so ive been using just a basic paper log for like 3 years now which i know is ridiculous but i finally want to get a proper software setup going. the problem is every time i start reading about logging software i end up in some rabbit hole for 2 hours and come out more confused than when i started

from what i can tell N1MM is basically the gold standard for contests but kind of overkill if youre just doing casual HF work and chasing DX on the side? and Log4OM seems more like an everyday logbook that also handles awards tracking and stuff. but then WSJT-X is its own thing and i guess it has its own log built in but i dont want to have like 3 separate logs that never talk to each other

i did a couple FT8 contacts last month using a friends setup and i want to get into that more, also maybe try some SSB contesting this fall. is there a setup where one piece of software kind of handles it all or do people just run N1MM for contests and Log4OM the rest of the time and import stuff back and forth. the ADIF export/import thing sounds like it works but also sounds like a pain honestly

running windows 10 on a pretty average laptop if that matters, IC-7300 is the radio

yeah the three-log problem is real and kind of annoying. what most people i know do is run WSJT-X pointed at Log4OM via UDP and it just logs FT8 contacts automatically in real time, you barely have to think about it. Log4OM has a UDP server built in specifically for this, just takes a few minutes to configure the ports and it works pretty seamlessly. so your FT8 stuff goes straight into your main log without doing any manual imports

for contests its a different story, N1MM is just better for that, theres really not much argument there. the rate display, the dupe checking, the cabrillo export, nothing else comes close for serious contest operating. but what i do is after the contest ends i export the log as ADIF from N1MM and import it into Log4OM to keep everything in one master log. its like a 2 minute job, not really a big deal once you get used to it

the IC-7300 plays well with both btw, N1MM talks to it great over the USB cable for CAT control and Log4OM does too. honestly your setup is pretty straightforward, just takes an afternoon to get everything configured and youll be good

Log4OM is honestly underrated, i switched to it from DXKeeper about a year ago and the WSJT-X integration is dead simple once you get the UDP port sorted out. dont overthink the contest side of things too much if youre just starting out, even Log4OM can handle a casual contest entry, its not N1MM but for a weekend sprint or something its totally fine

only thing id say is make sure you back up your ADIF file somewhere other than just your laptop, i learned that one the hard way