[W1SMH] Logging Software - More than you may want to know

[J. Agius]

More than you may want to know about logging software;

I have looked at the N3FJP software that was mentioned at the Club meeting
On 16 June 2009.

Basically Logging software is divided into 2 categories
1.	General Logging software 
2.	Contesting software.

The main N3FJP software is a General logging software program that can be used in 
place of the old manual log book.  It keeps track of all your contacts and can 
generate reports based on countries worked, counties worked, islands worked by 
band, mode, and a variety of different parameters.
This type of program is great for your general ham needs.
I use Mlog myself and have a huge DB of all my contacts etc.
All of these programs generally provide an ADIF format import and export utility
So that you can transfer files between any two of them to change your likes and dislikes
As will.
It is comparable to the General N3FJP software.

There are also programs like N1MM which does the same thing.
These programs can also connect to your rig and change the band and the frequency
Directly from your PC.
In the N3FJP software I do not see an interface for the Kenwood 870 (for rig control) but others may work.


This is a description of the N3FJP software that does this:

Amateur Contact Log is designed to serve as a general logging program. 
In addition, it keeps track of your progress towards Worked All States, 
Worked All Counties, Worked All Countries and many other accomplishments.
 The program also features a call book lookup function using data freely 
available from the FCC and RAC websites. (This database is called AC Log 
Calldata and contains U.S. and Canadian call signs.) QRZ and Buckmaster HamCall 
data sources are also supported, and they include many DX calls. AC Log will 
interface with many different radios, send CW and provide DX spotting with 
lists and band maps.
--- 

With that said, there are also contesting software programs which are specifically 
designed to work with each type of contest such as field day, 10 meters, sweepstakes,
Etc.

I will assume (which is a bad thing to do so I will just surmise) that the software about which we spoke at the meeting refers to the latter of the above which is a specialized program written for field day by N3FJP.

This program is comparable to CT and other contesting only software.
After using such a program the file generated is then merged with the former 
mentioned program into the main shack program so that all contact you ever made 
are logged in one place.

With the case of W1SMH field day, we will only use the generated program to submit
to ARRL since we do not have a general program up in the radio room
to keep track of all our contacts made there (these of course are theoretically
entered by any operator who works the transmitter (transceiver) up in the radio room.
It would be a good project to automated that as well.

Back to the topic at hand -
Last night it was mentioned that when an operator changes, we should manually log
the number of the QSO.  As I suspected, there is an option in the field day
version of N3FJP to do this.
All the other features which we are used to are also there.

What is not on the screen – as was mentioned there was – are the F key
Controls, so there is no advantage there over CT but change is a good thing..

Ctrl B - Band Map 
Ctrl C - CW Setup Form
Ctrl D - DX Spotting Settup
Ctrl F - Frequency Privileges
Ctrl P - Phone Setup Form 
Ctrl R - Rig Control Setup Form
Ctrl W - CW Strings

Other changes are menu driven, which is an advantage for those of us with 
Less than perfect memories.

There will be a learning curve, as with everything else especially for the CW operators,
which total in the vicinity of 3 or 4 that I am aware of, and so long as we don’t lose the files as has happened in the past on some occasions, we should come  out ahead.

If I have a chance, I will try keying with the program and get a head start..
John (EWN) are you planning on configuring the program so that it is all set to go for Phone and CW?