There are several methods to confirm your contacts these days besides the paper trail route. As a long time ham when I first graced the airways in 1956 there was only one route you could take and that was paper qsl cards.
Your achievement merits were measured by how many states you had worked and how many you had confirmed. Back then the only award issued for “Worked All States” was issued by ARRL. The same for working and confirming at least 100 countries, only paper cards were accepted as positive proof of a contact.
Enter the computer age and things have changed in the world of confirmations. As to my personal preference I still go the paper route, I prefer to have a qsl card from the rare expedition, or needed band country.
With this article I can tell you what I prefer and why. Let’s start with LOTW, most guys I have found have a love, or hate relationship with LOTW. It is user unfriendly and at times goes beyond frustration. I have tried to use LOTW three times, first time came to the conclusion I just did not have the time to devote to all the requirements. I dumped the software, second time, got as far as requesting the “Secret Post Card and code number” it never arrived, so dumped the software.
A few weeks ago I was persuaded to give LOTW another try, this time, got to the part about creating an ADIF file. Did that, submitted an upload only to be told it was not a TQ6 file.I then found out my TQ6 had expired and I was going to have to jump through hoops again to start all over and go through the above mentioned steps no thank you. Strike Three and you are “Outta Here!”
I took great pleasure in dropping the software in the trash can and pulling the handle to send it to cyber space land fills.
I simply do not need it. How about EQSL? Well, this one has its own awards, so you confirm contacts easy and the software is easy to understand and user friendly, no secret code postcards or other nonsense, it just works. Only thing is the confirmations are not accepted by ARRL, but in effect who cares? EQSL has their own awards, nice plaques you can purchase so who needs the paper?
They also offer storage of exchanged cards, LOTW does not, so if you want to print a card from that rare one, do so. Otherwise, it is stored in the archive of EQSL.
QRZ offers awards as well, they use the match up system to confirm a contact, it is done without a problem, no secret codes, confusing soft ware, it just works and it works well.
From my perspective I have all but one country confirmed, only thing I am pursuing is confirmation of enough entities for a 1500 DXCC challenge.
I use the card bureau, direct, EQSL, or QRZ.com, but LOTW is out for good, not going back, or ever fooling with it. Of course if this is simplified and user friendly like the others mentioned then might consider it. For now, it is out the door for the third and final time.
