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Quick links
- Evaluating logging programs using a structured software evaluation method
- Logger32’s features, snags and bugs - the highs and lows of an excellent logging program
- MMVARI - soundcard data software integrates with Logger32
- Check Call - L32 add-on displays relevant lines from text files when you work someone listed
- LogPrint - user notes on the Logger32 add-on for printing QSL labels
- VE7CC local cluster software - run your own private mini-cluster locally on your PC
- Using Logger32 with LoTW - uploading QSOs to LoTW, downloading QSLs and DXCC records
- Using Logger32 with the Elecraft K3 - a few hints for Elecrafty users of Logger32
This page is mostly about computer logging with Logger32, plus related topics.
Evaluating logging programs
Having emigrated to ZL in 2005 and re-started my DXCC hunt with a shiny new ZL callsign, I
decided this was the ideal opportunity to start computerised logging. My pile of hardcopy G4iFB
logbooks and shoe-boxes of G4iFB QSLs are now collecting dust on a shelf.
So, how to choose a logging program? I’m used to evaluating software for work so decided to
apply the same basic principles:
-
First, I determined my requirements and listed them out, taking suggestions from fellow
DXers in CDXC. These are my evaluation criteria. *
-
Next, since some requirements are clearly more important than others, I prioritised and
ranked them to generate “weightings” for each one. *
-
I put the criteria into a column of a spreadsheet, adding columns for every logging program I
could find and a column with the weightings.
-
I obtained evaluation copies of several logging programs and entered the scores for each one
against each of the criteria, adding notes to explain why they scored as they do.
-
The spreadsheet calculates a percentage rating for each program by multiplying each of the
scores by the corresponding weightings and totalling. Easy peasy.
* Please note that both the criteria and weightings are personal. They reflect my priorities, what’s
important to me in how I intended to use logging software. I’m confident the spreadsheet is of
general interest but your requirements probably differ from mine, in which case you are very
welcome to download the spreadsheet and adapt the requirements and/or weightings to suit your
purposes. Just because I use Logger32 doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
The evaluation spreadsheet is still QRV. If you use or evaluate any of the logging programs listed,
or indeed others, and are willing to share your scores and comments, please let me know. All
inputs are welcome, and I’m especially keen to hear about logging programs that you feel score
better than Logger32, preferably using my criteria and weightings!
I have chosen to use K4CY’s Logger32 for my everyday station log and (although I haven’t yet
gone through a similar structured evaluation for contest loggers) N1MM for contest logging. Both
programs are free
and support the ADIF XML log standard, meaning that after a contest I can
integrate my contest logs from N1MM easily into Logger32. ADIF also means I can export logs to
other programs if Logger32 doesn’t do what I need it to do, although I have noticed differences in
the way some program interpret the ADIF standard so it can be a risky process.
Whatever else
you do, take frequent log backups and check them to make sure all the essential QSO
information is in fact being backed up!
ADIF files are plain ASCII text, so you can open them
with Notepad to browse through and edit. Check that your latest QSO appears at the bottom, and
that the details such as date and time, callsigns (both the DX and you, as operator), band and
mode are all correct.
ADIF output is important too if you use ARRL’s Logbook of The World, which I would definitely
recommend (it’s one of the heavily-weighted criteria in the evaluation spreadsheet). The Web
interface to LoTW is somewhat clumsy and the initial registration process laborious but it’s worth it
in the end to have such rapid and cheap electronic confirmations of QSOs with thousands of other
LoTW users, in a secure manner, and an easier way to claim the ARRL’s DXCC and WAS awards.
Back to quick links
Logger32
Logger32 is an
excellent logging program
with loads of useful features such as:
- It’s
free,
as in free beer not free speech. The author and support team put a huge amount of
work into writing and maintaining the program and ask for nothing in return. Kudos to them
for their true amateur spirit and for responding positively to reproducible bug reports and
some improvement requests from users (they have their priorities too!).
-
It follows the latest
ADIF XML standard closely,
allowing me to exchange logs easily with
other ADIF-compliant programs such as N1MM and LoTW.
- It
competently handles the basics
- things such as entering and storing QSO information,
displaying country info, beam headings, times, previous QSOs etc., most of the time.
- The
screen layout
can be customized to show windows such as the logbook, DXcluster,
greyline map, log entry screen, notes and more, all on the one screen (the screenshot above
shows how mine looks today). The layout, sequence and colouring of most windows and the
highlighting to show DXCC and QSL status can be customized.
-
It’s extensible
with several useful third party add-ons released by other generous hams.
