TQSL Introduction

### Introduction

TQSL is an application used to digitally sign and upload QSOs to the ARRL's Logbook of the World (LoTW) online service, and to manage the Callsign Certificates used when digitally signing.

TQSL accepts QSOs in a log file whose format is either ADIF or Cabrillo, which many logging applications can export. TQSL also includes a simple QSO Data Editor that can be used to create and edit log files in ADIF format.

To digitally sign the QSOs in a log file, TQSL requires you to present a Callsign Certificate issued to you by the ARRL, and requires you to specify the location from which you operated when making every QSO in that log file. To make this easy, TQSL lets you define and name a Station Location that specifies:

- a Callsign Certificate
specifying the callsign you used over the air
- a DXCC entity
- a Primary Administrative Subdivison (e.g. an Oblast, Province, or State)
- a Secondary Administrative Subdivison (e.g. a County)
- a National Park included in the ARRL's National Parks On The Air (NPOTA) event
- a Grid Square
- a CQ zone
- an ITU zone
- an IOTA Reference Number

This collection of information is comparable to what you'd print on your QSL cards. It can be given a name that is presented to TQSL when uploading QSOs made with that callsign from that location. For an example, click here.

TQSL provides the ability to map modes not defined by the ADIF standard to modes that it can recognize, and the ability to specify information about less popular Cabrillo formats that it needs to properly interpret the QSO data in a Cabrillo-format log file.

When you start TQSL, it will inform you if

- an existing Callsign Certificate will expire within the next 60 days
- a new version of Configuration Data file is available
- a new version of TQSL is available

When you start TQSL, it will check each existing Callsign Certificate and mark any expired entries on the Callsign Certificates tab with an expired icon . If internet access is available, TQSL will also check the validity of each existing Callsign Certificate with LoTW, and mark any obsolete entries on the Callsign Certificates tab with a replaced icon ; this over-the-internet check is made no more than once each day.

##### Getting Started with LoTW

Before you can submit QSOs to LoTW, you must first

- Install TQSL
- Request your Initial Callsign Certificate
- Accept your Initial Callsign Certificate (using the same computer with which you generated the request for an Initial Callsign Certificate)
- Define your Station Location

Then you'll be able to submit a Log File to LoTW via the Internet .