Tracking VUCC Award Progress

The ARRL's VUCC award program accepts QSOs that specify one, two, or four grid squares per QSOs. When working an operator located within one grid square, record that grid square in the Grid box in DXKeeper's Capture window, or the Grid box in the QSO Info panel on WinWarbler's QSO Info panel. When working an operator who is located on a grid square boundary or on the intersection of four grid squares, use one of the Grid boxes to record the first grid square and log the QSO. Then use the Grid2, Grid3, and Grid4 boxes in the Awards panel on the Log QSOs tab of DXKeeper's Main window to record the additional grid squares, and click the Save button.

Obtaining VUCC Credit

To obtain VUCC credit for a grid square, you must submit a QSL card that specifies your QSO partner's grid square, or an LotW confirmation that specifies your QSO partner's grid square. If your QSO partner uploads your QSO to LotW with a station location that specifies a grid square, the ARRL will consider that grid square confirmed; if your QSO partner's station location does not specify a grid square, the ARRL will not consider that grid square confirmed.

When you direct DXKeeper to synchronize with LotW, DXKeeper will set each QSO's LotW confirmation item to reflect the number of grid squares confirmed by LotW for that QSO:

With the VUCC box checked in the Other panel on the Awards tab of DXKeeper's Configuration window, DXKeeper's Sync LotW QSLs operation will

If a QSO confirmed by LotW specifies an unconfirmed (needed) grid square that isn't specified in the LotW confirmation,

  1. contact your QSO partner and ask them to add their grid square(s) to their station location and to then re-upload your QSO

  2. right-click the QSO in DXKeeper's Log Page Display, and select the Update from LotW menu item; DXKeeper will download the the updated confirmation from LotW, and update the logged QSO to reflect the confirmation of its grid square(s).

Using the VUCC Verified item to capture VUCC status

Each QSO's VUCC Verified item is accessible via the QSL panel in the Main window's Log QSOs tab. The choices provided by this item are

If You Operate from Multiple Locations

VUCC rules state that "For VUCC awards on 50 through 1296 MHz and Satellite, all contacts must be made from locations no more than 200 km apart". If you've logged QSOs made from locations more than 200 km apart,

  1. define a QTH for each such location; check the VUCC box in each QTH for which contacts should count for VUCC

  2. set the myQTH ID item in each logged QSO to the QTH from which it was made; for each QTH,

    1. on the Main window's my QTHs tab, select the QTH by clicking on its entry in the grid

    2. select the Main window's Log QSOs tab, and filter the Log Page display by date range to contain only QSOs made from that QTH

    3. on the Main window's my QTHs tab, click the Update QSOs in Log Page Display panel's Set myQTH ID button; this will set the myQTH item of each QSO in the Log Page Display to that of the current QTH.

  3. after all QSOs have been assigned to a QTH, click the Recompute button on the Main window's Check Progress tab

Configured in this way, VUCC Progress Reports and VUCC Realtime Award Tracking will only consider QSOs made from your QTHs that "count" for VUCC.

 

If You Move to a New Location

If you relocate to a new location that is more than 200 km away from your previous location, then

  1. uncheck the VUCC box in the my QTH for your old location

  2. define a new my QTH for your new location, and check its VUCC box

  3. in the Log Settings panel on the Configuration window's Log tab, select your new my QTH as the default

  4. at the bottom of the Main window's Check Progress tab, click the Recompute button

 

Generating a Progress Report

To generate a report showing grid squares that are worked, worked and requested (R), confirmed (Y), submitted (S), or verified (V), select the Main window's Check Progress tab and click the VUCC panel's Progress report button. The generated report will contain sections for 6m, 2m, and Satellite; to limit this report to specific bands, modes, or time intervals, filter the Log Page Display before invoking the progress report. The report's LotW column will contain Missing if the QSO is confirmed via LotW but the LotW confirmation does not specify the logged grid square.

Releases of DXKeeper prior to 9.6.9 did not populate the LotW Confirmation item when synchronizing with LotW, so a VUCC progress report will show Missing in the LotW column of each QSO confirmed via LotW. To populate the LotW Confirmation items of all QSOs confirmed via LotW,

  1. select the Main window's QSLtab and

  2. set the QSL Via panel to LotW

  3. while depressing your keyboard's CTRL key, click the Sync LotW QSLs button

DXKeeper will direct LotW to report all of your confirmed QSOs, and update the LotW Confirmation items of these QSOs to reflect confirmed grids.

Populating the QSL Queue with QSOs that would Advance your VUCC Award Progress

To populate the QSL Queue with QSOs whose grid squares are worked but not requested or confirmed, check the Award panel's VUCC box in the QSL Configuration window's Add Needed panel and then click the Add Needed button on the Main window's QSL tab.

Other Topics

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Getting Started with Award Tracking

Getting Started with DXLab

VUCCStatus (last edited 2021-07-11 16:42:32 by AA6YQ)