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| Reviews Summary for ARRL - Logbook of the World - LoTW |
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Reviews: 291
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Average rating: 3.4/5
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MSRP: $00.00
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Description: LoTW ... is a repository of log records submitted by users from around the world. When both participants in a QSO submit matching QSO records to LoTW, the result is a QSL that can be used for ARRL award credit.
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More info: http://www.arrl.org/lotw/
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write your own review of the ARRL - Logbook of the World - LoTW.
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K7RNV
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 3, 2009 11:05
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LOTW WORKS
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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My computer crashed and I lost everything (back it up dummy) so I just followed the instructions on the arrl website and bingo it worked..Yes the program is a bit hard to work with, but if you read the instructions carefully,it works. 73 Bob
And just a note, made a few good DX contacts and within 1 hour i had that country confirmed..
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W5NNH
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Rating: 2/5
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Jun 3, 2009 10:18
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Overly Complex Scheme
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I was an early adopter of LoTW, having downloaded it shortly after the first QST article announcing its availability.
The idea is sound: Authenicate logbook records electronically.
The implementation is overly complex.
As others have stated, the security scheme is much more convoluted than is necessary for the data being protected. Yes, there's the high confidence factor, but as others have stated, my bank, my broker, my employer and others don't put THIS much security on *money*. Why do the authors of LoTW feel we need such a convoluted process for QSLs?
As a former Information Security Officer for a government installation, I'm a bit familiar with the "Trust" aspect of asymmetric key digital encryption and its use in digital signatures. The LoTW process has unnecessary steps that do nothing to enhance or improve the chain of trust. The process could be easily trimmed in a few places to streamline it and provide the same level of trust currently present in LoTW while improving the usability of the software immensely.
I'd encourage the ARRL to work on improving the LoTW process and to also work on providing some form of Open-Source API to encourage logbook developers to incorporate LoTW real-time upload in their software. There is a huge Open-Source community out there, a lot of them hams. It would be easy enough for the ARRL to sponsor such a project on SourceForge. By sponsoring it, the ARRL would be in a position to maintain the integrity of the database/trust while taking advantage of the massive amount of creativity present in the ham radio software community.
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WY4J
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Rating: 2/5
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Jun 1, 2009 18:47
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Why Not VUCC
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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It's a good piece of software. Too bad the Luddites at the ARRL can't seem to put it to good use. I have 40% of my 6 meter grids confirmed on LoTW but the ARRL refuse to recognize those contacts. Maybe on day the old guard at the ARRL will realized that we are living in the 21st century and is not 1914 anymore or that the fist class stamp going rate is no longer 2 cents. In the meantime, this fine piece of software is useless to me as I completed my DXCC and WAS in the late 70's.
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WA3KVN
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Rating: 4/5
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May 29, 2009 05:29
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Good software system
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This software, at first glance, appears to have too excessive a security level. However, security is not just about accuracy and precision. It's also about the data's believability and user accountability. Contrary to the nay-sayers, it's not about the ARRL not trusting folks, period. It's more about there is no means, without the security, of separating those they can trust from those they can't.
The data in this database is, largely because of its security perimiter, highly accurate and believable. The password protection, combined with the encryption, means that you can trust the data and you can trust that the one who uploaded the data is who he/she says they are, each time they upload data. As the database gets older and older, the importance of this will become clearer and clearer.
When evaluating whether there is too much security, think about long term issues and other features such security brings. One thing is that one doesn't, at this time, know how this data might be used in the future. With the security in place this data will support many more uses than just exchanging logs. To a first approximation, it's about log data and not national security; however, other uses may be prohibited if the database is not secured by these means (read that believable, accurate, and precise).
That said, I do think that the human interface to this software can be made much more friendly. It can be improved such that the security system becomes more-or-less invisible to ordinary users. That's what I think they should strive toward. Ask critical questions, as opposed to just griping. For example, as one commenter reported, why does there have to be three different passwords? By the way, I know that folks can enter the same password data for each password (except for the one generated at ARRL); but this creates the illusion of a single password - there's still three different ones from the software's perspective.
The need to use the same computer as you made the request exists only during the initial period. Once you have things up and running, you can transfer the security certificate to other computers - and quite easily by the way.
Hope this helps,
Charlie, WA3KVN
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KG8JF
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Rating: 3/5
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May 29, 2009 04:49
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I use it why, I don't know
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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It is just too full of security hoops to have to jump through. It is the most unintuitive software I have ever tried to interface with. I give it an OK, only because I do not feel it should be panned. I do use it.
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W7RJR
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Rating: 4/5
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May 28, 2009 21:03
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Good but excessive security
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This is an update on my review submitted some years ago. LOTW has worked well for me and I use LOGIC8 to access to it. While admittedly cumbersome and confusing to initially setup it is worth the effort to get it working.
I recently discovered that my certificate had expired! I have more important things to try to remember. Unfortunately once the certificate expires it becomes yet another frustrating and confusing scenario to get it working once again.
Like many other amateur radio operators I own and use more than one computer. When it came time to renew the certificate I did not give it a second thought that the process MUST be accomplished on the same computer that you want to use the certificate on. The TQ6 file you receive from ARRL will only work on the computer you created the TQ5 file upon. OMG! Talk about needless security (the same computer?). Come now ARRL we are talking about LOGS here, not national security.
This would be a fine program if only ARRL would come to the realization that the security is needlessly excessive.
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KI4UCO
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Rating: 4/5
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Apr 13, 2009 18:43
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Pretty cool
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I just uploaded my first batch of QSOs yesterday. Went fairly painlessly. Since I haven't been running any logging software, I had to load each one into the program, but the interface was really simple and easy to use. I do think the security steps are a bit overboard. Besides that, and the low user rate so far, it's a pretty cool system.
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G0OTT
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 22, 2009 11:08
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does what it says on the tin!!!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I cant understand all the moaning about setup, being a foreigner I had more obstacles but once i received my key the all went smoothly.
My only moan is that their isn't a higher percentage of operator's registered!!!
After a contest a high confirmed rate is acheived, In normal qso's the rate is more sedate.
A nice way to watch progress, don't be put off by the prejudice of others I urge everyone to give this a fair go.
Regards Darren
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KD7OED
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 22, 2009 07:01
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Painless
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I don't understand why folks are complaining about FREE software that allows them to confirm contacts quickly. LOTW also allows folks to achieve DXCC and other awards without having to spend big $$ on postage and wait months for QSL cards to arrive (not to mention having wait around to find a convenient card checking session and then spend time and energy to travel to the session - all of which are problematic for those of us who live in rural areas).
Although I admit that the LOTW interface is simple and without lots of bells and whistles, I had no trouble at all signing and uploading ADIF files created with N3FJP's AC LOG 3.0 software. Just follow the quick-start instructions on the LOTW page and you will be up and running within a few days (and that includes the time for the USPS to deliver your snail mail postcard). Best of all - it works with whatever your favorite logging program is provided you can export your data to ADIF format.
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KG8JF
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Rating: 2/5
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Mar 22, 2009 06:01
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I had to do it
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The lotw, to me represents the ultimate in the " we do not trust anyone" mentality of the ARRL. It is the most user unfriendly, unintuitive software I have ever tried to use. Also remember that we are not talking about money or national security, but ham radio qsos. I had to use at least three different passwords in order to get the thing on-line and going. I use N3FJP Amateur contact Log and am unable to use it to upload my log records. The last word I heard from them was, "other that what we have already said, we cannot offer any other suggestions". The only reason I started doing Lotw was I wanted a challenge. I got it.
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