Renewing a Callsign Certificate

These instructions assume that

To initiate the renewal of your certificate,
1.Delete the Callsign Certificate Request file C:\MyLoTWCertificates\YourCallsign.tq5 if it's present; this original certificate request is no longer needed.
2.Navigate to C:\MyLoTWCertificates and create a subfolder there named Obsolete, if this subfolder has not previously been created
3.Move the Callsign Certificate file YourCallsign.tq6 from the folder C:\MyLoTWCertificates to its subfolder C:\MyLoTWCertificates\Obsolete, replacing any existing file in that subfolder with the same name
4.Move the Certificate Container file YourCallsign.p12 from the folder C:\MyLoTWCertificates to its subfolder C:\MyLoTWCertificates\Obsolete, replacing any existing file in that subfolder with the same name
5.Start the TQSLCert application; the tQSL Certificates window will appear, displaying a list of your Callsign Certificates
6.In the tQSL Certificates window, click on the certificate to be renewed, and open the Certificate menu's Renew Certificate command
7.The Generate Certificate Request window will appear, showing that you are creating a new Callsigh Certificate Request file; click the Next button
8.The Generate Certificate Request window will now show your Callsign and DXCC entity (both grayed out because they can't be changed)
   8.athe QSO begin date should already be set to the begin date specified on your current certificate
   8.bfor an active callsign, the QSO end date should be remain blank; for an inactive callsign, the QSO end date should already be set to the end date specified on your current certificate
   8.cclick the Next button
9.The Generate Certificate Request window will now show your name and address; make any necessary corrections, and click the Next button
10.The Generate Certificate Request window will now show your email address; make any necessary corrections, and click the Next button
11.The Generate Certificate Request window will now prompt you to specify a password; leave both password boxes empty, and click the Finish button
12.A Save request window will appear, with the File name set to YourCallsign.tq5; navigate to C:\MyLoTWCertificates, and then click the Save button to save your new Callsign Certificate Request file
13.A tQSLCert window will appear, explaining how to convey your new Callsign Certificate Request file to the ARRL; click the OK button
14.The tQSL Certificates window will display an entry for your new certificate request with a pending icon:  
15.Upload your certificate request to the ARRL via https://p1k.arrl.org/lotw/upload ; use the web page's Choose File button to navigate to the folder C:\MyLoTWCertificates and select the YourCallsign.tq5 file you find there; then click the Upload file button
16.Retain the YourCallsign.tq5 file; its presence in C:\MyLoTWCertificates will be required when you accept the certificate that the ARRL will send you, so don't delete it!
17.terminate TQSLCert by opening its File menu and selecting the Exit command

 

When you receive email from the ARRL message with an attached file named YourCallsign.tq6,
18.save the attached file into the folder C:\MyLoTWCertificates
19.Start the TQSLCert application; the tQSL Certificates window will appear, displaying a list of your Callsign Certificates, as will an Alert window asking if you are ready to load your new certificate; click the Alert window's Yes button.
   19.athe Load Certificate File window will appear; in this window, set the type of certificate to TQSL (.tq6), and click the Next button; the Select Certificate File window will appear
   19.bin the Select Certificate File window, select the file C:\MyLoTWCertificates\YourCallsign.tq6 and click the Open button; a small Install Certificate window will appear
   19.cin the Install Certificate window, click the Finish button
   19.dthe tQSL Certificates window should now show a single entry for your certificate with a yellow medal icon:  
       19.d.1.click on this entry to select it
       19.d.2.create a Certificate Container file by opening the Certificate menu and clicking the Save menu item; the Enter PKCS#12 file to save to window will appear
       19.d.3.in the Enter PKCS#12 file to save to window, set the Save in folder to C:\MyLoTWCertificates, set the File name to YourCallsign.p12, and click the Save button; a PKCS#12 Password window will appear
       19.d.4.in the PKCS#12 Password window, specify the same password in both textboxes, and click the OK button; be certain to remember this password, as you'll need it whenever you use this Callsign Certificate to submit QSOs to LoTW.
   19.eif you received more than one certificate file from the ARRL, then open the File menu and select the Load Certificate File command and proceed to step 19a above; after all received certificate files have been processed, terminate TQSLCert by opening the File menu and selecting the Exit command.
20.Make a backup copy of C:\MyLoTWCertificates\YourCallsign.tq12, and store this backup copy in a secure place; it will enable you to recover your Callsign Certificate in the event your computer's hardware or software malfunctions