Log Your First LLOTA QSO

In 10 minutes from "never opened the app" to your first valid LLOTA QSO (Lakes and Lagoons On The Air), including an award counter update.

Requirements

• HAM-Tools installed + license activated
• Your own callsign + locator set in Settings → Station
• Internet connection for the LLOTA lakes database (~6,500 refs, pre-installed in the app bundle)

Step 1 — Load the LLOTA Database

An initial snapshot of the ~6,500 lakes already ships in the app bundle, so you can start right away. For the latest state:

1. Open Settings → Data (⌘, → "Data" tab)
2. Click "Refresh" on the LLOTA Reference Database entry (loads live from llota.app/api/public/references)
3. Wait until the status pill shows "ready" with the lake count

Source

LLOTA launched in 2026 from Chile — the POTA alternative for lakes, lagoons and reservoirs. The reference list keeps growing, so an occasional refresh pays off.

Step 2 — Create an LLOTA Log

1. Main window → QSO panel → click "Outdoor" → sub-tab "LLOTA" (wave icon). If no LLOTA log exists yet, the wizard opens.
2. Pick Activator / Hunter:
   • Activator — you activate a lake (required: your own lake)
   • Hunter — you chase active lakes (lake comes per QSO)
3. Your own lake (Activator): type CH- → auto-complete shows the Swiss lakes; pick one
4. Click "Create" — the new log is active

Step 3 — Find an Active Lake (Hunter)

In the DXClusters tab of the LLOTA log you see the live spots directly from llota.app — unlike BOTA, LLOTA has its own spots API.

1. Set filters if you like: band, mode, program prefix (CH, CL, US …)
2. Double-click a row → the lake reference goes into the QSO form, and the frequency jumps (if CAT is connected) to the spot frequency
3. The feed refreshes automatically every 2 minutes (or via the "Refresh" button)

Step 4 — Fill in the QSO Form

When the lake was taken from the spot, most fields are already filled:

Field	What happens
Call	From the spot
Frequency	From the spot (or CAT)
Band	Automatically from frequency
Mode	From the spot (CAT mode overrides if connected)
Their Lake	From the spot (e.g. CH-0001) — DB lookup shows the lake name
RST	Default values per mode (59 / 599 / 599)
Name, QTH, Locator	Auto-fill via QRZ/HamQTH after TAB in the call field

What you have to type: RST received (what you actually heard).

Step 5 — Log It

Press Return or click the "Log QSO" button.

What happens in the background:

1. The QSO is saved to Logs/<your-log>.htlog SQLite
2. A duplicate check runs (same call + band + mode → warning)
3. If real-time upload is active: QRZ.com / eQSL / Club Log / LoTW get the QSO immediately
4. The 10/10 activation counter ticks up (10 QSOs/day activate a lake)

Step 6 — Check Award Status

1. In the logbook, switch to the "Awards" tab → sub-tab "LLOTA"
2. You see:
   • Activator lakes (+ QSOs)
   • Hunter lakes (+ QSOs)
   • Lake-to-Lake (L2L) — QSOs between two lakes
   • Programs (unique country prefixes like CH, CL, US, …)

For the official LLOTA logbook you upload the QSO to llota.app — via ADIF export from HAM-Tools (context bar → "Export ADIF"). The app writes MY_SIG=LLOTA standards-compliant; with multiple lakes, one file per ref.

Multi-Lake Hopping (for Activators)

Activators who activate several lakes on the same day use hopping. When creating the log (step 2, Activator):

1. Fill the "More lakes (hopping)" field as a comma list (e.g. CH-0002, IT-0011)
2. The live lookup shows each match with its lake name
3. Multi-ref split on export: the ADIF export writes one file per lake (HB9HJI@CH-0001 20260613.adi, each with a single MY_SIG_INFO) — as llota.app requires

Dual program

Is your lake inside a POTA park or WWFF area? In the wizard you can additionally enter POTA/SOTA/WWFF/BOTA refs — each QSO then counts for all programs, and the export writes the files for all platforms.

Common Problems

Spot list is empty
→ LLOTA is a young program — depending on the time of day there may be no lake active worldwide. The "Refresh" button forces a fresh fetch. An error line shows if llota.app is unreachable.

"Lake not found" on manual entry
→ Refresh the LLOTA DB (Settings → Data). If the lake is new and not in the DB yet, you can still type the reference — an orange hint line shows that the ref is not in the local DB; it is saved anyway, just without a name suggestion.

Next Steps

• Set up the LoTW pipeline — so your LLOTA QSOs get confirmed too
• CAT setup — read frequency automatically instead of typing
• LLOTA module docs — all features in detail