Strange thing happening here. My workflow is WSJTX → GridTracker → WSL Cat Control program. I previously used to have GridTracker inject lookup data into each logged contact, including grid if there was none entered in WSJTX. I have since turned this off since it was having conflicts with POTA, callsigns with a slash, or anyone operating a place other than there QTH.
For example, I worked a New York callsign that was operating as a /KH6 on vacation in Hawaii. I did not log a grid as there was none provided in the exchange, GridTracker did not inject the grid or any of the lookup information, however WRL still showed that users (incorrect) New York grid rather than leaving it blank. I confirmed that GridTracker was not injecting any log information by opening up GridTracker’s own backup log and saw it was only the information provided in WSJTX Log QSO form.
If so, this needs to be an option that can be disabled, as it can interfere with QSLs when the grid provided does not match. I do not want WRL adding any information to my log that I did not enter.
I have confirmed by removing GridTracker from the equation and manually entering in my own callsign into the DX field of WSJTX and clicking Log QSO, leaving the grid blank. The QSO that appears in WRL has my information added in, including state, grid, etc. WRL then forwards this information to QRZ which is then receiving potentially incorrect information. I now have countless QSOs across LOTW, QRZ, and WRL to reconcile.
@KN4QHU Yes we are doing callsign lookups to add missing data as the grid is required to map the contact. If a contact is at a pota (or sota, wwff, iota, etc) location and you add the park reference the location data (grid) gets pulled from the park location instead of their location data (because they are at that park location).
I’m happy to add a feature request to add a toggle to disable callsign lookups when the source is WJSTX, however it really should be on the user you are making a contact with to have their gridsquare added in their WSJTX settings so when they are making a contact the grid is in the exchange.
@KWAZE Yes please, there should definitely be an option not to fill information on contacts that arrive from UDP sources (in my case its a UDP port forward from GridTracker). It is common with nonstandard calls, calls that are too long, or some calls with a slash, or even operators from Japan that omit TX1 and do not reply with a grid square.
There are instances where a DX operator or POTa station with an FT8 pileup would immediately begin replying to other stations without calling CQ with their callsign and grid again. For 90% of operations, the QTH lookup grid will be accurate, but there are rare cases, with even rarer DX entities, that an operator is activating a sought after location away from their home.
In addition, for example, W1AW/8 was activating from West Virginia. I did not capture their grid as I replied from an RR73, as WSJTX now can treat RR73 as a CQ to tail end an exchange. I left the grid square blank, but WRL pulled the grid from looking up W1AW in Connecticut.
For LOTW QSLs, the grid squares don’t seem to matter in the exchange, but some QRZ awards will reject from having a grid or state that does not match.
@KN4QHU makes complete sense. if its a pota contact (and they are doing ‘cq pota’ and have their park reference added and showing in gridtracker) it should be pulling in the park reference into the ‘their park’ field which would then pull the correct grid (of the park), but i can certainly see the grid either being missing or incorrect in some dx entities.
@K4AZE Thank you! I believe it is correctly pulling from the POTA spot and entering the grid. That’s an amazing feature. It even works when I’m manually entering a SSB contact, when I enter the callsign, WRL will double check the spots list to find they are running a POTA activation. I’ve gotten many surprise POTA hunts in my log that way when all I could get was the callsign and not the park number.
I have found from poking around, WRL adds the 6 digit grid whereas WSJTX only enters 4 digits. I can identify the ones I left blank and WRL pre-filled by looking for the 6 digit grids.
@KN4QHU Yes thats correct, we use the 6 character grids as they are more precise and all the mapping in WRL happens via gridsquare and/or lat/lon. So thats why we are currently making sure there is a grid added to each qso record (otherwise we have users saying things aren’t mapping or mapping correctly) but with that said i can def see a use case for having the ability to disable that; at least for UDP streamed contacts.