so ive been using WSJT-X for FT8 stuff for a while now and it logs fine into its own file but i always end up having to manually import things or mess around with ADIF exports and it gets old fast. been thinking about actually setting up a proper logging solution and i keep going back and forth between just committing to N1MM or trying Log4OM.

the thing is i do some contesting, nothing serious, maybe the state QSO party and occasionally i'll jump into a CQWW for a few hours just for fun. N1MM seems like the obvious pick for that but its a little intimidating and honestly the interface looks like it hasnt changed since like 2003. Log4OM looks nicer and apparently has decent WSJT-X integration but ive heard mixed things about how it handles contest exchanges and dupe checking under pressure.

does anyone actually run both or is that just asking for a mess with duplicate logs and stuff. or is there some other way to set this up where WSJT-X feeds into one master log and N1MM pulls from that during contests. i feel like im overcomplicating this but also dont want to end up with 4 separate log files that never agree with each other

yeah i went through exactly this about two years ago and ended up just keeping both installed. N1MM for any actual contesting because nothing touches it for that, the bandmap and the rate display and the way it handles multipliers is just tuned for contest operating in a way Log4OM isnt really trying to be. Log4OM as my everyday shack log because the interface is way more pleasant to look at when youre just working DX or rag chewing and filling in QSL info and awards tracking and all that.

for WSJT-X i have it set to log to Log4OM via UDP and then when a contest starts i just let N1MM be its own thing and after the contest i export the ADIF and import it into Log4OM. yeah you have to do that import step but its like 2 minutes and i only do it a handful of times a year so its not really a big deal. the duplicate situation is honestly fine as long as you stay consistent about which program is your master log. i treat Log4OM as master and N1MM is basically a contest-only scratch pad that syncs in after.

N1MM interface looking old is actually kind of a feature if you ask me, everything is right where you need it when youre running 200 contacts an hour and you dont want to go hunting through menus. but thats a different conversation.

the WSJT-X to N1MM integration works pretty well actually, there's a UDP port thing you set up and contacts just appear in N1MM in near real time during FT8 if thats your thing during a contest. not sure it matters much for everyday logging though. if youre not doing serious contesting and mostly want something that tracks your awards progress and looks decent Log4OM is probaly fine as your main logger and you just fire up N1MM when a contest weekend rolls around.