Hi all,
I wanted to share a recent troubleshooting experience regarding SOTA log uploads that might help fellow operators using MacLoggerDX on macOS.
Recently, I tried to clean up and upload my logs (including Activator, Chaser, and S2S logs). To avoid duplicates, I imported everything into MacLoggerDX in the following order:
- Imported S2S logs, then Chaser logs.
- Ran a duplicate check in MacLoggerDX and deleted the flagged duplicates bulk.
- Imported Activator logs, ran another duplicate check, and cleaned them up again.
After ensuring there were no duplicates left in my MacLoggerDX logbook, I exported the remaining logs to an ADIF file and uploaded it to the SOTA Database.
However, the SOTA DB rejected the upload, showing a “Duplicate entry” error.
The Root Cause:
After a deep dive into the logbook, I found that the issue was due to an error in my past S2S logs. When entering those contacts, I had accidentally reversed the summit information: I put my activated summit code into the chaser’s summit field (SOTA_REF), and the other station’s summit into my summit field (MY_SOTA_REF).
Because the text fields were reversed, MacLoggerDX’s built-in duplicate finder treated them as unique QSOs and skipped them. However, the SOTA Database cross-checks the date, time, frequency, and both summit references intelligently, detecting them as exact duplicates of my existing database records.
Once I manually corrected the swapped summit references in MacLoggerDX and re-exported the ADIF, the upload went through flawlessly!
If you are using MacLoggerDX (or any other general logbook) to filter SOTA duplicates before uploading, keep an eye on your past S2S entries to ensure MY_SOTA_REF and SOTA_REF are not inverted.
73,
Jiho Kim / DS5SQS