Exception Reports

What Is An Exception Report?

It is the list of contacts that did not go through, with the reason for each one. Nothing is discarded silently. If a QSO could not be sent, could not be matched, or disagrees with the copy held somewhere else, it is on this report.

The page has two tabs. The QRZ Exception Report covers your QRZ connections. The LOTW Exception Report covers Logbook of the World.

Where Do I Find It?

From your logbook, or from the link on any status card that mentions it. Every message on the site that tells you a contact had a problem names which report it is on.

What Kinds Of Entries Appear?

A contact that was refused. The service would not accept it, and the reason is shown in that service's own words rather than reworded. For LoTW, the reason comes from ARRL's own software, so it matches what you would see running TQSL yourself.

A contact that could not be read. Something in the record stops it being matched to one of your QSOs.

A conflict. The same contact exists in both places but the two copies disagree. QSLShack does not choose for you. You decide which copy is right.

An ambiguous match. More than one QSO in your log could be the contact in question. You pick the one it belongs to.

How Do I Clear An Entry?

Each entry carries the actions that apply to it. Some can be fixed here. Some have to be fixed at the service, because the record at that end is the one that is wrong, and the report tells you which case you are in.

An entry you have dealt with, or one you have decided to leave, can be dismissed so it stops appearing.

Why Was My Contact Refused By LoTW?

LoTW is strict about what a record must contain, and about the dates a certificate covers. The most common reasons are a contact dated outside the range your Callsign Certificate is valid for, a missing band, mode or time, or a callsign LoTW does not recognize.

The report gives the exact reason for each one. Fix the QSO in your logbook and it is checked again on the next send.

Does An Entry On The Report Mean I Lost Data?

No. Your QSO stays in your logbook exactly as you logged it. The report is about what happened when QSLShack tried to send it somewhere or match it to something, not about your log.