I am looking for a “simple” PC based Logbook. Simple means in this context the restriction to the following main features:
The very first application will be the substitution of my activator paper logs (with QSL s/r remark). That requires a neat import of the already entered data in the SOTA DB.
Any suggestions?
Heinz
HB9BCB
Hello Heinz,
I have been using DXKeeper etc. for years. Free and ticks all the boxes.
http://www.dxlabsuite.com/
I would have written more but now being called for the evening meal.
Night night
Best wishes & HNY
Mike
Hi Heinz
Happy New Year!
I could recommend Logger 32 - scary when first downloaded, so many things you could configure if you wanted to… BUT the program can be used as a very basic logbook to start with and then bells and whistles turned on when you felt confident to try them or when needed them. Logger32 is very good for exporting logs in ADIF and then for conversion using Alain’s (F6ENO) programs such as ADI2SOTA and SOTA Saisie for importing quickly into the database.
I have a SOTA column in Logger32 where I list the refs ( eg W4G/HC-001) for export using ADIF.
Picture shows full logbook just as I am about to log my present QSO with Robert W2CKL 
-
I have it configured for transceiver and rotator control by PC, MM0FMF SOTA Cluster, a CW Machine (rarely used), and Datamodes. If you just want a basic logbook though look at the top section of the screen. That can be enlarged to cover the whole screen and everything else can be turned off.
There are many choices in station management software and this is the only one I know - used for well over a decade, free of charge, well supported by a team of people and regularly updated. If you go for it I could offer advice on configuration via e-mail so you could set it up as a basic logbook to start with and build it up from there at your leisure.
73 Phil G4OBK
Heinz,
You might like to review “Station Log” which is a derivative of VK Contest Log. I think it covers what you are looking for, without all of the extras.
http://www.mnds.com.au/vkcl/station.htm
73 & HNY de VK3ANL
Nick
Hi Mike, Phil and Nick,
Happy New Year!
I appreciate your contributions, many thanks.
It may be possible that my dream tool looks too simple to exist, hi.
Next I will reconsider the many postings relevant to this subject (also on old reflector).
It may well be that Excel meets all my needs.
73 gl,
Heinz HB9BCB
Hello Heinz,
I use Log4OM. It has adif input, it will show statistics on your SOTA chasing/activations, and will output to csv format suitable for input into the SOTA db. It also lets you track other award schemes.
It’s free so you can give it a try, and try something else if you don’t like it.
73 Ian VK1DI
Hi Ian,
The die is not yet cast.
Looking at the eham reviews for Log4OM makes me curious, hi.
BTW, a satisfactory solution to meet my needs could be to
73 HNY,
Heinz HB9BCB
Hi Heinz…
Have a look on BV7 and FLE from DF3CB.
73 de Tom
DL1DVE
I have a project for something like that called qsorep. It is used to maintain a local ADIF-file repository from different internet QSO databases. The idea is to recycle the existing data as much as possible and to avoid the need to retype it again.
For example I wanted to update my QSO data in LoTW. My paper log for call sign F5VGL has mostly chaser QSOs and few other QSOs that are not related to SOTA. These chaser QSOs are already in the SOTA database. I downloaded that data from SOTA database as a CSV log. Then start the qsorep
qsorep -l Qsorep/
Here Qsorep is the directory containing the repository. Next I convert the CSV file to ADIF log
log: F5VGL20150102 create log /home/f5vgl/Downloads/F5VGL_chaserlog_20150102.csv chasef5vgl
Here is chasef5vgl is a filter file that determines how the chaser log is modified when it is converted to ADIF. In my case it adds the country (France), CQ (14) and ITU (27) zones to the ADIF QSOs.
Using the filter is optional and it can be left out or a dummy filter can be used if no modification/addition to QSO data is to be done.
If the command line above was typed carefully a new file F5VGL20150102 is now in the repository. You can edit it with the command
log: F5VGL20150102 edit diff
and add the missing QSOs from the paper log. With option diff the program will show you the modifications done to the file and ask permission to over write the previous version.
Next the file is exported for signing with tqsl program
log: F5VGL20150102 export lotw
The export here is again a filter operation on the ADIF-log to make it compatible with the present version of LoTW. The file F5VGL20150102_lotw.adi is then signed with the tsql and uploaded or emailed to LoTW.
73, Jaakko OH7BF/F5VGL
Edit: short instructions to install on Raspberry Pi.
Install first git if you do not have it already
sudo apt-get install git
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/oh7bf/adifmerg.git
Copy the files
cd adifmerg
sudo cp adifmerg /usr/sbin/
sudo cp qsorep /usr/sbin/
sudo cp doc/adifmerg.1 /usr/share/man/man1/
sudo cp doc/qsorep.1 /usr/share/man/man1/
Set editor environment variable
export EDITOR=/usr/bin/nano
Create the initial repository
qsorep -l Qsorep
Hello Heinz,
I use sotacsveditor G0LGS: Software Information to read the activations csv logs downloaded from the SOTA DB, then export from this into adif format. This can then be imported into Log4om or whatever logging program you go with. It will migrate signal reports if they are in the comments field.
Cheers
Ian VK1DI
Hello Heinz,
I’ve used a paper log for over 50 years but the drudgery of transcribing it into EXCEL for uploading to the SOTA data page finally got me to go electronic. I use an Excel spreadsheet with the SOTA format. It works OK for me. Can’t get much simpler. Easy to make a copy, remove non-SOTA contacts and save ready to upload to SOTA site.
If you want more than that then it’s not a simple log any more.
73
HNY
Ron
VK3AFW
Hi Heinz,
I don’t think anyone has mentioned Saisie SOTA yet.
I think it will tick most of your boxes.
It has real time logging and exports both ADIF and SOTA CSV files.
Although I use a pencil and paper on the hill, Saisie SOTA is where all my scribbles end up before it gets uploaded to my HRD log and the SOTA database.
More info in the thred below.
72
Pete
Hi all,
The die is cast: Excel does definitively meet all my requirements (to track the QSL status - no more, no less).
Thanks again for the contributions.
73 HNY,
Heinz HB9BCB