-
It has additional features such as the
Digital Voice Keyer
function. From an icon on the
main screen, I can trigger replay of the voice messages stored in the K3’s optional DVR
hardware - handy for calling DX in an SSB pileup without constantly reaching for the rig or
shouting into the mike like a demented parrot.
- Another useful additional function gives
integrated access to MMTTY and MMVARI
combining QSO logging in Logger32 with waterfall/Lissajous display, decoding, memory
replays etc. from MMTTY/MMVARI. The “Sound card data” function also lets me set up and
send key macros (custom command strings) to the K3 without having to drop out of
Logger32 or at least close the control port in order to run the K3 Utility.
However, like all software, Logger32 is not totally free of issues. Here are the snags that bother
me the most - a mix of what I consider design flaws, bugs and things it just doesn’t do, in
decreasing priority order at least as far as I’m concerned (your priorities probably differ):
-
The optional add-on to check QRZ.com pages for stations I’m logging
messes up the
window focus
. For example, if I put a call in the logbook callsign entry field without entering
it but then click on the band/mode entry for that country in the worked/confirmed window (e
.g. to check if I have worked it already this year), the focus jumps to the QRZ page instantly
(it evidently does the QRZ lookup then) and Logger32 hides the window showing previous
QSOs with that country on that band and mode. I have to click the band/mode entry again
to see the data I wanted. With MMTTY running in the sound card window, the changing focus
when I enter a callsign seriously messes up my attempts to type into the TX buffer in the
same way: I often end up with text I meant to transmit from MMTTY’s TX buffer being stuffed
into Logger32’s callsign field instead. Very annoying. The lookups are also rather slow on my
machine, noticeably slower than they used to be with the built-in Logger32 QRZ lookups.
-
Logger32 looks up previous QSOs with the same callsign and displays them in the ‘previous
QSOs’ window, which is handy for those of us with bad memories to recall the op’s name,
QTH etc. However, if I work, say, HB9QO several times from his home but then work Bruno
from his summer QTH as HB9QO/P, Logger32 is not quite intelligent enough to figure out that
it’s still Bruno at the far end. Same thing happens if he is mobile or on holiday somewhere
using the CEPT-style QTH/callsign (e.g. ZL/HB9QO). I would rather have the option to see
all my previous QSOs with Bruno under all variants of his callsign
, please.
- The logbook can be
sorted
by several fields. The sort happens quickly but does not leave the
cursor and display on the previously-selected QSO line right after the sort, which is the
Windows default. [For example, with the cursor sitting on a G3SXW QSO, if I sort the log by
callsign, it should finish up with me still looking at that same G3SXW QSO but with the
logbook now in sorted callsign order around it.]
-
There are too many
unnecessary confirmation clicks
. For example, to recalculate DXCC
statistics, we have to open the menu to find the option, click it to pull up the recalc window
(which does nothing), and then click yet again to start the recalc running. There are several
other places in Logger32 where it pops up a selection panel even when there is only one
option. From a usability point of view, it would be nice for the user to at least have the option
to drop unnecessary confirmations. And yes I know that’s another click!
- Having added the appropriate data entry field to the log entry window, I can enter an
American’s two-letter state abbreviation easily while I’m having the QSO but the method of
entering US states and/or counties
for stations already in the log (e.g. from info on their
QSL cards) is awkward, requiring a right-click on the log line, select “Edit Admin Subdivision
info”, select the state or enter the 2-letter code, then select the county, then click Apply. For
QSOs that already have a state but no county entered in the log, it’s necessary to open the
same “Edit secondary admin info” screen and click the already-highlighted state line to bring
up a list of counties in that state. [Unnecessary clicks again]
- Despite the log containing most of the information necessary, there is
no function in
Logger32 to create the paperwork for QSL card-based DXCC applications
. Recent
Logger32 changes to allow for QSLs to be identified as having been submitted and/or
validated for DXCC etc. may be useful but evidently require us to enter the corresponding
status information manually one-by-one. [A workaround involves exporting the log as an
ADIF file and uploading it into one of several other logging programs that handle DXCC and
awards tracking well, such as DXkeeper or Clublog, and perhaps then re-importing it into
Logger32 but given the choice I’d prefer to stick with Logger32 for the whole process.]
- While entering a callsign to log it, the entry field expands with a list of partially matching calls
previously worked and in so doing partially
occludes the country info and beam heading
(although that info is still shown in the status line at the bottom of the screen). The
‘previous
calls’ box can’t be moved, reduced in size or made partially transparent so the only way to
clear it is either to continue entering characters until there are no previous calls to find, or to
turn off the ‘callsign preview’ function completely.
