There is a wide variety of logging programs to choose. Some are meant only for every day logging. Others are meant specifically for contesting. Some will do both.
Awards Tracking Logging Software
Another name for ‘every day logging’ is awards tracking software. This is the one repository of your contacts where progress towards various milestones are compiled. Milestones include Worked All States, Worked 100 Contries, County Chasing, etc.
My personal preference for my general purpose logging software was ACLog by N3FJP. Ham Radio Deluxe is starting to get my attention, however.
The way I use ACLog is:
- Every day contacts with individuals I enter directly into ACLog.
- Contacts made with my Digital Mode software, MixW or Digipan, I import into ACLog using the ADIF file interchange format.
- Contest contacts are made with a contest logger where I later import them into ACLog using the ADIF file interchange format.
- I maintain the status of QSL cards sent and received in ACLog.
The way I use my logging software packages is all my contacts eventually wind up in ACLog. From there I can keep track of the various totals, upload to eQSL, upload to Logbook of the World (LOTW) and keep track of QSL card sent and received status.
I mentioned Ham Radio Deluxe. This is quite a full featured program. I have avoided it for many years because of some computer blue screen events while trying to run it. However, it seems to be more stable now. There is a central log window with satellite windows used for specific actions including Digital Modes and Satellite Frequency tracking. However, the one thing I like most about Ham Radio Deluxe is its ability to save the log information in a MySQL database. This, finally, divorces the log data from the proprietary database structure of most other programs. Plus, with some internet trickery, you can host the database somewhere else and that is exactly what I did. With the MySQL tables near a web server, I can now serve up QSO data live as it is saved. This is exactly what I have done and you can see my QSOs here…
There is still work to be done, but this, for me, is pretty cool.
Contest Logging
My contest loggers vary. For quick install and use, N3FJP has contest logging software customized for each supported event. This is unlike most other contest logging programs which have one base program with customizations for each contest. The latter method is certainly the more flexible way to go. However, if there is a N3FJP program for your favorite contest, it is a dirt simple way of getting quickly accustomed to that contest’s rules.
N1MM and Writelog are two contest logging programs I am starting to use more often. They have the single program model with customizations for each supported contest’s rules.
For the ARRL Field Day up through 2010 my club used the network version of the N3FJP FDNet software. Works great. Now we use N1MM in network mode when site-wide dupe checking is necessary.
We will review various titles from time to time, but for now here is a list of known titles…
59+ Log, Analyzer, Converter 4 4.2 12/31/03
AALog for Windows 3.1/9x/NT 16 4.8 11/3/06
AATest 1 5.0 10/19/05
AC Log by N3FJP 99 4.9 2/2/08
AC Log by N3FJP 9 5.0 2/14/08
ARRL – Logbook of the World –
LoTW 227 3.4 2/2/08
Cab-converter v1.01 3 5.0 3/15/06
CommCat 19 4.8 2/25/07
CQRLOG for Linux 1 5.0 12/29/07
CT by K1EA 10 3.9 4/28/06
DX Tracker 4 4.5 11/29/04
DX4Win 45 4.4 7/25/07
DXBase 2000 and later versions 53 4.6 12/15/07
DXKeeper 8 4.8 8/11/06
DXLab by AA6YQ 28 4.9 1/14/08
DXLOG & ClusterLog 1 5.0 4/14/03
DXLOG / ClusterLog 0
EasyLog 8 4.9 8/16/07
FDLOG by WB6ZQZ 0
Field Day Logger by N2TDK 2 4.5 6/26/01
G4FAL Contest Logging 0
GenLog32 By W3KM 4 4.8 2/7/08
Ham Log Program 3 5.0 1/26/03
Ham Radio Deluxe Logbook 24 4.8 2/3/08
HAM-LOG for Windows 1 5.0 4/2/07
Hamlog 4.0 (Macintosh) 1 5.0 8/21/00
HamLogBook
HyperLog 4.xx 10 3.1 10/9/07
jLog 4 5.0 2/12/08
jLog for Mac, Kinux and Windows 0
KA1VGM NetManager 2 3.0 4/25/07
KLog 3 4.7 10/31/07
KLog ver 1.1.31 – 5.1 Mb 0
Kwiklog Classic 2 2.5 12/13/04
Log Window 32 4.2 1/4/08
LOG-EQF ver 9.06 19 4.6 2/12/07
Logger 34 4.4 3/21/06
Logger32 36 4.3 1/19/08
LOGic 5.0 for Windows 24 3.6 10/16/03
Logic 6 for Windows 5 4.8 2/28/04
LOGic 7 for Windows 10 4.8 2/20/06
LOGic 8 – Logging for windows 14 4.9 1/22/08
Lux-Log 6 4.8 8/4/03
MacLoggerDX 64 4.9 2/12/08
McQ_Log 1 5.0 6/9/02
MicroLog by WA0H 3 5.0 10/23/07
miLog 9 4.8 8/6/07
MobileLog – Logging software for
PocketPC PDAs 1 5.0 3/4/04
MobileLog for PocketPC (WindowsCE) 0
MobileLog for PocketPC (WindowsCE) 0
N1MMlogger 49 4.9 2/11/08
N3FJP Contesting Software 29 4.9 7/8/07
NA by K8CC 3 5.0 4/22/06
Paper Chasers Log 0
Paper Chasers Log – PCL 0
Paper Chasers Log by N0OKS 11 4.7 12/13/07
Paper Chasers Log by N0OKS 0
PortaLog by HamHeld 1 5.0 5/9/05
PRL 3.0 (Palm Radio Log) 0
Prolog 3 4.7 8/4/07
Prolog2K 42 4.8 1/11/08
Rabbit Logger ver 10.5 3 3.3 6/15/02
RCKLog 3 5.0 2/25/07
RodLog 1 5.0 12/2/07
RoverLog 0
SCR-Log for School Club Roundup 0
SD by EI5DI 15 5.0 1/23/08
Sharps Logger 0
Shortwave Log 3 3.3 9/2/07
SWISSLOG 8 4.9 7/5/06
TACLog by OZ2M for Fielday 0
TACLog by OZ2M for VHF/UHF
Fieldday 1 5.0 7/17/01
tlf 7 5.0 12/28/07
TRLog by N6TR 7 4.9 12/6/03
TurboLog 3 4.3 2/8/04
Twlog 0
UCXLog 2 5.0 3/17/06
VHFCONT by KC6TEU (freeware) 2 4.5 1/31/08
VHFTEST by WG3E (freeware) 3 5.0 6/11/02
VQLog 20 4.4 7/27/07
Win-EQF 28 4.7 1/12/08
Win-Test contest logging software 16 4.9 8/1/07
Winlog32 33 4.5 12/15/07
WJ2O 6 2.3 1/15/01
WLOG2000 1 5.0 1/16/05
WriteLog by W5XD 34 4.4 12/20/07
xlog 5 4.6 11/11/07
XMLog 15 4.8 5/2/07
YFKlog 1 5.0 11/19/07
YPLOG by VE6YP
