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This Presentation
⢠This presentation outlines my search for the best logging programs for my operationsâ This search was not exhaustive, but I tried to do my
homeworkâ There are many logging programs available and it is
very likely that most of them will do the jobâ Most of the information presented here will apply to
other logging programsâ This presentation is not an attempt to compare or
evaluate different programs, the intent is to illustrate the capabilities of computer logging
â The goal was to work DX and track awards
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History
⢠Paper logsâ Original FCC logging requirements
⢠Log all transmissions⢠Even CQs
â All logs were paper, personal computers had not been invented yetâŚ
⢠Card files or Rolodexâ 3x5 cards were used to
ârememberâ data for stations frequently contacted
â It was nice to greet an op that you had previously worked by name
â Notes could be made on QSO details, equipment, common interests, etc.
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AE6RR Logs
⢠When I first got my novice license, WV6SVW in 1961, I had a paper log
⢠When I got re-licensed in 2004, I went down to the Candy Store and bought a paper log
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My experiences with paper logs
⢠When I got back on the air, my goal was to work DXâ I was advised to get into some DX contests to get my totals
going
⢠I jumped into the 2004 CQ WW DX contest with a paper logâ I didnât want to make a mess out of my logbook, so I spent
quite a bit of time scratching down call letters on a pad and then entering them into the log , this resulted in a low Q rate
⢠After the contest, I came to a few of conclusionsâ If I wanted to submit a log, I realized that now I would have to
copy the log data onto submission formsâ I spent a lot of time QSLing and tracking the QSLsâ There had to be a better wayâŚâ Maybe a computer program would be the answer
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Why do you need a computer?
⢠Bill Gateâs Mother once asked him why anyone would need a personal computerâŚ
⢠Chances are that you already have one in the ham shack or near by
⢠You may be using it for DX Cluster packet spots, email, PSK31, antenna modeling or other tasks
⢠How about getting some more use out of it?
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General Operation
⢠Have you have ever contacted this station before?â Recall the Opâs name, QTH and any
QSO notesâ Automatically look up the stationâs
info on QRZ.com
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Contesting
⢠Quick entry of QSOsâ No need to enter date/time as the computer
already knows that informationâ No need to enter the frequency and mode as
that information can be read from the rigâ Automatic âdupeâ checkingâ Automatic score calculationâ Prompting for the correct exchange information
for the particular contestâ Packet spottingâ Easy submission of the contest log â just email
it
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DXing
⢠Quickly log the contact with the correct date and time (UTC)â No scrambling around for a pencil in the heat of
battle â the computer knows what time it is in UTC
â The current frequency and mode can be read from the rig and logged
â The stations QSL data can be logged directly from QRZ.com or a CD data base
⢠If the station was not found on QRZ.com, did you log the call letters correctly?
⢠This is good confirmation after you have logged the ârareâ one
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DXing (cont.)
⢠Integrated Cluster Packet spotsâ Do I need this station?
⢠What mode, band, etc.?â Alerts â the program can notify you when a country
that you need gets spottedâ Many logging programs can tune your rig to the
spotted frequency of the DX station and turn your antenna to the correct heading by just double clicking the spot data
â A logging program can start the QSO log entry with the stations call letters, frequency, etc. All you have to do is click the Add or Save QSO button when the DX confirms your call.
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DXing (cont.)⢠Award tracking
â Track QSLs⢠Record date sent and received (hopefully)⢠Print QSL labels and mailing labels⢠Print reports of outstanding QSLs and ânew
onesâ that you have not sent the QSLs to
â Track award status⢠How many DXCC âcountriesâ have I worked (by
band, mode)?⢠How many confirmed?⢠Which ones have I submitted?⢠Which ones have been accepted?
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DXing (cont.)