- The process for
changing the layout and content of the logbook window
does not follow
the Windows conventions. Instead of simply being able to drag columns around on the
screen and hide/reveal them, we have to enter a separate configuration screen, then carefully
drag the relevant fields into the right sequence while avoiding crossing other items already
shown. This is not unlike threading a needle with the mouse, tricky enough for this able
-bodied computer user but must be next to impossible for physically-handicapped hams. On
the upside, it’s an infrequent set-and-forget operation and the screen layout settings are
retained through program updates.
- Logger32 won’t let us
select multiple QSOs to make bulk changes
e.g. to fill-in missing
reports, change the QSL status, change the operator, fix busted zones etc. It is a one QSO
at a time program.
-
Logger32’s
NCDXF beacon tracking facility
is useful as it is but a few little changes in this
facility would be nice. At present, the status of the individual beacons can be manually
configured, requiring us to select the relevant beacon from a drop-down list, then click to
toggle the active status flag on every band: since the beacons generally QRT on all bands at
once, an option to set or reset all the bands with just one click would be nice, or even better
if Logger32 would go look up the status info from the NCDXF website for us and set the flags
automatically, maybe once per day. Also, the present use of a red marker on the map for an
active beacon is counterintuitive: red means STOP! It would be better if the inactive beacons
were shown in red, and preferable if the text lines for those beacons were grayed-out as well.
- Unlike, say, AClog, there is no automatic function to
download and recreate Logger32’s
log from LoTW
in case you lose your log and have no backups (been there, done that!).
However don’t panic: it is possible to download your basic log info from LoTW as a minimal
ADIF file and then import it into Logger32 - see my LoTW page for details. Clublog now has a
similar function.
There’s more on various Logger32 add-ons below, and I’m very slowly compiling a minimalist
‘unofficial’ Logger32 FAQ to which further inputs are very welcome. Meanwhile, here’s a parting
thought from P Williams that perhaps explains how Logger32’s users are seen by the program’s
author: “From a programmer’s point of view, the user is a peripheral that types when you issue a
read request.”
Back to quick links
MMVARI
MMVARI is an excellent soundcard data program by JE3HHT. While it can be run as a standalone
program, it has the necessary hooks to allow it to be called from within Logger32 and N1MM’s
logging software. The key advantage of doing so is that you can log contacts simply by clicking on
the relevant details on MMVARI’s decode screen. Furthermore, ‘new ones’ are colour coded as
they arrive on the decode screen.
MMVARI works nicely on RTTY, PSK and other modes.
A recent addition to the program is the MultiRX feature that simultaneously decodes multiple signals within the audio passband, in much the same way as DigiPan:
Although the MMVARI documentation only mentions using MultiRX on PSK, the screenshot above shows it is happily decoding a pileup of RTTY sigs on 12m calling or working T88X. Fantastic!
To turn on MultiRX, simply define the $multirx$ macro to one of the keys as shown, or update Logger32 to version 3.35 or later which puts a MultiRTX button on the MMVARI menu. Either way,
click the key to activate the MultiRX panel, then adjust the MultiRX settings as you wish.
In the screen above, I have it monitoring 18 channels, which is plenty for the RTTY sigs. On PSK31,
I usually run 24 channels, although the PC is quite heavily loaded by this.
Click any row to move your transmit frequency to that channel.
Cool.
[Note: recent versions of Logger32 gave us a MultiRX option on the menu, so there’s no need to define a macro now.]
Back to quick links
CheckCall
CheckCall from JA1NLX is a Logger32 add-on that looks-up any callsign as it is entered into Logger32 against lists stored on your PC as simple text files, then displays all lines in the files matching the callsign. It’s useful to look-up things such as whether the callsign holder uses LoTW,
belongs to CDXC, FOC or other clubs, has a QSL manager etc. provided you can write and save a
text file containing the relevant details (callsigns plus any notes). Follow the “ReamMe.TXT” (sic)
installation instructions provided in the ZIP file to install it. The program allows lookups against
more than one text file simultaneously, saving the bother of having to merge the data files.
We can run CheckCall (or indeed any other utility program) automatically when Logger32 starts
simply by putting a tick in the box against the program in the “utility program setup” screen. Cool!
Back to quick links
Logprint
The optional Logger32 add-on program LogPrint has some potentially useful functions:
-
Print QSL labels for QSOs marked “send paper QSL” in the log - that’s what I need right now
-
Output the log in HTML format (enabling me to put my log on the Web if I wanted to, which I
don’t)
-
Draw a map showing the location of stations I’ve worked (must explore that idea further,
although I see that it draws straight lines from point to point, not great circle arcs)
- Print out the log like a logbook (though why anyone would want to do that, I don’t really
know).
