so ive been using Log4OM for general logging for about two years now and honestly i really like it for day to day stuff, the award tracking and the way it syncs with QRZ is pretty solid. but every time a contest rolls around im kind of stuck because Log4OM just doesnt feel right for contesting, the interface gets clunky and i miss dupes sometimes which is embarrassing.

a buddy at the club keeps telling me to just run N1MM for contests and then import the ADIF into Log4OM afterward. seems like a reasonable workflow but ive heard people have issues with duplicate QSOs when you do that, especially if youre also running WSJT-X at the same time for FT8 contacts. like if i work someone on FT8 during a contest that supports it and WSJT-X logs it, then N1MM also has it, then i import everything into Log4OM... that just seems like a mess waiting to happen.

does anyone actually run all three of these and have a clean workflow or am i overcomplicating this. right now i mostly do CW contests and some FT8 on weekends, not a serious contester but i like jumping into the state QSO parties and stuff like that.

yeah i run pretty much exactly that setup and it works fine once you get the import settings dialed in. the key with Log4OM is to set it to skip duplicates on ADIF import, theres a checkbox in the import dialog that most people miss. so after a contest i export the N1MM log as ADIF, do the same from WSJT-X if i worked any FT8 during the contest, and just import both into Log4OM. as long as duplicate checking is on ive never had a problem with double entries.

the only annoying part is that N1MM and WSJT-X can both be running UDP logging at the same time and if youre not careful they can step on each other. i actually just let WSJT-X log to its own file and dont bother with the real-time UDP bridge to N1MM during contests, just do the manual ADIF import after. less elegant but zero headaches.

honestly for the state QSO parties N1MM is just the right tool, dont fight it. ive tried doing contests in other loggers and you always end up missing something, the multiplier tracking or the dupe checking or whatever. Log4OM is great but its not really built around that rapid exchange workflow.

the three-software thing sounds complicated but in practice you just keep them separate. contest happens in N1MM, import when its done, move on. i wouldnt try to have WSJT-X feeding N1MM in real time unless youve tested it a bunch before the contest because weird things can happen with the port configs and the last thing you want is to figure that out at hour two of a contest.