Jim, we agree on the need to greatly expand overseas participation. It is indeed a bit more bureaucratic for amateurs outside the US to register for LoTW, for the reason you cite: to maintain the integrity of the confirmation process. We can verify an FCC licensee's license status directly from FCC data. In most cases we can't do that for others. If we stopped requiring copies of licenses we would need some other system for verification such as trusted agents overseas. The principal problem in encouraging overseas participation has been the language barrier. We've made some headway in getting explanations of how to sign up for LoTW disseminated in languages other than English. A second issue is, of course, the need to add more awards. If you can only use LoTW credits for DXCC it isn't interesting to upload your US, German, Japanese, etc. QSOs. LoTW was never intended to completely replace the exchange of QSL cards. A QSL exchange after one's first QSO should still be the standard courtesy. 73, Dave K1ZZ ________________________________ From: Joel Harrison [mailto:w5zn@arrl.org] Sent: Fri 12/9/2005 1:07 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:13393] Re: LoTW Thanks for the clarification, Jim. 73 Joel -----Original Message----- From: Jim Weaver,K8JE [mailto:k8je@arrl.org] Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 9:41 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:13392] Re: LoTW Joel, My wording was less than totally clear. What I was trying to say is that it is not nearly so easy as I understand for many overseas DXers to register to use LoTW as it is for us . . . and some others. The issue, again as I understand it, is maintaining the integrity of LoTW as part of the DXCC program. I, too, have received many LoTW "acknowledgments," but to meet the ultimate goal for this innovative program, we need to get many, many additional overseas DXers signed up. Verstehen sie? Jim Weaver, K8JE, Director 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040 E-mail: k8je@arrl.org; Tel: 513-459-0142 ARRL Great Lakes Division ARRL, the Reason Amateur Radio is! Members, the Reason ARRL is!