Why Log to the Cloud?
Understanding cloud logging services and confirmations
Your contacts live on your phone, but they become more valuable in the cloud.
The Confirmation Problem
You logged a QSOA contact or conversation between two amateur radio stations. with W1AW. You know it happened. But how does anyone else know?
Confirmation is when both stations submit matching log entries. When the time, frequency, and callsigns match, that QSOA contact or conversation between two amateur radio stations. is “confirmed” — proof from both sides.
Confirmations matter for:
- Awards like DXCCDX Century Club - an award for confirming contacts with 100 or more DXCC entities (countries). (work 100 countries) or WASWorked All States - an award for confirming contacts with all 50 US states. (all 50 states)
- POTA hunter and activator credits
- Contest scoring
Backup and Community
Cloud sync also means automatic backup — your log survives a lost or broken phone. Carrier Wave supports Backup & Restore for complete data exports too.
Beyond safety, connected services unlock social features:
- Friends on Air — See when friends are spotted on the bands
- Clubs — Join ham radio clubs and see club activity
- Challenges — Competitive events that motivate you to get on the air
- Brag Sheets and Share Cards — Shareable stat cards for social media
The Seven Services
Carrier Wave syncs with seven cloud services:
QRZ.com — The most popular ham radio site. Callsign lookups, online logbook, basic confirmation matching.
Logbook of The World (LoTW) — ARRL’s official confirmation system. The gold standard for award credits.
Parks on the Air (POTA) — Upload activator logs, track hunter credits, monitor POTA awards progress.
Ham2K LoFi — A modern service designed for mobile operators. Fast cross-device sync.
Club Log — Popular with DXers for tracking long-distance contacts. Upload and download.
HAMRS — Download logs from HAMRS into Carrier Wave.
eQSL — Send and receive digital QSL confirmation cards.
Why Multiple Services?
Each service has strengths. A typical setup:
- QRZ as primary logbook and callsign lookups
- POTA for park activation uploads
- LoTW for award confirmations
- LoFi for cross-device sync
Carrier Wave handles all of this automatically — log once, sync everywhere.
| Service | Uploads | Downloads |
|---|---|---|
| QRZ.com | QSOs | QSOs, Callsign info |
| POTA | Activations | — |
| LoFi | QSOs | QSOs |
| LoTW | — | Confirmations |
| Club Log | QSOs | QSOs |
| HAMRS | — | QSOs |
| eQSL | QSOs | QSOs |
What’s Next?
Ready to get started? Let’s set up Carrier Wave on your device.