Why is this an unofficial list?
Just because the ARRL don't want to release an official users list!
How is this list generated?
I use many source of information: DX bulletins, spots on the DX-Cluster, searches on the Web, but the most important one is users sending in their LoTW reports downloaded from the LoTW users site. I wrote some software to compare those files with the latest version of the list to get instantly a list of new calls, if any. Reports were already received from some 300 users worldwide and several of them even send regular updates.
What calls are included in this list?
All new calls are checked on the LoTW users site, using the "Find call" function. The answer must show that a log was already uploaded, e.g.:
Last upload for HB9BZA: 2007-02-13 15:29:20Z
If the answer is:
Last upload for HB9ZZZ: No log data found
then this call won't be included in the list.
Is this list the biggest available?
Yes and no! No because a non free list is also available on the net, which includes about 400 more calls then this one. But as those calls are not current LoTW users (the lookup on the LoTW users site returns "No log data found" for them), I believe that this list is the biggest one of current LoTW users available on the net.
I worked a call included in the list and got no credit!
This may happen for a lot of reasons:
- you, or the other station, mistyped a piece of information which must be correct to get a LoTW credit (if the "Find call" function shows he uploaded a log after your QSO, try working him again!);
- the other station uploaded only old logs to LoTW but wants direct QSL's for recent contacts (exemple: VK9NS);
- the other station uploaded some contacts to test LoTW, didn't like it and stopped using it;
- the call was reissued to another operator who is not interested in LoTW (exemple: R1ANF).
Some stations didn't upload for several years, why don't you remove them from the list?
The main reason is that this list is used for several purposes. In the case of DX-Cluster related software, those calls could be removed without too much problems. But if somebody wants to check his old logs for LoTW matches, then chances are he would miss matches with those calls if he worked them at the time they were active LoTW users. So I believe the best if to keep the list as complete as possible and, if the unwanted alarms on the DX-Cluster should be considered as too frequent, then it should be possible to create of list of calls to be ignored.
Further, quite may "inactive" calls are those from past DXpeditions and it happens quite frequently that those calls are activated again by the same operator after a few years. Having those calls already on the list ensures that they will be immediately identified as LoTW users as soon as the new activity starts.