Creating the templates for QSL labels is a tedious process that took me most of an afternoon, but
once completed it’s a breeze to print labels and complete QSLs. There are two things that need to
be defined:
- The size of the label sheet and the individual labels. A reasonable range of Avery label sizes
are included in the program but naturally the labels I bought (2 columns of 8 labels per column
on an A4 sheet, with no margins) are not on the list. I had to convert all sizes into inches and
fractional inches since it is an American program, and guess at some of the parameters (e.g.
the selection between landscape and portrait refers to the label SHEET not the labels
themselves). Not too hard.
- The layout of the text and images on the labels. More on this below.
Laying out the labels is the most frustrating part of the process due to the program’s curious
interface. It is an old-fashioned parameter-driven setup, definitely not drag-n-drop WYSIWYG
(rather like the annoying method used to change columns displayed in Logger32’s logbook and
other windows which does use a finicky version of drag-n-drop but only in the parameter file, not
on the log screen!).
K5LAD has a helpful web page showing how the “fields” are defined.
Up to 15 “fields” can be defined, each consisting of any combination of the contents of ADIF fields
from the logbook, fixed text and optional text (printed if an ADIF log field is equal or not equal to an
arbitrary string). Each “field” can be positioned anywhere on the label (in inches, of course) but
expect difficulties if you mix fonts and font sizes as the positioning varies, making it awkward to
align “fields” with different settings (e.g. in my case, “QSO with” in 11 point black Arial next to
ADIF:Call in 16 point red Arial bold - the vertical settings need to be offset to line up on paper).
The ‘preview’ function that pulls up a print preview is useful although it does not update
automatically - you have to change a parameter, save it, then click the ‘preview’ button each time
to see the results of your efforts. It also needs an input file of QSL info: it doesn’t default to
anything useful such as a sample QSL info file, nor will it even display the fixed text ignoring the
missing ADIF fields.
I soon tired of waiting for the preview function to format and display a list of labels for 160-odd
QSLs waiting to be printed. What’s worse, the print preview function only displays the first sheet of
labels, meaning that if the first set of QSLs don’t have all the options you wish to layout, there is no
way to move forward to later sheets. I ended up manually creating a test ADIF file of QSLs, in my
case a subset of QSOs based on the real QSL file and adapted to include, for example, different
times, dates, bands and modes, multiple QSOs with the same station (for printing multi-line labels)
and ‘QSL via’ on some. My test file is here - feel free to download it and use or adapt it to your
own requirements, but don’t believe the contents!
While configuring the labels I discovered an annoying bug in the LogPrint program: if I select “Not
equal to” but do not define the value of an ADIF field for the program to compare against (which
should mean an empty or undefined field, I think), it lets me save the field definition but then
crashes when I try to go back in and re-define the field. None of the ‘clear settings’ options
seemed to solve this problem. Even re-installing the LogPrint program didn’t seem to clear it (I
was somewhat reluctant to uninstall and delete all the LogPrint files and start from scratch, having
spent a few hours painstakingly defining sheets and labels!). I eventually managed to figure out a
workaround by manually editing the LogPrint.ini file: the field definitions are about half way down
the .ini, and it’s simple to change the “NotEqual” to “Equal”.
The next problem was a limitation of the program on the number and complexity of optional fields.
I’d like to have the program print out “160m inv-vee” for 160m QSOs, “80m inv-vee or vertical”
for 80m QSOs and so forth. Since each definition uses up one of those 15 “fields”, I soon run out
of “fields” before all my antennas are defined, not least because the tribander requires separate
“fields” for each band. What I really need is the ability to define a simple look-up table (bands vs.
antennas) or slightly more complex logic in the “field” definition selection criteria (e.g. IF (x AND y)
OR z THEN ...). Admittedly, I could define antennas in the ADIF file manually on each QSO but
unfortunately I can’t find a way to make Logger32 simply record a default antenna for the band on
each QSO, and in practice it is too tedious & slow to record the antennas manually.
I am toying with the idea of injecting SQL commands into the field definitions ... has anyone tried
that? I’d need to guess at the names of the tables etc. but it’s possible.
Another limitation is on the fixed positioning of variable length text (ADIF fields). It would have
been useful to have the ability to left, centre or right justify the text but no such luck.
Finally, it’s time to print some sample sheets and check the layout against the label positions. I’d
recommend printing on plain paper, not expensive sheets of labels, until it is about right as there is
a lot of to-and-fro, adjusting things by a few hundredths of an inch at a time. Holding the printed
sheet up to the light with a blank label sheet on top shows whether the printing matches the label
outlines. The is where I discovered that our laser printer leaves a margin, requiring some further
adjustment to the positioning. The “top margin” setting is really not enough - I needed to be able
to define margins on all sides (to the left of the left column, to the right of the right column etc.).
