so ive been using N1MM pretty much forever for contests and it works fine, no complaints really, but i started getting into more casual operating and digital modes and someone at the club mentioned Log4OM for general logging and WSJT-X integration. now im wondering if theres any point trying to run both or if i should just pick one and deal with whatever compromises come with it.

the thing is N1MM is obviously king for contests, i dont think thats even a debate, but outside of a contest weekend it feels like overkill and honestly the interface is kind of a lot when youre just poofing around on FT8 on a tuesday night. Log4OM looks a lot cleaner for day to day stuff and it talks to WSJT-X pretty smoothly from what ive read. but then i worry about having my log split across two programs or having to import/export ADIF every time i want everything in one place.

does anyone actually run this kind of split workflow without it being a total headache? or am i overthinking this and should i just use N1MM for everything including the FT8 stuff

I ran that exact split for about two years. N1MM for any serious contesting, Log4OM for everything else including WSJT-X. The ADIF import into N1MM after a contest weekend was fine, never had major duplicate issues as long as you're careful about which log file is the master. Log4OM's WSJT-X integration really is noticeably better for day to day digital stuff, it just picks up the QSOs without you having to think about it.

The workflow sounds messier than it actually is in practice. Only real annoyance I had was making sure my award tracking in Log4OM stayed accurate when i was pulling in contest QSOs after the fact. some of the dupe checking gets weird depending on how you have things configured. but honestly for what you're describing it works fine, just commit to one as the master log and import into the other rather than trying to keep them both live at the same time.

tbh i just use N1MM for everything including regular FT8 sessions and yeah the interface is busy but you get used to it. theres a WSJT-X integration mode that works ok, not perfect but its serviceable. never saw the point of maintaining two programs and two logs personally

that said i know guys at the club who swear by Log4OM for day to day and they seem happy. different strokes i guess