There is one aspect of Ham Radio in general and portable ops/SOTA in particular that I have yet to find a good solution (for me!) for is logging software. So I really would appreciate some hints in the right direction.
Disclaimer:
As I only operate portable and do not even have a shack I realize that my requirement are quite different from the majority of amateur radio operators and that there might just not be an ideal solution for me.
What I would like:
A lightweight logging software that allows to include a different operating postion (qth) for each log entry (grid square or SOTA reference).
With lightweight I mean no rig control, no contest focus and most importantly no bloated GUI with dozens of functions
A GUI that looks like itâs from the 21st century not from 1990
Export at least to ADIF
Dare I ask: iPhone support for data entry
sync (backup) to cloud service
In short: logging for the portable operator
Now of course Iâve looked at what is available, the best that I found are:
UcxLog: fast and lightweight but very much focused on contesting (and not SOTA)
Log4OM: great and free logging sw but way to much for my taste
Cloudlog: looks really neat but requires to set up (and maintain!) a server - a lot of work for my logging volume
The best solution (for me!) that I have found so far is Fast Log Entry â FLE and then upload the logs to Clublog. However that is very bare bones with no infos about callsigns, prior QSOs, distances, etc.
But if nothing else comes up that will be it.
I have looked at older threads in this forum of course but it seems a lot of the information is quite old, a lot of it pre 2013 with suggestions like Logger32âŚ
Learn to type faster? The keys have been in the same place for about 120 years now, so there isnât even a need to look where your fingers are located.
Maybe a misunderstanding: I donât mind to use pen and paper and am looking for a software to enter that information at home into the digital realm. Hence my preference for FLE so far.
However a little bit more functionality would be really nice - without being as huge as those full blown logging solutions for the shack.
As I said it would be a bonus to be able to enter data into that system with an iOS app but this is by no means a requirement.
I donât think I agree. There are applications that have tidy and minimal GUI. This forum is a great example!
Also there is logging software that has a nice GUI but they all seem to have to many features for my taste, esp. rig control. (Maybe I need to be looking at software that is very configureable, so I can customize which features are present/enabled?)
But text is also fine by me. As long as it is used in a sensible way. A few classics come to mind: emacs, mutt, lynx âŚ
Fair enough. Since phone access is also something desirable, would kludging something together via Google Forms work? All data would end up in a spreadsheet, which could then be exported as a .csv file?
Yes, that could work. I was also considering using some kind of spreadsheet. But as I would like to be able to sort and search the data (Have I had a QSO with this callsign before? Who did I work in this country before?) a database would be the better tool I think. Would make it easier to export to specific (custom) formats with a bit of Perl magic as well (and not just .csv).
But I have to admit: I am too lazy to write something, I would much rather spend the time outside with a radio⌠Like many I spend my days sitting in front of a computerâŚ
a mobile log recording application probably for a phone
an amateur radio specific database application for use in the shack
Both exist but you are being unreasonably sniffy about the UI or the fact the programs do many more things than you require (or think you require). So either use the current software and accept the UI fails to meet your standards and the program is bloaty. Or write your own and share it with us and we can amazed and in awe of your 1337 haxor skills at crafting a slick UI that does only what we need and nothing more:
Sorry but I can only see a binary choice: use what exists or write your own.
