[W8MWA] ARRL Logbook of The World (LoTW)

[Spence Graham]

I have been using the ARRL's Logbook of The World (LoTW) since late June
2016.  It was relatively easy to set up and has been a pleasant experience
to use.  It is also FREE to use.  You do not have to be an ARRL member to
sign up for LoTW services. You can get your own call sign (even previously
held call signs) registered by obtaining a TQSL (Trusted QSL) file of your
own from ARRL by visiting their ARRL.ORG webpage.  My primary TQSL is for
WT8WV but I also have obtained a TQSL file for KB8FIR and KA8LJO call signs
that I have held in the past. You manage each call sign TQSL separately.
 (Someday I might convert my old paper log contacts for the previous calls
signs.)  You easily renew your personal TQSL certificate every three years.

I have added 540 QSO's since late June.  I have confirmed 239 of those as
of December 4th. That is a 44.3% QSL confirmation rate.  Average paper QSL
confirmations run at about 20-25% according to reports.  Right now the ARRL
says that 801,437,461 records have been entered into the system.  There are
91,493 registered users.  There are 135,594 certificates active and
11,074,904 files processed.  If my math is right, that is an average QSL
confirmation rate of 17% overall; so I am really diggin' my 44% rate!  I
guess what I truly like about LoTW is that I now have a secure master
database  that I can drill anytime for a ton of things like names, states,
counties, DXCC countries, bands, frequencies, modes, fine details of the
contact, date, time, month, year, season, verified, non-verified, search
calls signs and can do my own customized report.

If you download the phone app you get notified when a new QSL is confirmed
by ARRL, otherwise you can easily check you account at the ARRL LoTW
website or through many of the logging software programs that can download
from LoTW.  It can also interface with some online QSL sites.  I still
receive and send paper QSL cards but only send a paper card if I received a
paper QSL, or if requested.  Did I say LoTW is FREE?  Sure beats paying for
QSL cards and postage at about 50+ cents a pop!  You don't have to wait for
months and months waiting on a Bureau to send any cards that might be
received; you can check daily and even reach out to the contact if you
really need that QSL.

On the ARRL LoTW website you can easily (and automatically) track your
progress toward Worked All States (WAS), NPOTA, WPX, VUCC or DXCC
certificates, if you like to chase paper! (You do NOT use LoTW as a "live"
logging program; it is a secure master database for your logs held on ARRL
servers.  I use Ham Radio Deluxe Logbook as my main logging program and
with the click of a button I can either UPLOAD new contacts or DOWNLOAD
confirmed contacts from LoTW from within my HRD Logbook in my shack.  For
contesting situations I use N3FJP contest logging software (LOVE it!).  You
can save your contest log files from other logging programs as an ADIF,
Cabrillo, text, or in an EXCEL format. (For most ARRL sanctioned contests
you can now simply either upload a Cabrillo file or even copy and paste the
log text into their contest report page!  I just did that for ARRL November
Sweepstakes and it was a piece of cake.)

If anyone needs some help or more information on LoTW you can go to the
ARRL.ORG website or give me a call.  I'd be glad to assist any way I can!

-- 
73,

Spence

*Spencer W. Graham, II*
*WT8WV*
*73 Crosby Road*
*Morgantown, WV 26508*

*2016-2017 VP of Monongalia Wireless Association http://www.w8mwa.org/
<http://www.w8mwa.org/>*

*Check Out My Ham Radio Blog Site...  http://kb8fir.wordpress.com
<http://kb8fir.wordpress.com>*

*(ex-KB8FIR and ex-KA8LJO)*
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