P. In the home country this means I have seperate certificates for G4OBK and G4OBK/P, and so for SOTA I upload my G4OBK/P operations using the G4OBK/P callsign certificate, and my my fixed station QSOs including SOTA Chasing, I upload with the plain vanilla G4OBK certificate. I imagine you also do the same.
73 Phil
The LoTW location contains the grid and IOTA reference so I like those to be correct.
As you say, you need to create certificates for each callsign so I have G4TGJ, G4TGJ/P, GW4TGJ, GW4TGJ/P, GM4TGJ and GM4TGJ/P. And GR4TGJ.
All bases covered FB! I think it’s still right to say that the ARRL still don’t allow accrediation for IOTA. A great shame that.
73 Phil
I use the same station location in TQSL, but edit the grid square (in TQSL) for every activation. That way I don’t have to set up a new configuration in Log4OM. I do have to also edit the information in Log4OM and I do have distinct TQSL station locations and corresponding distinct Log4OM configurations for every distinct callsign VE2DDZ, VE2DDZ/W1, VE2DDZ/W2.
This works for me and my operating details are correctly recorded in LoTW and in my log.
Malcolm VE2DDZ
I have yet to figure out the trick to upload my logs to LOTW for my recent VE2 and TF activations . Do i need a separate TQSL certificate for NS1TA/VE2 and for TF/NS1TA to upload to LOTW properly?
Tnx
73 Mike NS1TA
Yes, a new certificate is required if the callsign is different. It’s very easy in TQSL, use the Request New Callsign Certificate menu item. It will automatically link the new call to your primary call for the purpose of awards tracking, administration, etc.
73,
Gary NA6O
Tnx!
If you are using multiple calls like /P you need an additional call sign certificate. If you are operating away from your home location and are not in the same State, County and Grid Square (to the same 4 or 6 digits, how ever you entered it in TQSL) you need to create a new location in TQSL. It is easy to setup new locations. For instructions on how to do this check out “Using LoTW with multiple call signs and locations” at http://www.n3fjp.com/KD5KC-LOTW.pdf.
Jeff K6QCB
Thankfully somebody brought this bad habit to my attention years ago. I agree that one should make sure the grid square matches your transmit location. It was just something I hadn’t thought of until somebody told me. It bears repeating occasionally. Thanks Jeff.
Charlie NJ7V
I have created many, many different USA LOTW locations as I am almost always in a different Grid Square, or county, or in a different state (I do a lot of VHF/UHF activation’s) than my home DM33, Maricopa County,QTH. Some grid squares are in multiple counties in Arizona, so each one of those also has a different location in LOTW.
If u don’t operate from a different DXCC country this works fine.
However, if you go to Hawaii (a different DXCC country) then you will need to create a second LOTW certificate for that country like WA7JTM/KH6.
Pete
Actually, you don’t need to set up a new location in TQSL, it is faster to just edit the grid in the station location you already use for for SOTA.
Malcolm VE2DDZ
How ever you get the correct location information uploaded to LOTW for your SOTA Activations or any other portable operations is acceptable. It is not just the Grid Square that needs to be correct. The County, State and CQ and ITU zones. I would think a new location would be easier, rather that editing back and forth to a portable location and back to home. If you create a new location it is there for the next time you activate another summit in the same Grid/County.
Hopefully those who need to see this topic will.
Jeff K6QCB
I made this mistake initially, and apologize to all who didn’t get correct confirmations through LoTW as a result. Let me know the Q details and I will send you a card with the correct info.
I now create a separate location in TQSL and DXKeeper.
73 Paula k9ir