In the end, I settled for a blank margin all around every label.
There is no opportunity in the print dialogue to enter printer options such as “I’m using labels”. Our
laser printer handles sticky labels more slowly than plain paper to avoid the labels lifting. I can’t
select this at print time in LogPrint but a workaround is to set the printer default to labels
beforehand, and reset it to plain paper after the labels are printed.
On the main screen, LogPrint has options to sort the QSLs: it’s handy to sort them in the order
needed by the QSL bureau, which is an alphanumeric sort by the callsign of the station worked.
However, cards for stations with a QSL manager need to be sorted by the QSL manager’s call, not
the DX call: to do this, in the label file sort options dialogue, select QSL_VIA as the primary sort,
then CALL as the secondary sort.
Anyway, here is a single sample of the finished article, showing the rear side of my QSL card to
Brad. You can just make out the edge of the label. The grey text is printed on the rear of the card
leaving enough space for another label or, usually, a little hand-written thank you note or
comment:
With up to three QSOs per label, I can squeeze 6 QSOs onto each card.
I gave up trying to define the logic to print the specific antenna/s for each band and have to do that
bit manually on the card
The offset ‘QSL via’ bit uses up two precious 15 “fields” to get the words positioned just right but
leaves plenty of space either side for long calls. I deliberately put the station and QSL manager
calls in big, bold, red print to make the QSL bureaux’ task just a bit easier.
The ‘CUL’ bit is normally followed by the person’s name if I recorded that in the log, using one of
those optional “fields”.
If you like the layout of this label, here is my LogPrint.ini file containing the configuration info. Drop
it into your LogPrint program directory (C:\Program files\LogPrint usually), after backing up your
own version in case mine doesn’t work for you. It’s just a text file, manually editable in Notepad or
WordPad as well as via Logprint’s configuration screen.
Finally, there’s yet another gotcha when it comes to printing labels from Logprint. If, for example,
your printer mis-feeds one of the label sheets (quite a common occurrence), there is no way to tell
the program to reprint only a certain page of the output, or to skip the first N pages. It is possible
to replace the correctly printed page/s of labels with ordinary paper but mixing labels and ordinary
paper doesn’t help the mis-feed issue and wastes paper.
Good luck. You’ll need it, along with a lot of patience. Still, it sure beats hand-writing thousands of
cards.
Back to quick links
VE7CC DXcluster software
VE7CC’s cluster user software is not part of Logger32 but works well with it, or indeed with other
logging programs. It allows me to set up a local DXcluster on the station PC, pulling selected DX
data from DXcluster nodes on the Internet by telnet and re-presenting it to other local programs,
such as Logger32, as if they were connecting directly to the cluster. The useful features that it
adds are as follows:
-
Optionally forwards spots from the Reverse Beacon Network’s growing collection of Skimmer
nodes, which often find DX before the cluster crabs descend
-
Automates the cluster reconnection/keepalive process - no more manual reconnections
needed
-
Makes it easy to configure a bunch of spot filters e.g. by bands, modes, continents and even
times (there’s really not much point getting topband spots at local noon - well not normally)
-
Indicate LoTW users by adding a plus to the text field on the relevant spots using data from HB9BZA, updated frequently
-
Indicates the locations of spotted stations including US states - useful as I’m hunting for WAS
-
Lets me connect simultaneously to a second cluster (e.g. one of the private members-only
clusters out there) to compare and collate/merge additional spots with those from the
normal public cluster network
It’s a neat, free utility thanks to VE7CC!
[PS For some obscure reason, my outbound DX spots are now being lost between Cluster User
version 2.4011 and VE7CC’s DXcluster node. As of Aug 22nd and for a few days prior, I see my
spots being transmitted from my PC but they don’t seem to make it as far as the cluster network.
Oops.]
Back to quick links
Using Logger32 with Logbook of The World
ARRL’s LoTW has been designed as a robust, secure system for cross-matching electronic QSO
details to generate electronic QSLs. LoTW incorporates controls to minimize the possibility of fraud
and [data] corruption, though why anyone would be foolish enough to make false DXCC claims is
beyond me (who are you kidding?). Anyway, the point is that logs cannot simply be uploaded to
LoTW as plain ADIF files: they must first be electronically signed using public key cryptography and
digital certificates issued by ARRL. Unfortunately, that makes the manual processes of uploading
logs and downloading QSLs rather laborious - exactly the kind of thing that computers are good at,
one might have thought. More on that later.
