Change of radio logging software from Ham Radio Deluxe to LOG4OM

For many years I have used Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) to control my radio and log contacts, which has served me well. When the program was sold to a commercial company I continued using the free version HRD v5.24, instead of the newer paid version 6, so knew it would eventually get out of date.

To log SOTA activation contacts, I first use a CSV file to upload the log into the sotadata website http://www.sotadata.org.uk/. I then download the activation log into a text file, for example a few lines from a recent log:

VK1DI/2,10/03/2014,00:13,VK2/SW-026,7MHz,SSB,VK1MDC/P,r578 s58 s2s VK1/AC-034
VK1DI/2,10/03/2014,00:14,VK2/SW-026,7MHz,SSB,VK3HRA,r51 s53

I then paste this text into the excellent web page of ON6ZQ at http://www.on6zq.be/w/index.php/SOTA.SOTA2ADIF#results

Then submit this to convert to adif format, eg the above log becomes

ADIF file
created by SOTA2ADIF (http://www.on6zq.be/w/index.php/SOTA/SOTA2ADIF) on 2014/03/15 05:26:29 UTC

<ProgramID:9>SOTA2ADIF
<ProgramVersion:8>20140315
<ADIF_VER:4>2.00
<EOH>
<Call:8>VK1MDC/P <QSO_DATE:8>20140310 <TIME_ON:4>0013 <Band:3>40M <Mode:3>SSB <STATION_CALLSIGN:7>VK1DI/2 <MY_SOTA_REF:10>VK2/SW-026 <COMMENT:34>VK2/SW-026 r578 s58 s2s VK1/AC-034 <EOR>
<Call:6>VK3HRA <QSO_DATE:8>20140310 <TIME_ON:4>0014 <Band:3>40M <Mode:3>SSB <STATION_CALLSIGN:7>VK1DI/2 <MY_SOTA_REF:10>VK2/SW-026 <COMMENT:18>VK2/SW-026 r51 s53 <EOR>

2 lines processed

I would then paste this adif code into a .adi adif file, then import into HRD to update my personal electronic radio log.

This worked fine, until the output was changed to ADIF v3.04 format...

ADIF 3.04 includes SOTA reference tags. Notice in the above <MY_SOTA_REF:10>VK2/SW-026

This would cause import errors importing into HRD 5.24...I could get around this by editing out the SOTA reference number, bit of a pain to do this every time though...

So given my logging software HRD is old and not being developed any more, had a look for a new radio logging program. After some research settled on LOG4OM, from http://www.pisto.it/wordpress/ham-radio-software-log4om/ 

This program is free and does support ADIF v3.04, what's more the developers are planning to add SOTA logging and award tracking in future releases!

I installed it, exported all my HRD contacts into an ADIF file, then imported them into LOG4OM.

Been playing about with it, quite good. Like HRD it allows updating eQSL and LOTW, also integrates with JTAlert and JT65 for direct logging. Also directly updates HRDlog and Clublog. Screen shot in action on my shack laptop. If you type the prefix of a call, it shows you all previous matches, what bands and modes you have worked this on, and if the contacts have been confirmed. Plus a world map showing where the prefix is. Cool!

There are QSO Management and QSL Management screens, eg below QSO Management and an entry. For SOTA use QTH to store the activators summit code, comments for my SOTA summit if in am also activating.

The Update button is handy, using HamQTH it will fill in name, address, QTH and Locator for you, if an entry found. HRD did allow updating too, however using QRZ.com data which requires a subscription, HamQTH data is free.

There are also bulk update utilities, so given a callsign can update all worked entries with the same data such as name, QTH etc. This lets me fill in many gaps... 

Look forward to seeing how the SOTA logging side of this works when released.