== Generating a DXCC Submission with QSL cards or LotW Confirmations ==

DXKeeper can automatically choose the minimal set of confirmed QSOs to submit to the ARRL DXCC desk in pursuit of your [[DXCCAwardObjectives|DXCC award objectives]]. As of April 2, 2012, ''hybrid'' DXCC applications containing both QSL cards and LotW confirmations cannot be submitted; DXKeeper enables you to create and manage a ''QSL card submission'' and a separate ''LotW submission''. DXKeeper can also generate an ADIF file containing your ''QSL card submission'' for uploading via the ARRL's [[https://easydxcc.arrl.org/about.php|Online DXCC]]. 

If you're planning to generate and submit both a ''QSL card submission'' and a separate ''LotW submission'' and your preference when there's a choice is to submit a QSL card, then direct DXKeeper to generate the ''QSL card submission'' first, followed by the ''LotW submission''. If your preference when there's a choice is to submit an LotW confirmation, then then direct DXKeeper to generate the ''LotW submission'' first, followed by the ''QSL card submission''.

In preparation for generating a submission, verify that your award objectives [[DXingObjectives| are properly specified]], and __backup your log__ by clicking the '''Backup''' button in the '''Configuration''' window's '''Log''' tab.

The procedures below that assume that any QSOs to which DXCC credit has already been granted have their '''QSL Rcvd''' or '''LotW QSL Rcvd''' items set to '''V''' (for ''verified''). If this isn't the case, you can [[ManageDXCCCredits| direct DXKeeper to download your DXCC Credits and update your logged QSOs to which DXCC Credit has been granted]].

=== Generating a QSL Card Submission ===

To generate a ''QSL card submission'', display the '''DXCC Submission''' window by clicking the '''Submission''' button in the '''DXCC, Challenge, TOP''' panel on the '''Main''' window's '''Check Progress''' tab; in this window, 

 1. check the '''QSL Cards''' box
 
 1. assemble a submission by clicking the '''Assemble Submission''' button; DXKeeper will inspect each of your confirmed QSOs, and ''promote'' those to be submitted by setting their '''QSL Rcvd''' items to '''S'''.

 1. create a planning report by clicking the '''Create Planning Report''' button; this report is sorted in '''Entity Prefix''' order, which is convenient for review, but is not the order in which QSL cards will be submitted  - so wait to assemble your QSL cards until step 7 below

 1. review the planning report; if necessary, you can manually remove a QSO from the submission -- for example, a QSO with a station not yet approved by the DXCC desk -- by changing its '''QSL Rcvd''' item back to '''Y'''. If you perform any manual modifications, return to step 2 before proceeding.

 1. if you have QSL cards confirming more than one QSO, assign each multi-QSO QSL card a unique number (unique among all other multi-QSO QSL cards in this submission), and record this number in the '''QSL#''' item of each QSO confirmed by that card.
  * a QSO's '''QSL#''' item is accessible via the '''QSL''' panel on the Main window's '''Log QSOs''' tab
  * doing this ensures that QSOs confirmed by the same QSL card are adjacent in the generated card record sheet so that your QSL cards can be placed in matching order for presentation to a card checker or submission to the ARRL

 1. generate a card record sheet by clicking the '''Create Card Record Sheet''' button

 1. select and sort your QSL cards in the order shown on the card record sheet.

 1. either 

    * send your card record sheet(s), cards, and DXCC award application to the ARRL DXCC desk or present them to a local field checker<<BR>><<BR>>

    or 

    * click the '''Export Card ADIF File''' button to produce a file you can upload as described in [[https://easydxcc.arrl.org/adif.php|Online DXCC - Import ADIF]], and follow the step-by-step instructions provided there

=== Generating an LotW Submission ===

There are two ways to select confirmed QSOs to be submitted to LoTW for DXCC Award Credit: submit the QSOs that LoTW chooses, or let DXKeeper choose the QSOs and modify LoTW's selection to match DXKeeper's.

==== Submit the QSOs that LoTW chooses ====

As described [[https://lotw.arrl.org/lotw-help/dxcc-award-candidates/|here]], LoTW automatically selects a set of confirmed QSOs to submit for DXCC Award Credit.