Before you can use LoTW, you need to obtain and install your digital certificate from ARRL HQ. This
is done as follows:
-
Download and install ARRL’s “Trusted QSL” TQSL software from this SourceForge page for
Windows users [Linux and Mac versions are also available]. The download package actually
contains 2 programs:
TQSL
(used to sign your logs) and
TQSLcert
(used to request and
manage your digital certificates).
-
Run the TQSLcert
program and create an automated certificate request, a .tq5 file. You do
this by following the instructions that appear if you have not previously loaded a certificate, or
by using File --> New Certificate Request. Now you answer a bunch of questions about your
callsign, the “DXCC entity” for that callsign, the start date and optional end date for QSOs,
your postal and email addresses, and optionally a password that will be needed to unlock the
certificate each time you sign your log. You are then invited to sign your certificate request
using a LoTW certificate you have previously obtained, or to submit an unsigned request.
When you finally get to click the finish button, TQSLcert creates the actual certificate request
file and offers to save it somewhere on your disk. It can go anywhere but pick somewhere
obvious so you know where to look for it.
-
Either upload the .tq5 file using the Upload Certificate Request button on the LoTW page or
email it in as an attachment to ARRL HQ.
-
Wait for ARRL to validate the request. If this is your first request, ARRL will check your name
and address against the FCC records and post you a password to the registered address that
you will need to enter into the Enter Postcard Password button on the LoTW page (if you are
a US ham) or else will email you asking for a hardcopy of your license documentation and
some other official document such as a passport or driver’s license to confirm your name
(see here). Post this to ARRL HQ by registered mail or courier to reduce the chances of it
being stolen and used for identity theft.
-
ARRL will email your new certificate to you as an attachment - it’s a .tq6 file.
-
Load the new certificate into
TQSLcert
, either by double-clicking the email attachment [be
very careful! This is how viruses spread!] or by saving the attachment on your disk and then
using File --> Load Certificate File in TQSLcert and locating where you just saved it.
-
TQSLcert
will attempt to match up the certificate with the corresponding certificate request.
If it succeeds, the red circle and crossing bar will turn into a gold ribbon on TQSLcert’s display,
meaning that your certificate is ready to use. If it fails, contact ARRL for help.
-
Now make a backup copy of your certificate in
TQSLcert using Certificate --> Save. This will
create a .p12 file. Save it to your favourite offline backup media (USB memory stick,
CD/DVD ROM, floppy disk etc.) and store it somewhere safe. If your hard drive dies, the
computer is stolen or wrecked, or if you buy a new one, you will need this .p12 file to reload
your certificate on another machine.
You are nearly ready to digitally sign your ADIF-formatted log using the new certificate and submit
it ... but first you need to set up a “location” within TQSL:
- Run
TQSL and select Station --> Add Location.
-
Enter the required information including your locator, CQ zone, ITU zone and IOTA reference if
you are on an island.
Here are the lucky 13 steps involved in
extracting, signing and uploading your log
from Logger32 to LoTW:
-
Export your log from Logger32 as an ADIF file. Save it somewhere memorable on disk. [You
can either export the entire log, or just the QSOs marked to go to LoTW. The former makes
sure all QSOs will reach LoTW and is what you do the first time, and perhaps again every few
months just to be sure none are missing. The latter is quicker for subsequent updates.]
- Run
TQSL
. [See below for a shortcut for steps 2 through 9]
- In
TQSL, go to File --> Sign existing ADIF or Cabrillo file.
- TQSL
prompts you for the certificate (called "location") to use. Pick the correct one
(probably the only one but unfortunately not the default!) and OK it.
- Now
TQSL
prompts you to find the ADIF [or Cabrillo] log file. Go to the directory where you
saved the log, select and OK it.
- Next
TQSL
asks where to save the signed log (a .TQ8 file). I normally use the same
directory as I used in steps 1 and 5.
- TQSL
offers you the chance to sign a part of your log file between 2 dates. Normally, I just
click OK with no dates in the boxes, for the whole thing.
-
Enter your certificate password if prompted.
- TQSL
then reads the QSOs from the input file, writes them to the .TQ8 output file and signs
the result cryptographically using your certificate password, the certificate and a little crypoto
magic. [This is necessary to prevent someone forging or altering your log.]
-
Close TQSL. It's job is done until the next LoTW upload.
-
Now login to the LoTW site at www.arrl.org/lotw (click the LoTW User's Login button, then
enter your LoTW user ID and password).
-
In the LoTW site, click the Upload file tab, then find the .TQ8 file you saved at 6. Be sure to
select the .TQ8 file, NOT the ADI file (LoTW will accept any file as input but can only process
signed logs i.e. .TQ8 files. It won't warn you if you pick the wrong one, your QSOs just won't
appear).
