ok so i just got my technician license about two months ago and ive been making contacts here and there on HF with my general class buddy letting me use his rig (working on upgrading). anyway people keep telling me i need to confirm my contacts but im honestly lost on the whole system.

like there's LoTW which is the ARRL thing, and then eQSL which is a different website, and then actual physical cards you mail which i think go through the bureau or directly? and some people say you need all three and some say just do LoTW and forget the rest. i dont even know if i need an account on all of them or just one.

also how does it work when you work someone in a DX contest or whatever - do they just automatically upload to LoTW or do you have to chase them down for a card? sorry if this is a dumb question just trying to figure out the workflow before i upgrade and start operating more seriously

not a dumb question at all, this stuff genuinely confused me for a while too when i first started. so the short answer is no you dont need all three, but a lot of people use multiple systems because different ops prefer different things.

LoTW is run by the ARRL and is probably the most widely accepted for awards like DXCC - that's the big one most hf operators care about. you create an account, get a certificate installed, and then upload your log files after operating. eQSL is a separate thing, more like a digital postcard system, and some people love it others dont bother. physical cards are kind of a tradition thing and also still required for some awards and some ops just really love getting a nice card in the mail from somewhere exotic.

for DX stations and contest ops - many of them do batch upload to LoTW after the event, sometimes weeks or even months later, so you just gotta be patient. you can check on clublog whether a station has uploaded if theyre listed there. honestly just start with LoTW first and get that workflow down, the other stuff can come later when you figure out what awards you care about chasing

yeah what he said. i'll just add that physical cards are still really fun to get even if they're not strictly necessary anymore. i got a card from a station in the Maldives once and honestly it just sits on my desk and makes me smile every time i look at it, LoTW confirmation doesnt quite do that lol

the bureau system btw is where you send cards in bulk through your national society - so for US hams thats through the ARRL - and it takes foreverrr, like months sometimes, but its cheap. direct mail is faster but you gotta include a self addressed envelope and usually an IRC or a couple dollars for postage which adds up. some dx stations dont bother responding to bureau cards anymore so direct is usually better if you really want the card.