Would it just be empty or would it have a jillion QSOs for me to confirm?

I have never noticed a function on LoTW to "request" a confirmation (like on QRZ).

If you input your logs, you will see your confirmations.

You do not...... do not...... want to manually enter them into that awful website.

Use a different electronic logger to build an ADI file, and then upload the whole thing to LoTW.

No. There is no manual act of confirmation required (that I have ever found). LotW matches things up for you.

Once you have your TQSL program squared away, LotW knows to trust the logs you upload.

I almost never look at my contacts on LotW because I think the UI is kind of crappy. What I do is enter my QSO on paper, then into HRD. HRD (is set by me to) automatically upload to QRZ and Club Log. I press one button to upload to LotW.

I really only look at my log on QRZ, as I like how it presents the info. Periodically, when in QRZ, I will click the button for "import from LotW" and pull everything in that has matched.

TL;DR:  LotW does all the work for you.

LoTW is certainly a lot faster and more convenient than moving QSL cards around and is therefore supported by most DX'ers, probably more than who send hard cards.

The key to happiness with LoTW is to use a logger with integrated LoTW support.

For instance, I use DXLab DXKeeper for logging. It is highly automated with respect to LoTW. While some of the UI in DXKeeper is a bit obscure in this area there is good documentation and after a two or three of upload/download cycles you'll have the hang of it. Just a couple of clicks uploads all new contacts. Similarly, a click or two and it downloads confirmations. DXKeeper even helps you reconcile discrepancies, which you can do manually or just push the "screw it, do what you think best" button. I'm not an awards chaser, but when I thought I was DXKeeper will also tell you exactly where you stand on any sort of award progress.

If DXKeeper is not your cup of tea, and for many it is not because of the immense complexity of the DXLabs suite of software, certainly there are other loggers that can perform similarly, I'm just not familiar with them.

The only other subtlety is that you have to set up the Trusted QSL (TQSL) software and get your TQSL security certificate. Some people think this is somehow a PITA. I found it very straightforward. DXKeeper will remind you when it's time to renew your TQSL certificate, which takes just a few mouse clicks in TQSL.

Like any new tools it all sounds terribly difficult and obscure. But once you learn the tools you'll wonder how you did without them.

I agree with the above.  I use N3FJP. Just click the button to upload new.
Also didn't have any issues with getting it set up.

Can you hire a local kid to transfer your logs from the back of waffle house receipts to a computer program?

You would sign up and eventually get a postcard to confirm.
Then you tqsl your electronic records that you had a girlfriend digitize and then you have more time to get more girlfriends.

It's ham radio, it's all about girls!

Because LoTW uses double blind comparison, users cannot see what other users have uploaded unless there is a matched QSO. All files uploaded to LoTW are electronically signed by verified users.

I started with an electronic logbook back in 2010 and created my LoTW account at the same time. I also use N3JFP's Amateur Contact Log and have almost 20,000 contacts digitally signed and uploaded to LoTW.

I can't imagine the time it would take if I had to transfer all those contacts from a paper logbook to an electronic log, but I'm sure it would be considerable. How many contacts are in your logbook OP?  

You could potentially have thousands of electronic QSL confirmations wainting for you on LoTW.  

Many other Luddites have also embraced LoTW, so yes the "juice is worth the squeeze".

Thousands and thousands. It would take me MONTHS to recopy them onto an electronic log format.

I suppose maybe I should have started electronic logging right of the bat but early on I wondered about the bullshit of having to wait for a post card with my 'secret code' on it and why the Secret Squirrel security when I opened a PayPal account in just a few minutes and that's money as opposed to bragging rights.

I would also imagine they require you to keep your membership up and I don't like the idea of having my log held hostage by the ARRL.

You don’t have to be an ARRL member to upload or view your matched QSO’s.

You only need to be a member if you want to apply for an award.

Not at all. You have full control of your log in your own logging software. LoTW is merely a service that facilitates confirmation of those contacts. And they only charge money when you want to use LoTW data to confirm an award. Considering that most awards are issues by ARRL and the award itself requires both membership and an additional fee, the extra added cost of the LoTW confirmation is only a small upcharge.

If you don't care about awards (like me), you don't have to be a member of ARRL, never pay anything for LoTW services, but you still get some satisfaction of seeing the confirmations. And, perhaps most important, by participating in LoTW you are helping award chasers that do care about and pay for pieces of paper from the ARRL.

I’ve been on HF DX since 1993

when I got Lotw many years later, I talked my daughter into typing a zillion QSOs into my computer log

the way I type, …id still be working on it

exactly this


.
.
.
I doubt I’ll join ARRL again

too expensive and I doubt they do much to “protect our bands from washington “

Wayne LaPierre should though

I do it to help folks out. Not that I am in a rare place at all. Not big into awards myself.

It seemed daunting the first time, but it really isn't too bad. I just renewed mine and that took all of 5 mins of my life I think. The website is pretty awful to navigate but I rarely log into there anyway. AC Log auto uploads for me.

Fixed it for you.

You confirm nothing at all nor do nothing at all.  You upload your log data to LoTW and other stations log their data to LoTW.  LoTW's software then hunts for matches by checking each new entry against all entries in the database.  If two stations have worked each other they are flagged in the database as having worked each other on such-and-such  date, time, frequency, and mode.  Neither you nor the other station do ANYTHING to make this happen other than uploading your logs.

