Confused about LoTW Integration

App Help & How-To
1

I’m a bit confused about how the Logbook of the World integration really works. For some background, I joined WRL a couple of weeks ago. I created a new logbook, exported all my contacts (21,000+) from my Ham Radio Deluxe logbook, and imported them into my WRL logbook. Now I’d like to connect to LoTW to check confirmations. My statistics are off all over the map, and I’m wondering if pulling down LoTW confirmations will help clean things up.

The video on the LoTW integration says once I integrate, I can import my LoTW contacts into WRL. Does that mean that the integration downloads the ADIF from LoTW and then creates net new logbook entries in WRL? If so, my logbook would double in size because nearly every contact would be double entered.

Or, does the integration just check LoTW for confirmed contact flags and then update my WRL logbook to show those contacts as now confirmed via LoTW? This is what HRD, N3FJP, and other logbooks that integrate with LoTW do.

Thanks for your help.

Ian, NV4C
WRL Member #4416

2

@NV4C The LOTW integration (as well as the QRZ integration) can do both. If you hadn’t imported via an ADIF you could have just imported all your contacts from LOTW into a WRL logbook and it would have automatically brought in the confirmations (same with QRZ). We dont import duplicates though so you dont have to worry about it doubling in size, however there is a note here that sometimes LOTW will strip certian data when you upload your contacts there, so there is a small change of a duplicate happening from time to time with LOTW. Also importing from LOTW is very slow sometimes due to its older API.

You can still connect your LOTW account and then just goto the QSO manger in WRL (‘Logbooks’ → ‘QSO Manager’) and select all your contacts via the ‘Select XXXXX QSO’s’ link and then click the 'Re-Check Confirmations" button and this will poll the LOTW API and pull in your confirmations.

I hope this helps.

Thanks & 73
Brad K4AZE