Setting TQSL Log Handling Options

To inspect or change TQSL's log handlling options, select the File menu's Display or Modify Preferences... command (on OS X, select the Application menu's Preferences command) to display its Preferences dialog; this dialog's Log Handling tab provides control over several settings that govern TQSL's log signing operations:

Specify ADIF and Cabrillo File Extensions
Because there are no standard file extensions (.XXX) consistently used for ADIF AND Cabrillo files, TQSL lets you specify the extensions used on your system for each file types. The Select File to Sign and Upload and Select File to Sign and Save dialogs set their Files of type selectors based on the extensions specified on this tab:

In the example shown above, files whose names end in .log or .cab will be treated as Cabrillo files, while those with names ending in .adi or .ADI are ADIF files. When using an operating system like Windows that doesn't distinguish case in file names, the two ADIF entries shown in this example would be unneccessary.

Allow Nonamateur Callsigns
The Allow nonamateur call signs checkbox lets you to choose whether TQSL should treat a nonamateur call-worked as an error. An amateur callsign must meet these requirements:

LoTW will not accept a QSO whose callsign does not conform to the above requirements so you should leave TQSL's Allow nonamateur call signs box unchecked.

Prompt for QSO Date Range
This checkbox determines whether TQSL will display the QSO Date Range dialog when Submitting a Log File to LoTW via the Internet or when Submitting a Log File from a Computer without Internet Access.

The QSO Date Range dialog can be used to prevent QSOs already submitted to LoTW that haven't been subsequently modified from being submitted again, sparing LoTW from processing QSOs that have already been processed.

Display details of already uploaded QSOs when signing a log
If, when signing and uploading a file or signing and saving a file, TQSL encounters QSOs that have already been submitted to LoTW, then if this box is checked the details of each already uploaded QSO will be reported in the Status Log; if this box is not checked, no details will be reported.

Ignore seconds in QSO times
If, when signing and uploading a file or signing and saving a file, and this box is checked, then the seconds part of the QSO time are set to zero. This is useful if your log contains mistakenly logged QSOs, such as those from WSJT-X when the station contacted sends multiple confirmations. The duplicate QSOs can then be ignored when signing a log.
Set options for handling QTH details in ADIF logs
If, when signing and uploading a file or signing and saving a file, TQSL encounters station information in the log that indicates callsign, DXCC entity, or QTH information such as gridsquare, zone, state, etc. TQSL can verify this against the Station Location and either report on or update the Station Location with the information from the log. This set of options allows either ignoring, reporting on, or updating the Station Location using the log data.

The Handle QTH information in ADIF logs with what action? selection dictates what action TQSL takes when procssing QTH indications in an ADIF file.

TQSL uses the Station Callsign and fields such as MY_STATE or MY_GRIDSQUARE as indications of what station was used to make a particular QSO.

The Handle QTH information in ADIF logs with what action? selection allows selection of one of three options.

The Override option requires that you have a valid Callsign Certificate for any callsign changes. Note that any change to QTH data is "sticky" - for example, if you sign a QSO with MY_ITU_ZONE set to "5", then subsequent QSOs will continue to use that until another QSO with a different zone value is processed.

If you are using Override and the ADIF file being signed has complete QTH and Station Callsign information, you may wish to use "[NONE]" as the callsign for the Station Location chosen for signing, as well as setting minimal data for that Station Location. This eliminates the risk of misusing this Station Location for logs which lack complete station data.

ADIF fields defininng station data

The following ADIF fields will be used when included with a QSO in an ADIF file.
MY_CNTYCounty (secondary administrative subdivision)
MY_COUNTRYCounty (DXCC Entity)
MY_CQ_ZONECQ Zone number
MY_DXCCDXCC Entity number
MY_GRIDSQUAREMaidenhead Gridsquare
MY_IOTAIOTA reference number
MY_ITU_ZONEITU Zone number
MY_STATEState/Province/Oblast (primary administrative subdivision)
MY_VUCC_GRIDSList of up to four Maidenhead Gridsquares
OPERATORCallsign used [only used if STATION_CALLSIGN is not provided.]
STATION_CALLSIGNCallsign used for QSOs