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Reviews For: ARRL - Logbook of the World - LoTW

Category: Ham Logging Software

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Review Summary For : ARRL - Logbook of the World - LoTW
Reviews: 511MSRP: 00.00
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.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.arrl.org/lotw/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
153.75113.3
G4HZV Rating: 2020-11-30
Brilliant Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Submitted an application for a DXCC endorsement last Sunday and the sticker arrived this morning. Doesn't get any better than this!

I like it; much easier, if less pretty, than QSL cards.

November 2020, had to renew my callsign certificate. Clicked the box on TQSL, short wait, email from ARRL, double click tq6 file, few seconds, certificate loaded and good until 2023. So easy.

W3YJ Rating: 2020-08-03
Not so bad to set up and easy to use Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
UPDATE: Submitted my DXCC application to ARRL and the certificate arrived in the mail just over a week later. The whole process could not have been easier. Had I been using traditional QSLs, I would have been waiting years, and that's no exaggeration.

Unlike other amateur radio applications, LoTW learned from the Fldigi community and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. This is the way to do software for the amateur radio community.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Finally set up LoTW. It works great and is not very difficult to set up, even on a Linux system. Excellent and exhaustive documentation. Security is over-designed, but that's OK. I have worked with large databases and the response time is impressive. And it's free! Workflow for requesting DXCC is straightforward and beats trying to track down IRCs (do they still exist?) or wait for QSLs to arrive from bureaus while you grow old.
KE0GXN Rating: 2020-07-31
For ARRL awards, its the only game in town Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Yes, its a PITA to set up, but once you get it up and running and find/use logging software that will automatically upload your QSOs to it (in my case Log4OM) ...overall LoTW works great.

I highly suggest every ham who likes to get confirmations to register and log at LoTW. Other than LoTW, I try to log everywhere I can, not so much because I need to or want to, but out of courtesy for the operators that do log in those places.

It doesn’t take much but a click of a button with the right external logging software! 73 and good DX!
N4NYY Rating: 2020-01-28
Not easy to maneuver thru, but it's honest Time Owned: more than 12 months.
OK, the initial setup and uploading of files can be annoying and a pain. But we're hams. The bottom line is that we can get thru it with a little effort.

The point of the certs and stuff is to maintain the integrity. To match QSOs and not to be fraudulent. This is eQSL biggest drawback. I have heard numerous hams say that they have fraudulent or phantom QSOs post, which they never participated it. This is why the ARRL would never acccept eQSL. Stick with LoTW

The bottom line is that this is reliable, accurate, and cheaper than sending greenstamps (dollars), and never hearing back while people run off with your money.

If you do not have it, I highly recommend it. It is the quickest way to your awards. Do you still want the old fashioned QSL cards, the old fashion way? No problem. Just do both. Get the awards quicker, then get the cards for your collection.
W0FEN Rating: 2018-06-22
MUCH-MUCH -Better Time Owned: more than 12 months.
They have streamlined the setup and it is much easier than the original convoluted setup process.
I was happily surprised.


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Earlier 1-star review posted by W0FEN on 2008-03-19

I was still trying to get it going. Not yet. So at the ARRL suggestion I joined the users group. I was almost boo-ed out of there. Still not working. Still doesn't seem to be worth it for a non-contester like me.
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Earlier 0-star review posted by W0FEN on 2008-02-19

Where is the program?? I cannot find the place to enter the QSOs. It is NOT a logbook. I have yet to upload a QSO to this disaster. You NEED a logging program to up-load the files. It is not a logging program.

