[WVDXA] LOTW Questions

[W8TN - Clark]

Rick,

     Glad you got it going. The LoTW process is daunting the first time you
run through it but each time it gets easier.

     Yes, the WVDXA is definitely the place to go for answers to your Ham
Radio Questions.  I know of no better group of amateurs to associate
yourself with.  You should plan on coming up this way for a club meeting.
We'd be glad to have you!

      As to your current question though, I do not update my DXBase log with
the LoTW confirmations yet.  So, I have no way to personally tell you how to
do that.

     There were some emails on the DXbase Email Reflector in December 2007
from WA6AXE about a discrepancy in the LoTW downloaded data.  He has created
a program that will let you check your DXbase log against your current LoTW
file to see where (if any) differences exist.  But, I found nothing that
gave explicit instructions for downloading the LoTW QSL's.

     The DXbase Help file only gives the following information:

Logbook of the World ADIF Imports
>
> An ADIF file obtained from LoTW must be processed differently than a
> standard ADIF file.  This is because normally when we refer to importing we
> intend to read in brand new records.  But with LoTW, we actually want to
> read existing records and make updates to them, such as updating the LoTW
> confirmation field.
>
> DXbase provides this capability in the Non DXB Import utility program that
> was installed with DXbase.  Use the program group and select Non DXB Import
> from the DXbase group.  But, be sure you close DXbase first.
>
> In the Non DXB Import utility there is an import choice for an LoTW ADIF
> file.  Use this option whenever you are importing an ADIF file obtained from
> LoTW.  DXbase will first try to find the existing QSO record in your
> database and if found, it will update the record to reflect an LoTW
> confirmation.  It will also update other information such as IOTA, State,
> County, ITU, and CQ if any of these values are present in your source LoTW
> ADIF record AND if the value passes DXbase validations for properly
> formatted data.
>
> If a QSO record cannot be found in your DXbase database, the record will
> be treated as a new QSO record and will be added to your DXbase database.


>

> Copyright (c)1999 - 2006 Scientific Solutions, Inc.



      But, in looking back through the DXbase Email Reflector Archives to
see if those instructions were already published, I came upon the following
email from W9OL which was his description of how to use DXbase to upload to
LoTW.  It differs a bit from my instructions and may provide some useful
information for you:

I think I can help.
> You want to start with the DXBASE Wizard.
> From the Tools menu, select the 10th item, "Selection Wizard"
> The first screen has the item
> Output Type
> From the dropdowns, select ADIF File
> From the Select Existing Confi File, select the directory that DXBase
> resides in.
> From Auto Detect New Ones, clear all but Individual mode, and Individual
> Band
>
> Now go to and click on the QSO Filters button
> As this is the first all time selection, clear ALL buttons.
> Except up at the top, No LoTW Submitted.
> This will select all the qsos in your log that do NOT have LoTW showing as
> the form of qsl sent for that qso.
> As this is your first, none of the qsos should be excluded from this
> search.
> Click OK
> Click Start
> It will ask you were to save and what name you wish to give it.
> I always give it mycall.adi
>
> click ok
> and the process of searching all your log for qsos that DO NOT have qsl
> sent via LoTW.
> When it's finished you will have a file named yourcall.adi
> If you look at it using Notepad, you will see all your qsos.
> This is the file you select to 'Sign' using TQSL.
> That will create a .tq8 file that you upload to the LoTW site.
>
> Important!!!!!!
> When you get your certificate, you MUST properly fill out the Station
> infomation that will be included with each qso.
> In the TQSL module, first select Station
> you must ADD a location if this is the first submission
> or if you already have a location, make sure all the info is filled in.
>
> Select your statio and fill out the Grid
> ITU Zone
> CQ Zone
> any IOTA if applicable
> Note: they ask for ITU zone first and many people automatically enter the
> CQ Zone number instead of the ITU number
> click Next to get to the next page.
> Many people miss this step
> Enter your state and county
> (important for people tracking WAS and WAC)
>
> When that is done, you 'Sign the log' and upload to LoTW.
>
> Next month, when you submit that big contest log, you repeat the selection
> process, this time it will only create a .adi file with the qso's made since
> your last selection
> (No LoTW submitted) will skip the previously selected and marked as
> already submitted.
>
> Good luck...
> You will make a mistake, I sure did, but everything is correctible.
> If you enter the wrong info, just redo the process.
>


     A little further back in the archives I did find the following email
from W9OL from 6/20/2005 which may have some useful information about
downloading LoTW confirmations and selecting and uploading your log:

Most of you probably already figured this out.
>
> I use the 'PROGRAMS' menu option to help automate the downloading of LoTW
> qsls.
>
> I've added a Menu Item to the Programs list that will logon to LoTW with
> my userid and password, and take me to the My Qso's page where I can click
> on the LoTWDownload.
>
> Open the Programs option
> Select Customize
> Menu Text: LoTW DLoad
> Command: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
> Arguments:
> https://www.arrl.org/lotwuser/qsos?login=userid&password=userpassword
>
> edit the above url to change userid and userpassword to the correct info.
> don't forget the s at the end of http
>
> And don't forget that after creating this Program item, you can assign a
> shortcut key via the TOOLS>SHORTCUTS menu option and cursoring down to
> 'Programs LoTW Dload' and creating a shortcut.
> (of course you can change the Programs Menu Text name to whatever you
> want.)
>
>
> Now here is one little anomaly I found and you should try at your own risk
> and only after saving a backup.
>
> For some reason, you can perform a NON DXB IMPORT while DXBase is running.
> I've tested this many times and had no problems but you machine and
> install may be different.
> I've created a Programs Menu Test item for NON DXB IMPORT and assigned it
> a shortcut.
>
> And one more use for the Programs option.
> Create another Menu Text item for access to the IRC/GS Chart using the
> example above.
> In the Arguments line enter. http://qsl.net/w9ol/IRC_Chart.htm
>
> or for those of you with Excel http://qsl.net/w9ol/IRC_Chart.xls
>
>
> And now for a request.
> I've been experimenting with using a macro program to automate the Wizard
> selection of qso's to be uploaded to LoTW, the signing of selected qsos, and
> the uploading of same.
> All with minimal success.
> If anyone has a macro program that they think can handle this chore,
> please advise me.
> The few I've tried were either too cumbersome or not feature rich enough.
>
> Please and thank you.
>


    So, it looks to me like either an email to the DXbase reflector or to
W9OL ("FireBrick" <w9ol at billnjudy.com>) would be the place to go for the
answer to your question.

    Sorry I could not be of more assistance on this issue.  I hope this
gives you some, if not all, the information you were looking for.


Clark, W8TN


At 8:46 p.m. on 1/31/2008 K4KL wrote:

> Clark,
>
> I re-read your instructions for managing DXBase through the LOTW process.
> I found it very insightful and useful to follow.
>
> I wonder, do you import LOTW QSL's or confirmations back into DXBase.  If
> you do, do you have a printed process for importing that data by chance.
>
>
Rick
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