⢠Award tracking (cont.)â Track other awards such as IOTA,
WAS, WAZ and DX Field Awardâ Submit log data to Logbook of the
World (LoTW), eQSL or other online award systems (save postageâŚ)
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General Features
⢠Import / Export dataâ Most programs can export or import in the
standard ADIF formatâ Export data from your Contest logger and
import it to your DX logger after the contest to check for any new countries and generate QSL information
â Export data to LoTWâ Export data to Excel or a data base
program for detailed analysis
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Contest Logger Selection⢠Contest logging can be very complex
â Multiple ops & networkingâ Calculation of scoreâ Must be reliable, if your program crashes in the
middle of the contest, you could lose it all
⢠I asked some local contesters for recommendationsâ Several recommended WriteLogâ I purchased WriteLog and proceeded to type
my contest log inâ It worked well and I used it in the next contest
with good results
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After the Contest
⢠After submitting my contest log, the next step was QSLingâ My original purpose in entering a DX
contest was to work new countriesâ My first step in QSLing was to look up all of
the stations worked in QRZ.com and compile a list with addresses, manually
â I spent hours filling out QSL cards by hand and addressing envelopes
â There had to be a better wayâŚ
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Awards
⢠My Award Goalsâ WACâ WASâ DXCC
⢠Manual Award trackingâ Marking up published lists from ARRL
⢠Cards were sorted and calls entered on lists⢠Blank spots on the list were the âneeded onesâ⢠There had to be a better wayâŚ
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The DX Logger
⢠There are many logging programs available â most will do the jobâ Some are shareware (free)
⢠Disadvantage (perceived) â you usually get what you pay for
⢠Advantage â no costâ Some need to be purchased
⢠Disadvantage â could be expensiveâ What if you spend the money and decide that you
donât like the program?⢠Advantage â support, fancy graphics, etc.⢠Many offer an evaluation download version
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Commercial Logging Software
⢠Consâ Some did not have a field for power entryâ Some did not log the frequency, only the
bandâ No refunds if you decide that this one is not
for you
⢠Prosâ Tech support availableâ Fancy graphics â color maps, grey line
charts, etc.
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The Investigation
⢠I started by downloading a couple of programs to try out, some commercial and some freeware
⢠I found some features that I didnât likeâ Lack of some log fields that were important to meâ User interfaces that seamed awkward to useâ Lack of a standard âLogbookâ entry screen
⢠I was used to the paper logbook⢠My contest logger, WriteLog had the classic logbook
screen
⢠Features that I likedâ Database processing (you can access data by any field)â QRZ.com interfaceâ Online user groups for support (support at 1AM?)
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Commercial Programs Tried Out
⢠DX4WINâ Cost $89 (download â no CD or printed
manual)â No Frequency field â just logs the bandâ No Power fieldâ Many other featuresâ Free download of demo version
⢠DXbase for Windowsâ Cost: $99 (download â no CD or printed
manual)â Supports many awardsâ Full featured logging programâ Demo version expired before I was able
to spend much time with it
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Freeware Programs Tried Out
⢠XMLogâ Free (download â no CD or printed manual)â Basic logging programâ Easy to useâ I imported some contest logs and was up and
runningâ As this program worked out well, the search ended
here
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First Impressions
⢠Freewareâ Download for free
⢠Author asks for donations if you like the program
â Email and Yahoo! User Group support⢠Most of the people posting on the group seemed to
like the program
⢠Easy to setupâ You can start with the basic QSO entry screenâ Additional screens (windows) can be opened
and configured when you are ready for them
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First Impressions
⢠ADIF Import / Exportâ You can import your contest logs (or any other
logsâ You can export to another program if you
decide to change programs later on â you are not committed to this one
â You can upload logs to LoTW or eQSL
⢠No logbook entry screenâ There is a report that lists QSOs in a logbook
type displayâ At first this was a problem for me, but I got
used to it
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The QSO Window
⢠Other fields can be added via a setup menuâ Time off fieldâ Contest In/Out fieldsâ Satellite fields
⢠Clicking the button at the bottom left will select other screens that can be cycled throughâ Address fieldsâ Award tracking fieldsâ Station info fields
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QSLing
⢠Downloads data from QRZ.comâ Operatorâs name and addressâ QSL managerâ QSL addressâ Station info such as Zone and Grid locator
⢠Prints labels (standard Avery labels)â QSL labels in several formats
⢠Multiple QSOs⢠Single QSOs
â Mailing labels
⢠Tracks QSL sent and received dates for each log entry
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QSL Labels⢠Labels can be printed on standard Avery label stock
â Multiple Qs per label or a single Qâ Address labels from QRZ.com dataâ Custom labels can be created, even QSL cardsâ Just peel them off and stick âem on!
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Award tracking
⢠XMLog tracks the following awardsâ DXCCâ WASâ WAZâ Countiesâ IOTAâ Grids
⢠2, 4, or 6 digit â can be used for CQ Field Award, satellite or VHF/UHF award tracking
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DX Cluster Spotting
⢠Sometimes called Cluster Spots, Packet Spots, Packet Networks, etc.
