LoTW – Certificate Renewal Time

Seems a Logbook of the World (LoTW) “certificate” has to be renewed every 36 months, as at the end of January an emailed notice arrived saying:

According to our records, your ARRL Logbook of the World Callsign Certificate for:

K9ZW – UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

expires at:

Feb 9 16:39:02 2023 GMT

To continue submitting log data for this call sign and entity, you must renew your Callsign Certificate. Renewal is quick & easy before your Callsign Certificate expires; if your Callsign Certificate expires, a new one will need to be requested.

Instructions for renewing can be found at:

73,
The LoTW Team

Apparently ARRL’s LoTW has a window, where you won’t be told you should renew until there is a tight window, which is you do not renew before that deadline your certificate cannot be renewed. If you go past the deadline a different process creating a new certificate is required.

Slowly building one’s Logbook

K9ZW LoTW April 2022

It takes a while to build up the QSOs and QSLs in one’s logs.  Seems that of the QSOs I upload to LoTW about 58% end up being confirmed by other LoTW users, becoming LoTW-Qualified QSOs.

I’m understanding that percentage is a fairly typical result.

At my present weekly QSO rate, I am expecting to cross the 40-thousand QSO mark later in August 2022.

73

Steve
K9ZW

Get going with Logbook of The World by Gary ZL2IFB/G4IFB

LoTW New User Guide Get going with Logbook of The World Version 1.01 by Gary ZL2IFB/G4IFB is worth checking out.

LINK:  https://www.g4ifb.com/LoTW_New_User_Guide.pdf

In Gary’s ZL2IFB’s words:

You may be wondering “Why does Logbook of The World exist? What is it for?” and “Should I bother with it?”

The answer is simple.

LoTW makes confirming contacts easier, quicker and cheaper than traditional QSL methods.

Follow this step-by-step guide to get started on LoTW.

Note: this guide is occasionally updated. The definitive current English version is available at http://www.G4iFB.com/LoTW_New_User_Guide.pdf

Please use and share that URL.

If you are new to LoTW this would be an awesome resource, and a good review for the rest of us.

73

Steve
K9ZW

The Awesome QSL Drawings of Jeff K1NSS Heading to Print

K9ZW New QSL Card Proofs

Jeff K1NSS is a QSL card artist that you may enjoy checking out part of his portfolio at: https://www.jeffk1nss.com/

He had done designs for me back in 2015, most which never ended up being printed for a variety of reasons including moving and a need my end to be more focused on health.

I asked Jeff K1NSS to update the 2015 designs, and to create several new designs. All the updates are done and two of the three new designs are finished.

After reviewing several QSL printing services (I had previously had quotes from local printers) I’ve select QSL Concepts to print the first six cards. They are at: http://qslconcept.com/usa/

QSL Concepts “Fab” VE7FBN got it right away that I had ready to print front/back artwork. While Canadian based QSL Concepts uses a USA based affiliate for cards being delivered stateside.

I was able to tag the cards into a pricing program focused on clubs, and anticipate the new cards arriving about ten business days down the road (might be sooner!).

This batch of card designs includes:

• A retro boat-anchor voice card
• Two new designs based on a concept I have to accommodate my FlexRadio operating conditions, one in B&W and one in color
• A digital mode card
• A Washington Island QTH card emphasizing my operations from George W9EVT’s monster-shack
• A Washington Island card intended for guests at the W9EVT monster-shack which I will give to George W9EVT

QSL Cards – K9ZW 2021 Update

Recently had a couple people inquire on where I am at with QSLing, particularly on paper QSL cards.

As of January 2021 here is where I am at:

eQSL & QRZ.com postings – these are done weekly and should be up to date.
LoTW postings – this is done roughly once a month, and would be up to date through 2020
Paper QSLing by SASE – is still on hiatus but expected to resume soon, and will take a while to catch up
GlobalQSL DX QSL Cards – on hiatus until I have designs – will likely be Q3 2021 before I get back at this QSL method

My formal QSL cards became obsolete when my home QTH station has dismantled and my operations moved to my work QTH’s tower and my new home QTH antennas. Our home move was complicated, as we bought the home we moved to with much of its contents, leaving us an extra tier of tasks as we moved. I didn’t get at having new cards made right away. With the CCP-Virus issues my card designer has been working remote, so the new designs are not finished nor are new cards printed.

In normal days I would expect to be able to put a timeline on a small project like this, but in our CCP-Virus disrupted world setting a deadline is unrealistic.

So I’ll fall back on that old two word way to explain that it will happen on its own schedule with a promise of “Soon Come..”

73

Steve
K9ZW

K9ZW LoTW Updates

Over the years I have been an on-again/off-again LoTW participant. Really my uploading logs is more about helping others than any sort of personal effort.

I’ve never gone through the process of adding in what paper DX QSLs and logs could be added to my LoTW totals. Hard to get interested enough to dedicate the hours to sort this out.

My paper QSLing is way behind, and I am currently in the midst of having my cards redesigned with the updates to my current QTH.

I am intrigued with nearly 50% of my QSOs uploaded to LoTW having been confirmed.  Guess that show the system does work.

73

Steve
K9ZW