[SADXA] LOTW progress

[Wes Stewart]

I've been using LoTW since July 2006.  The biggest problem I had was when I tried to do a "mixed" DXCC submission using some LoTW credits and field-checked QSLs.  What a mess.  The details are foggy, best forgotten I suppose, but eventually straightened out.

They may have it fixed, but now I just bite the bullet and pay the extra submission fee and do them separately.

The nice thing is that you can see from their data exactly what you have DXCC credit for.  I've used it to find their mistakes and an email has always gotten it fixed.

For a logging program I use DXBase, which is a very powerful program but way too expensive (~$100).  They seem to have annual "upgrades" which cost $40 or so.  I quit upgrading with v2005, which like automobiles came out in 2004.  I think the newer versions have more automatic LoTW features, but I just use the "Selection Wizard" to find QSOs that haven't been submitted to ARRL and to make the .adi file. (DXBase is a shell that uses an older version of MS Access as the underlying database.)

After submitting, I download the report file from LoTW and import it to DXBase and it then shows the new "confirmed" QSOs.

DXBase has a contest mode, but it's not a good contest program.  About all it does is check for dupes.  I think the newer version supports spotting, point-n-click QSY, brewing coffee and all of the stuff that I don't use.

As to computers, I have an older Toshiba Tecra 8100 running WinXP that has real serial and parallel ports and a non-widescreen display that does an adequate job as a logging machine.  I actually prefer it for this purpose over the new whiz-band T400 Lenovo laptop that I recently bought.  These higher resolution wide screens need to be run at max resolution or the display actually gets fuzzy.  At max resolution they are amazingly sharp but everything is so small it's difficult to see at any distance.

Plus,the new machines don't have serial ports, which most radios need if you are going to read frequency into your log program.  You will need a USB to Serial adapter and then hope it works.

Ham Radio Deluxe (free) has a logging program in its suite of stuff, but if you think LoTW is too complicated, welcome to HRD.  (I know I'll hear about this from Keith)

N3FJB makes a family of logging programs at modest cost.  I have used his Field Day program for several years in that event and I like it very much.  If the "Amateur Contact Log" works as well, it would be well worth the $19 registration fee.  There is a 45-day fully functional trial period.  I would recommend trying it out.

73,

Wes N7WS


--- On Fri, 2/27/09, N7wb at aol.com <N7wb at aol.com> wrote:

> From: N7wb at aol.com <N7wb at aol.com>
> Subject: Re: [SADXA] LOTW progress
> To: sadxa at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Friday, February 27, 2009, 7:29 AM
> In a message dated 2/26/2009 6:14:21 P.M. US Mountain
> Standard Time,  
> jdwothe at cox.net writes:
> 
> Well  today I got my password for LOTW. Now we will see how
> we do with the 
> next  steps. That may take a while before I jump  in.
> 
> Jerry
> W6XI
> 
> 
> 
> I'm thinking of doing it also - I need to get a new
> computer first I think  
> or put the stuff on our laptop - key problem there is
> "our"....
>  
> What logging program do you folks recommend?
>  
> Thanks John n7wb