Monthly Archives: December 2009

I got to meet Gordon West WB6NOA!

I used Gordon West’s study guides and audio CDs to learn and pass all 3 tests. It was like a good teacher that I never actually met. Well that is until today. KJI Electronics is a local amateur radio store in NJ less then 30 mins from me and they were having a Customer Appreciation weekend and today’s special guest was Gordon West so I had to go!

I was in the middle of the TARA RTTY contest but I gave up a couple hours to drive there, meet him and hang out for a bit. He looks just like (better in fact) the pictures I’ve seen of him and his voice is exactly like it sounds on the audio CDs. I brought my Extra studt guide with me and he signed the inside of it. He also had some certificates with him and he filled one out for me as well. It was real nice to speak with him and hearing his voice brought back some good memories from listening to the CDs over and over on my commute.

If you have the chance to meet him at some event, by all means try to do so. It was a thrill and he’s a terrific fellow and great representative of our fun hobby! Thanks Gordo!!

73,
K2DSL

Correcting your LoTW location info in TQSL

In order to take the greatest advantage of Logbook of The World (LoTW) QSLs for awards such as WAS or DXCC, the info associated with your or the other operators account needs to be complete and accurate. TQSL is the program used to “sign” your QSO info before uploading and that info is where your station location details are defined. This info isn’t mandatory when setting things up the first time, but without it, the other station can’t take advantage of all that a LoTW QSL can provide, so below are the steps that you can check/update your own or in the case of a QSL you receive from another ham that is missing the info, pass along this link.

Here are the steps:

1 – Launch TQSL off your Start / Programs menu.

2 – When TQSL is running, click on the Station menu and select Edit locations.
TQSL Edit Locations

3 – Once the Edit Station Locations window opens, select the appropriate location (you might just have one) and with it highlighted, click the Edit button.
Edit Station Location

4 – In the Edit Station Location window for the selected station, you should specify your grid locator, your ITU zone and CQ zone. If you don’t know this info, in many cases you can get this by viewing your own call sign on QRZ.com and view the details. You can also use http://www.levinecentral.com/ham/grid_square.php and enter in your call or address to get your grid square.  After entering this info, click the Next button.
Edit Station Location 1

5 – In the next window, assuming you are in the United States, select your State and then County. When done, click Next.
Edit Station Location 2

6 – The next window that is displayed indicates your information has been saved. Click the Finish button at the bottom and it will close the window. You’ll be back at the window listing your station location(s). Click Ok to close that window. At the main TQSL window, click File / Exit and you’re done.
Edit Station Location Finished

Since all your existing LoTW records were processed with the previous values, you need to re-process all records that should now be tagged with the complete information. If you have operated from multiple locations, you want to only re-process the records for the location you have just updated. When you do this and re-upload them to LoTW, they will overlay the existing records and any QSL matches will now have all the detail you just configured.

I hope this helps you update your own info or if you contact another operator that has missing info that they can walk through the steps to update their info. Most operators have been very receptive to doing this, as they are already going through the LoTW upload process so this only increases the value of what they are doing. If anyone has questions or corrections, please add a comment or email me and I’ll adjust the instructions.

73,
K2DSL

Angola QSL card received and confirmed

Today in the mail was a card from D2NX (Koji) for a contact made in Oct 2008. It’s my only contact with Angola and now it’s confirmed.

73,
K2DSL