-
Now wait a while for it to process your log. If the queue is busy and you have just uploaded
tens of thousands of QSOs, it may take some while, perhaps an hour (I'm guessing).
Normally, for a few tens of QSOs, they are processed before the next screen loads.
-
Click the Your QSOs tab in LoTW, then check your log has been uploaded. It shows the last
QSO date on that page, I think: I usually just click the Show latest QSL button to check if I
have any new confirmations, especially those with ticks meaning lovely new DXCC
confirmations :-)
Now the remaining 9 steps to
download the QSL records
from LoTW to Logger32:
- On the Your QSOs tab, click the Download Report button on the left.
-
Enter a starting date, or leave blank for all. LoTW seems to default to the last date you used
the system - I normally go back a few days, and sometimes right back to the start of my log
just to be sure I've captured all the LoTW QSLs. [I've noticed that LoTW seems to send all
the QSLs anyway i.e. I'm not entirely convinced this starting date option works.]
-
Check (select) the box marked Include QSL detail.
The additional info is useful!
-
Click the Download report button. LoTW then sends you an ADIF file with QSL info on all
confirmed QSOs. The file downloads to your browser's default download location - I don't
know where yours will go. You might have to go looking for it using Windows search, or
check the browser configuration options. It is called lotwreport.adi (the first time) and
lotwreport(1).adi next time, incrementing by one each time unless you delete previous
downloads.
-
In Logger32, select File --> Synchronise LoTW.
-
Find the downloaded QSL file from step 4, and OK it.
-
A selection box pops up, asking you what to do with QSL records that don't match existing
QSO records. I normally select just the Manual update... option.
-
Logger32 asks you about the LoTW mismatch file, just click Yes (and mutter “Get on with it!
!”).
-
Logger32 now opens the new QSL file and compares each QSL record to the corresponding
QSO record. It prompts you to check and accept/reject different (normally additional) info in
the QSL record, such as Maidenhead locators etc. You can accept most things but it refuses
to accept some entries, mostly in my experience “PQ”, “NF” and “AK” locations plus “St.
Louis” (which usually comes down from LoTW as SAINT LOUIS).
Semi-automating LoTW log uploads in Logger32
AClog, and probably other loggers, successfully automate much of the above process except for
the TQSLcert certificate management and TQSL password entry bits.
Wouldn't it be nice if
Logger32 did the same thing?
Well the log-to-LoTW bit
can
be partially automated by using the
appropriate command line parameters when running tQSL. The trick is to define tQSL as a “utility”
program in Logger32. This is achieved using the Tools --> Utility program setup option. On a
blank line in the table, add a new util menu item “tQSL”. Under the util program and parameters
column, enter the following command:
C:\Program Files\TrustedQSL\tqsl.exe -l ”Castle Peak” -d c:\Download\LoTW out.ADI -x
That’s the command line from my machine. You will need to customise yours a bit:
-
The first part includes the directory where you installed the Trusted QSL program from ARRL.
-
The -l (that’s a lowercase L) switch means what follows is a “location” that tells tQSL which
digital certificate to use. If I run tQSL normally from the icon, it offers me just one “location”,
namely “ZL2IFB - Castle Peak” (Castle Peak is the name of the house I’m living in, and is the
“location” I use). Yours will be different. If you location has only one word, you can omit the
quote marks around it.
-
The -d switch says “Don’t ask me for a date range”. Since Logger32 normally only outputs
log entries that have been marked for LoTW upload, there is no need to specify dates.
-
The input file name follows. I normally save all my LoTW output, plus the signed log files and
downloaded LoTW QSL info, in the same directory i.e. C:\Download. Yours could be
anywhere on your disk. It helps to be consistent.
-
The final -x switch tells tQSL to exit immediately after it has signed your log, leaving you
ready to upload the signed log file (normally a .TQ8 file) to LoTW. Go back to step 10 above
to finish the process.
After running tQSL with this command line, you will still need to enter your password to unlock the
certificate and make sure some naughty hacker isn’t signing your log (!) ... unless you either don’t
apply a password int he first place or remove the password using the instructions here. Using the
utility program as specified here makes uploading to LoTW simpler and hence it’s worth uploading
more often, perhaps weekly or even daily. Remember, if you lose your local log for some reason
(hard disk failure, operator error, lightning strike, fire, theft ...), LoTW will still retain the vital details
up to the latest update, but you will lose all your notes, paper QSL records etc.
I’ve added a shortcut to the LoTW website too, as another “utility” entry in Logger32. The
command is something like:
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox http://www.arrl.org/lotw
... only it depends where your browser program is located and which browser you use, and you
can start with whichever web page/URL you like. Go ahead, try it for yourself!
