so ive been using WSJT-X for FT8 and it logs to its own file which i then import into Log4OM and that works fine most of the time but last weekend i tried doing a CW contest and everyone kept telling me N1MM is basically mandatory for serious contesting and i get that but now im juggling like three different logs and trying to figure out how to keep them all synced up without things getting duplicated or lost

my main question i guess is does anyone actually run N1MM as their primary logger even outside of contests or is it really just a contest-only thing. the interface kind of intimidates me honestly, all those windows everywhere. Log4OM feels way more comfortable for day to day stuff but if i have to switch every time there's a contest that seems annoying. and then theres the WSJT-X side of things which sort of does its own thing regardless

anyone figured out a clean workflow here or am i overcomplicating this

yeah N1MM is pretty much a contest-only tool for most people, i mean you CAN use it everyday but the UI really is designed around running rates and dupe checking not just casual rag chewing or DX logging. i tried using it full time for about a month a few years back and gave up, too much clicking around for simple stuff

what i do now is keep Log4OM as my main shack log and just export an ADIF after each contest from N1MM then import it. takes maybe five minutes and i havent had a duplicate problem if you just check the date range before importing. WSJT-X i have pointed at a separate log file and i do the same thing, just pull the ADIF every week or so. its not perfect but its worked for me for a couple years now without losing anything

the N1MM learning curve is real but once you get the bandmap and entry window set up the way you want it its actually pretty fast during a contest, just dont expect it to feel natural the first time you open it

Log4OM can actually talk to WSJT-X directly over UDP if you set it up right, so you dont have to do the manual import thing for FT8. took me a while to find that setting but its in the WSJT-X config under reporting I think. once thats going your Log4OM log updates in real time while youre working digital modes which is pretty nice

for contests i just accept that N1MM is a seperate thing and move on, trying to have one logger do everything perfectly is kind of a losing battle imo