Why does Club Log block certain QSOs? What is whitelisting?


Club Log generally accepts any valid callsign in your log, and does not check whether the callsign is a real station.  


Whitelisting is a feature that is being introduced from April 2013 that changes this behaviour for rare DXCCs. It is a very simple process where only known callsigns are accepted for certain DXCCs. Whitelisting is designed to prevent inadvertent logging errors leading to improbable QSOs being stored in Club Log. 


Example: Imagine a keyboard error causes someone to mis-log W3ABC (United States), accidentally typing E3ABC (Eritrea). This is easily done as E is right next to W on many keyboards. What happens next?


If E3ABC is allowed to be uploaded as-is, it will lead to misleading reports that could confuse other users or distort the most-wanted lists for an extremely rare and sought-after DXCC entity. Club Log knows all of the valid callsigns (and dates) of activity from Eritrea, and will block this mistake because there is no record of E3ABC being active from Eritrea. It fails the "whitelist" test and is therefore blocked at upload. Club Log tells the person who uploaded the QSO immediately, hopefully helping them update the QSO and correct the typo.


What to do if you have a QSO blocked


If you have had a QSO blocked, it is because the callsign is not in the whitelist and the claimed DXCC is rare. If you check, hopefully you will agree with Club Log's decision (and perhaps you can correct the mistake). Note: It is important that you log the callsign exactly as it is stated on the QSL card for QSOs with whitelisted entities. If the QSL card says KC4ABC and you log KP1/KC4ABC, Club Log will block the QSO.


It is suggested that you check the entry in Call Tester for the call that you have uploaded. There is often a note there indicating the most likely correct callsign.


If you are sure that the QSO is genuine and not a mistake, we may need to update the records in Club Log. To ask for a new whitelist entry, follow these steps:


1) Reply to the upload warning (or email support@clublog.org)

2) Isolate the callsign you are aiming to have added (make it clear what the email is about)

3 Provide a short explanation and, ideally, a QSL card scan, which is always the best evidence.

4) We will check the claim and update the database accordingly. 


If there is some uncertainty, we might have to ask for more information - so the more you provide about the QSO in your message, the better.


Thanks for participating - we realise the whitelist can seem intrusive but we're doing our best to keep the database tidy with your help!


Whitelist Entities (effective at the time of this article)


Click on the entity, below, if you would like to see further notes about the whitelist for that entity.


3C0 - Annobon

3D2/C - Conway Reef

3Y0/b - Bouvet 

3Y0/p - Peter I

6O - Somalia

7O - Yemen 

9M0/S - Spratly Islands

BS7H - Scarborough Reef

BV9P - Pratas Island

C2 - Nauru

CE0X - San Felix

E3 - Eritrea

EP - Iran (from 2019-01-01 onwards)

EZ - Turkmenistan (from 2007-01-01 onwards)

FK/C - Chesterfield Island

FO/C - Clipperton Island

FT#E Juan de Nova, Europa

FT#G Glorioso

FT#T - Tromelin

FT#W - Crozet

FT#X - Kerguelen

H40 - Temotu Province

KH5 - Palmyra and Jarvis (from 1978-03-24)

KH5K - Kingman Reef

KH9 - Wake Island (from 1978-03-24)

KH1 - Baker Howland Islands (from 1978-03-24)

KH3 - Johnston Island (from 1978-03-24) 

KH4 - Midway Island (from 1978-03-24)

KH7K - Kure I.  (from 1995-04-01 onwards)

KH8S - Swains I.

JX - Jan Mayen

KP1 - Navassa

KP5 - Desecheo

P5 - North Korea 

PT0S - St Peter and Paul Rocks

PT0T - Trindade and Martim Vaz

VK9W - Willis Island

VP6D - Ducie Island

SV/A - Mount Athos

T2 - Tuvalu

T31 - Central Kiribati

T30 - Western Kiribati

T33 - Banaba Island

TI9 - Cocos I.

VK0/H - Heard I. 

VK0M - Macquarie I.

VK9M - Mellish Reef

VP8/O - South Orkney Islands

VP8/S - South Sandwich Islands

XF4 - Revillagigedo

XY - Myanmar  (from 1966 onwards)

YV0 - Aves Island

ZD9 - Tristan da Cunha

ZK3 - Tokelau Islands

ZL8 - Kermadec Islands

ZL9 - New Zealand subantarctic Islands

ZS8 - Price Edward and Marion Islands