Fully automating LoTW uploads in Logger32
A Logger32 add-on utility from N2AMG supposedly lets us upload QSOs to LoTW, eQSL and Club
Log pretty much as soon as they are logged. I haven’t managed to get it running yet but will
update this page when I do ... QRX ...
Automating the identification of “granted” QSOs
QSOs for which your paper QSLs or LoTW matches have been successfully claimed and verified by
the DXCC checkers are recorded as “granted” QSOs in LoTW. Previously, to get the “granted”
status in Logger32, we had to look up the QSO details and update Logger32 manually, a very
tedious process if you have been a busy DXer with hundreds or thousands of “granted” QSOs. It is
now possible to download the “granted” records from LoTW in order to update your Logger32 log
automatically, using another fabulous freeware utility written by Marek SP7DQR. The process is
basically as follows:
-
Make a backup copy of your entire log and save it somewhere safe (preferably offline), just in
case. Trust me, if it all goes horribly wrong in the next few steps, you will be grateful for this.
-
Dump your entire log from your logging program into an ADIF file stored somewhere handy
on the hard drive.
-
Download and run Marek’s utility program from his website
[COMING SOON! The program
is currently in field testing and may need some additonal help text, although I found
it easy to use as it is.]
.
-
Enter your LoTW login details into the program.
-
Select a temporary directory where the program will create and save a file of the “granted”
QSOs.
-
Click the download button to grab the “granted” QSOs from LoTW.
-
Wait patiently: step 5 will take some while to complete. It first gets a list of all your “granted”
band/mode slots, and then uses the entries on that list to grab the saved QSO info for every
“granted” QSO, one at a time [because LoTW doesn’t have a suitable report, unfortunately],
and it saves the info to a file in the directory you chose in step 5.
-
Select your ADIF log file for the program to update with the “granted” information.
-
Click the synchronize button to start it updating. It finds the “granted” QSOs in your ADIF log,
adds the ADIF “granted” field to them, and finally saves the ADIF log file with a new name.
-
Open Logger32, create a new logbook, and import the ADIF file saved in step 9.
-
Check that the “granted” status has been updated in the DXCC reports in Logger32 - you
should see a load of pink G records for all the band and mode slots that have been granted
for DXCC. QSOs that are confirmed but not yet granted are the ones you should be claiming
the next time you submit a DXCC claim.
In my case, since my Logger32 logbook contains a mix of QSOs as both ZL2iFB and ZM4G, I split
them out by dumping separate ADIF logs, and updated the two ADIF logs one after the other in
step 8. Marek’s program reported errors on each file since of course it could only find ZL2iFB’s
“granted” QSOs in the ZL2iFB log, and ZM4G’s ones in the ZM4G log. The program was nice
enough to save the error QSOs on disk so I was able to double-check the details - it all looked fine
to me. With hindsight, I probably could have dumped the whole mixed ZL2iFB+ZM4G log to one
ADIF and just used that.
There’s more on LoTW here.
Back to quick links
Using Logger32 with the Elecraft K3
Logger32 will communicate quite happily with the Elecraft K3 (and presumably K2) radios via their
serial ports as the Elecraft radios emulate the Kenwood command set. There’s a K2/K3 section in
the Logger32 help file that tells you how to configure the radio comms.
There is a small drawback to the K3, for me anyway, namely that it defaults to the ”wrong”
sideband for CW when QSYd using Logger32. I prefer tuning from the bottom of the band upwards
, hearing successive CW tones going high-to-low as I go, which requires CW-REV on the K3. That's
fine, until I click on a spot in Logger32: as well as QSYing the rig for me, it automagically resets the
radio to [normal] CW. :-(
A simple workaround nearly solves this annoying problem. Tell Logger32 to use mode CW-R in
place of CW in its band-mode table. [The table is accessed from the Tools menu pull-down (select
"Setup Bands & Modes"). Open the table, find a CW entry, edit it to read CW-R and hit return to
finish editing each one, then the next ... and finally click the Apply button. Now when you click a
CW spot, the radio QSYs to the frequency and sets itself to CW-REV. Easy peasy :-)] It doesn’t
fix the NCDXF beacon tracker’s QSY function though, which still puts the K3 in CW mode. For the
few times I use it, I can live with that.
N1MM has the same problem but now has the option to use CW-REV.
Logger32 will also trigger replay of the K3’s DVR voice memories, sending commands through the
serial port using it’s DVK function - but I prefer using K-Keys to trigger the K3’s DVR directly from
the PC function keys without having to find and open Logger32’s DVK function first.
There’s more on the Elecraft rigs here.
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