How and when you upload data is up to you.  One QSO at a time, one day at a time, one week, one month, one year, every 10 years, whatever interval you want.  Nobody cares except the stations waiting for that confirmation match to show up for them.  Like others I have my software set to automatically upload to eQSL and ClubLog.  I have a one-button click for LoTW, and at the end of the day I download current data from LoTW to QRZ.

I DID copy about 10 logbooks of handwritten data into my digital logbook.  It took me a couple of years but I worked on it erratically, a night here, a night there.  I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when I entered that last QSO and sent it all to LoTW.

Several ways you can do it:
   o  Just start with LoTW now and ignore the past
   o  Decide on a date that is meaningful to you and enter data past that date
   o  Bite the bullet, start at the beginning, and just do it

As you enter data it will be checked for matches.  I had quite a few and a few from back in the 70's and 80's where others had entered old log data as well.

You can keep a copy of your logs on a memory stick. They are not held hostage. I use qrz, and load my logs there. for 3 bucks a month, they load them to lotw, and download lotw to qrz. I can download the whole shebang onto a stick any time I want. QRZ also gives you a forum to raise hell on, a web page anyone who puts your call sign in qrz can see. It's easier than your blog, and you should get on board.

When I joined LOTW in 2016 when people kept asking if I was on LOTW because they wanted the match, I took all of my old electronic logs from HRD, of course that was no trouble. Then I went though the old paper logs and uploaded the interesting DX stations that I thought might actually match. I did get some as far back as 1981 from the paper logs.

Of course some good ones came from the old Ham Radio Deluxe logs, which I think started in 2008. I wish I had matches from way back when in the 70's but I don't have the paper to convert and upload. One in particular is Johnston Island, I remember it and of course there is no guarantee that person uploaded for a match, but I will never know how many could be "lurking" out there in LOTW, that would do me some good, because I don't have the details to make a match. I was very cavalier about logging "back in the day" because I did not care back then.  I have no one to blame but myself.

I made some really poor decisions before I became interested in DXing. Oh well. It is just a game.

I was very lucky in that I conscientiously logged every contact from Day 1 on.  It was a pain to convert all those paper logs to an electronic format, but it's done and I'm glad I did it.  I've looked back in the old parts of my electronic log many times for a tidbit of information.  For example, Johnston Island in the 70's I also remember very clearly.  There weren't many at all.  Was it by chance KJ6DN?  If so I have a card from him that might help.

Pretty much this.

I have my WAS and DXCC which is actually good enough for me.

I'm running on borrowed time and with what little time I have left I have better things to do than enter thousands of QSOs into an electronic format so I think I'll just keep things as they are.

Same here.

Ran a lot of HF mobile, and got tired of pulling over to write down a QSO on the side of the road.

Nothing wrong with taking a laid back approach

Nobody but you cares about how many you worked.  Just have fun.

or use an electronic log that uploads the log file automatically

I use N3JFP. It interfaces with the radio and fills in everything but the callsign, signal report ( except digital it does fill in signal reports) and notes.

I hit enter, it logs the contact and auto uploads real time to LoTW and eQSL

when i use WSJT-X and JTAlert it even auto logs into N3JFP which then auto uploads

Attached File


There are rules....LOG EVERYTHING.

I haven't had a confirmation of contacts on QRZ since the 11th of the month. Anyone else seeing this? Some stations I have gotten in the past and have confirmed right away have not confirmed along with new ones.

Suspiciously lines up with daylight savings time.

Did you log as -5 or -6 UTC?

I just checked my QRZ and had 47 confirmations pop up.

Well shit. Guess I will have to change the time on a few pages of entries.

I have a cheap walmart clock at my desk with UTC and my G Shock watch does UTC. But my computer logging digital has gotten me before.

While traveling cross-country last year my logging got messed up due to changing time zones.  I changed the computer time rather than just changing the time zone setting. So WSJTX times wound up being wrong.

I can't remember the callsign. I made a couple of contacts with this guy. It was no big deal to me at the time. I did not realize how valuable that QSO would be later on in life.

True, but there are 4 of us that compete locally. Give each other "crap" and help each other too with spotting DX. I am ahead in some categorys, but certainly behind in others. One guy is the big towers, big amp and ideal location guy. He has me beat in most categorys. BUT I do have him beat on 160 and 80 meters.  He came from behind and smoked me on 6 meters. He is over 100 confirmed now and I am stuck at 79

I have some I did the same thing with.  I didn't try to get a QSL then and now some of them are SK's or out of the hobby or whatever.

No real need to check if a call sign uses lotw before entering it - they could decide tomorrow to start using it.

K0UA's points are good.

Just start using lotw now - and by using it, I mean record your new QSOs in a logging program on your computer so that uploads to the various services like QRZ, lotw, and club log, will be relatively painless.

I record my QSOs in a paper logbook, then enter them into a logging program (HRD). I have HRD configured to automagically upload any new QSO to QRZ and Club log. I then have to push a single button to upload to lotw. Easy peasy.

When I want to check a logbook entry, I usually check the QRZ logbook because I like the way it displays and I always have it open in a browser tab anyway.

You could spend 15 minutes now and then picking QSOs from the logbook and entering them into a logging program. Even that would start to get you some matches.