ok so ive been licensed for about 8 months now and i keep hearing people talk about confirming contacts and i kind of get the gist of it but im still confused about how all the different systems work together. like do i need all three or just pick one or what

from what i understand LoTW is run by the ARRL and its the one that counts for DXCC and stuff like that. and eQSL is a separate thing that some people use but maybe not everyone accepts it for awards? and then paper QSL cards are the old school way and you either mail them directly or go through a bureau. is that right so far

my elmer told me to just sign up for LoTW and call it a day but then i worked a station last week who asked for a direct card and i wasnt even sure what address to give them or how that works. do i need to register somewhere to receive paper cards or can i just put my address in QRZ and hope for the best

sorry if this is a really basic question, i tried searching but got kind of overwhelmed with all the different threads

not a basic question at all, this stuff genuinely confused me for like two years after i got my ticket so dont feel bad. your understanding is basically right. LoTW is the gold standard for DXCC and most of the big ARRL awards, eQSL is separate and accepted for some awards but not DXCC, and paper cards are still very much a thing especially for DX stations and older operators who just like having something physical to hold.

for paper cards you dont really register anywhere, you just put your address on QRZ and make sure your callsign info is up to date there. most people who want to send you a card will look you up. if someone asks for direct QSL just give them your mailing address and optionally include a self addressed envelope with some green stamps (thats what people call dollar bills for return postage, kind of old tradition) if you want a card back from a DX station. for the bureau system thats slower, cards go through your national organization and it can take months or even over a year but its free basically.

honestly id do LoTW for sure since it counts for awards, maybe set up eQSL too since its free and takes five minutes, and then just have some cards printed up for the people who ask. you can get a batch of 500 cards pretty cheap from a few places and it feels really nice to get one in the mail.

yeah what he said. one thing i'd add is that LoTW can be a little annoying to set up the first time because you have to request a certificate and there's some back and forth with the ARRL but once its running it pretty much works in the background. TQSL is the software you use to sign and upload your logs, its not the prettiest program in the world but it works.

i personally use all three systems just because why not, some contacts only confirm on eQSL and some guys still send beautiful paper cards and honestly getting a QSL card in the mail from somewhere like Kazakhstan or whatever never gets old. took me a while to appreciate the paper card thing but now i actually have a little album going