I have used eQSL very sucessfully without any other logging program. I can enter my QSOs into eQSL and it works perfectly. I do not chase DX or work contests. If a Ham wants a verified QSL at eQSL my logs are Authenticity Guaranteed.
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Earlier 0-star review posted by W0FEN on 2007-04-23

No one will read this as it get put at the end. BUT, remember 25 years ago when ARRL started VE testing. They had a convoluted system for VEs. Others (W5YI in partucular) had simpler systems. It drove most away. ARRL had to adopt what everyone else was doing (simpler). Reading the other comments. They were mostly ZERO for those that couldn't get it to work or FIVE for those that could. There are a very few in between. The system is so rediculous. I think I've got it to work, I am not really sure. eQSL is a better system but needs a little security but nowhere near what ARRL has put into LoTW. They will need to gat a majority of Hams WORLDWIDE on the system before it is a useful and universal system. So far I have not uploaded any QSLs to ARRL. There doesn't seem to be away to manually enter them.
AF4K Rating: 2018-06-15
Better than it was but still no 60m Time Owned: more than 12 months.
LOTW has been improved. There are some great reviews here. ARRL HAS listened to SOME of the complaints and suggestions, but there is still the most awful process to set up for using LOTW. If they got up to date with the sign up process, and reduced the many hurdles it would be used much more. I am not that urgent about the paper chase per se, BUT I would like to track my stats, and it is only now becoming SLIGHTLY easier to view them on LOTW site. THEN I find out I cannot view my 60m stats, because they have no AWARD for that. I really don't want an Award, but I would like to know which states I still need on 60m, and LOTW does not allow that. Come on ARRL. It would be dead easy!
N3ZP Rating: 2018-04-24
LTOTW-way easier then cards Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been using LOTW for at least 5 or more years with no problems. The postcard initial setup adds a delay but not difficult to do for the 1st setup. I have LOTW registered under my current and a previous call. When I first set it up I found an Excel worksheet that I used to enter old paper logs. I use N3FJP ACLog to upload my QSOs but have also used HRD and N1MM to upload to LOTW. ACLog has an Excel worksheet to use for entering old paper logs and LOTW allows entering individual QSOs. WSJT-X saves a log file for uploading all those FT8 and JT65 QSOs.

I have LOTW installed on a Macbook and 2 Windows machines and have replaced PCs and hard drives with no problem installing the certificate. Renewal has been easy also even when I Iet the certificate lapse on the older call.

My confirmation rate is around 60%. I wish more guys would join LOTW to improve that rate. I do still send and collect some QSL cards but with most DX cards requiring $2 or more, it gets expensive. I have over 200 countries for DXCC mostly with LOTW but it's not difficult to mix in cards from pre-LOTW QSOs or for stations not using it.

Don't let the naysayers and haters discourage you. Get on LOTW.
N8WRL Rating: 2018-04-23
Modern QSL-ing Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Setting up and using LoTW is a piece of cake. For those rare QSO's where I really want the paper, I send away via the traditional methods. For 99.5% of the rest, LoTW is the way to go. With a little planning, even the dreaded "hard drive crash" is simple. LoTW allows you to export your certificate and the ARRL staff is always ready to help. I've done the export and backed up my cert. Two PC's later I'm still in business. Nice work!
K6CRC Rating: 2018-04-23
Works well Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After some painful times, LoTW seems to be relatively stable. Roughly 60% of my QSOs have been confirmed in LoTW. Pretty good rate.
Consider 'open sourcing' LoTW. Would make it more international and likely have a higher user rate. And, the ARRL could move on to other things.


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Earlier 4-star review posted by K6CRC on 2015-12-10

I have been a critic in the past of LoTW. It is the MOST visible element of the ARRL, and should be first class. It seems to be working well. TSQL app makes sense now. Congrats to ARRL IT staff.
My only issue is the convoluted way of getting awards. I was trying to decode rules, as I have both cards and LoTW credits. Something about buying credits to use...
Make it easy ARRL. Just charge for an award and for cards that need to be manually checked. SIMPLE rate chart.
It could be a good revenue generator.
N4MU Rating: 2018-04-23
LoTW - Mine works fine! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been using LoTW for a couple years now and went through the "painful" set up sequence...without a single glitch. I am only moderately computer savvy. Maybe that's the problem others have...they're way too computer literate and naturally find ways to improve (?) the program. Once set up it's been transparent...I use it with AC Log and have never had any issues. So, while I could be the next in line to complain, I can't because mine works great. I just wish more folks would bite the bullet and use it too. Why not a "5"? Just because it is a LITTLE clunky to navigate but that amounts to only 2 or 3 "extra" mouse clicks to do.