⢠Original spotting clusters were via 2M radio packet repeaters (digipeaters)
⢠Now most spotting clusters are on the Internetâ There are 2 types
⢠Web (html) basedâ DX Summit - http://oh2aq.kolumbus.com/dxs/
⢠Telnet based http://ab5k.net/ArcNodeList.aspxâ telnet://n7od.pentux.net/â telnet://dxc.ab5k.net/
⢠XMLog and most other logging programs only work with the Telnet based clusters
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Rig Interface
⢠QSO mode and frequency can be read from the rig and automatically filled in on the QSO window
⢠The frequency and bearing from the Packet Window can be used to tune the rig to the DX frequency and point the beam (if you have a rotator with a computer interface)
⢠Interfaces to most modern radios that have a serial interface (Kenwood, Icom, Yaesu, Ten Tech, etc.)
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The QSOs/Check Call Window
⢠Checks Calls or partial callsâ Displays needed statusâ Displays any previous QSO info with Opâs name
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The Display Window
⢠Displays or prints QSOs in the standard log book formatâ Can also export to Excel for special analysis
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Log Searches
⢠The log file is a databaseâ It can be searched for desired
information⢠Searches can be on any log field
â Country prefixesâ Date rangesâ Entry or lack of in any field (i.e. IOTA entered)
⢠Searches can use âwild cardsâ such as * or ?⢠Search can use ânotâ data
â You could search for all Qs with calls that are not a âWâ
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Other features
⢠CW keyboard windowâ Can send CW messages
⢠Packet spots historyâ A list of packet spots
⢠Voice alertsâ Notifies you when a new one is
spotted
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How to get XMLog
⢠Go to http://www.xmlog.comâ Download the file
⢠There are usually two versions availableâ The last released version with no known problemsâ The latest Beta version
Âť Contains the latest enhancements and fixesÂť I usually download this one
â Run the install programâ Configure the program for your installation
⢠Setup the rig interface for your rig⢠Setup callbook preference (QRZ.com, etc.)⢠Setup the packet node for your favorite⢠Enter your station info (QTH, etc.)
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Tips
⢠Donât try to setup everything at onceâ Start with the QSO window
⢠Select your defaults for logging (power level, get freq./mode from rig, get info from callbook, etc.
⢠Setup your station QTH info under the Options/Station Info menu
⢠Setup the callbook under Options/Callbook Setup before importing or entering Qs
â Move on to other windows such as Cluster packet when you are ready
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Entering Data
⢠I have umpteen million Qs in my log, this is hopelessâŚ
⢠Here are some options to get goingâ Start by importing any computer logs that you may
have, such as contest logsâ Start with this yearâs, this monthâs or todayâs Qsâ Start by entering your QSL cardsâ Start by entering your DXCC recordâ Pay a high school kid or family member to enter
logs⢠Be sure to setup your station info and call
lookup preference (QRZ.com or CDROM database) before entering Qs
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Backup Your Log!
⢠Back it up frequently, especially if you just entered a lot of data!
⢠Backup to another computer or storage mediumâ Use floppy disks or CDsâ Use a network to copy log files if you have
one
⢠When you download a new version of the programâ Backup your whole directory before installing
a new version
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Question & Problems
⢠Join the Yahoo! Groupâ There are many knowledgeable
users that monitor the groupâ Someone on the group may have
had the same question or problem that you are having
â The author of the program, Mike, W1ETC monitors the group
⢠Email the author
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Suggestions for Enhancements
⢠If you have ideas for enhancements to the programâ Post them on the Yahoo! Groupâ Mike is open to enhancements that would be of general
interest to the users
⢠The program is frequently updated with new featuresâ Watch the group postings for new beta releases
⢠If you enjoy XMLog and think that it is usefulâ Consider making a contribution to the authorâ He does have expenses with the web site etc.â If you make a contribution, your suggestions could
have more weightâŚ
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Other Programs
⢠Some may be better suited to your needs
⢠If you start will a freeware program, you can evaluate the benefits of computer logging at no cost
⢠The only investment is your time⢠You can always upgrade to another
program later if want features that are not supported
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Enjoy Computer Logging
⢠Remember this is a hobbyâ Have funâ Donât try to do it all at onceâ You donât have to be a computer
nerd to do this â you can find one to help if need be
â˘ANDâŚ