 * LoTW's suggestion is not ''optimal'', meaning that it may select more QSOs for submission than are necessary, increasing the cost

 * Updating your logged QSOs to reflect DXCC Award Credit granted must either be done manually, or by [[https://www.dxlabsuite.com/dxlabwiki/ManageDXCCCredits|downloading your DXCC Award Credits and then linking them to your logged QSOs]]


==== Let DXKeeper choose the QSOs and modify LoTW's selection to match DXKeeper's ====

Alternatively, you can direct DXKeeper to generate an optimal ''LoTW submission''; after DXCC Award Credit is granted, you can update your logged QSOs to reflect DXCC Credit granted with a single button click. However, the process of modifying LoTW's automatic submission to match the optimal submission generated by DXKeeper is a tedious manual process - because LoTW does not provide the application programming interface (API) required to automate it.

To generate an ''LotW submission'', display the '''DXCC Submission''' window by clicking the '''Submission''' button in the '''DXCC, Challenge, TOP''' panel on the '''Main''' window's '''Check Progress''' tab; in this window, 

 1. check the '''LotW Confirmations''' box
 
 1. assemble a submission by clicking the '''Assemble Submission''' button; DXKeeper will inspect each of your confirmed QSOs, and ''promote'' those to be submitted by setting their '''LotW QSL Rcvd''' items to '''S'''.

 1. create a planning report by clicking the '''Create Planning Report''' button

 1. review the planning report; if necessary, you can manually remove a QSO from the submission -- for example, a QSO with a station not yet approved by the DXCC desk -- by changing its '''LotW QSL Rcvd''' item back to '''Y'''. If you perform any manual modifications, return to step 2 before proceeding.

 1. generate an LotW  record sheet by clicking the '''Create LotW Record Sheet''' button.

 1. [[SubmitLotW|submit the application from the LotW web site]]

=== Updating Logged QSOs to Reflect DXCC Credit Granted to Submitted QSL Cards ===

When you receive a response from the ARRL, check to see if any of the QSLs you submitted were rejected; if so, manually change the associated QSOs' QSL_RCVD items to '''I''' (for ''invalid''). Then display the '''DXCC Submission''' window by clicking the '''Submission''' button in the '''DXCC, Challenge, TOP''' panel on the '''Main''' window's '''Check Progress''' tab; in this window, 

 1. check the '''QSL Cards''' box

 1. click the "DXCC Submission" window's '''Verify Submission''' button to promote the rest of the QSOs in your submission to '''verified'''.

=== Updating Logged QSOs to Reflect DXCC Credit Granted to Submitted LoTW Confirmations ===

When you receive a response from the ARRL, check to see if any of the LotW confirmations you submitted were rejected; if so, manually change the associated QSOs' LOTW_QSL_RCVD items to '''I''' (for ''invalid''). Then display the '''DXCC Submission''' window by clicking the '''Submission''' button in the '''DXCC, Challenge, TOP''' panel on the '''Main''' window's '''Check Progress''' tab; in this window, 

 1. check the '''LotW Confirmations''' box

 1. click the "DXCC Submission" window's '''Verify Submission''' button to promote the rest of the QSOs in your submission to '''verified'''.

=== Checking for DXCC Credit Discrepancies ===

In the '''DXCC, Challenge, & !TopList''' panel on the '''Check Progress''' tab of DXKeeper Main window, click the [[IdentifyDXCCCreditDiscrepancies|Compare]] button; DXKeeper will obtain your DXCC award credits granted from the ARRL, compare them with the DXCC award credits present in your logged QSOs, and report any discrepancies. If you haven't yet specified your '''DXCC account number''', [[DetermineDXCCAccountNumber|follow this procedure]].

You can also compare the Mixed, Band, and Mode statistics shown in the ARRL's response to your application with the '''DXCC Summary''' displayed when you click the '''Summary''' button near the lower-right corner of the '''Realtime Award Tracking''' window's '''DXCC''' tab.

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[[AwardTracking|Award Tracking]]

[[QSLing]]

[[Logging]]

[[GettingStarted|Getting Started with DXLab]]