[Dxbase] ADIF Export

[Wes N7WS]

Jack wrote:
> Maybe something has changed, but last time I researched the 
> applicability of the LoTW system maintained by ARRL, the only time an 
> LoTW "confirmation" counted was when the user was dealing with an ARRL 
> sponsored award.  Maybe all ARRL sponsored awards now use LoTW, I 
> don't know, but in the early days of LoTW that wasn't the case.
>
> As best I know, tracking CQ awards, IOTA awards, and such requires a 
> "QSL card" and LoTW in not even part of the equation.  Did all that 
> change and now LoTW is a direct substitute for any award offered in 
> amateur radio?
>
> Just asking, because if that's not the case, then following the 
> suggestion offered by Wes may solve his concern over using his club 
> software by way of an ADIF export from DXbase, but it would certainly 
> break things for a lot of others and distort the current distinction 
> between having a physical card versus having an ARRL acknowledged 
> confirmation report.
>
> Perhaps the more recent ADIF standards addresses this already somehow, 
> I don't know.  But, the ADIF standard by which DXbase 2007 was coded 
> uses the QSL_RCVD field to reflect physical cards and thereby is 
> universal and not ARRL specific.  In other words, the QSL_RCVD field 
> is populated exactly as the ADIF standard at the time required.
>
> In the absence of any clear standards for handling Physical cards 
> versus LoTW substitutes, I wonder if a more reasonable approach 
> wouldn't be to import the ADIF file from DXbase which would reflect 
> cards only for now, and then import your LoTW from ARRL into your 
> other software such as the club program mentioned by Wes.
>
> Just thinking.....  perhaps Neal already has something in mind, but 
> I'm not sure a clear solution has yet been put on the table in the 
> discussion so far.
>
> Cheers
Mea Culpa, I guess.  Since I was thinking only of ARRL awards, I 
overlooked the others that do require paper cards.  I guess this stems 
from the fact that Clublog is DXCC focused, although there is some zone 
info as well.

Wes