Ragchew at lunchtime, run a contest on Saturday, and never change programs.

Many operators keep one logger for general use and another for contests. J-Log does both, from a single screen, and a bar across the top always shows which database you are writing to.

Everyday logging

Type a callsign and J-Log looks it up, then shows the DXCC entity, beam heading and your previous contacts with that station. The form covers the details you would expect, from band, mode and signal reports through name, QTH, state, county, grid and power. Your recent contacts sit below it, ready to edit or delete.

The rest of the screen keeps operating information close by. There is a DX cluster list, with a console for talking to the cluster directly, and drawers for rig control, propagation and space weather. Heard By shows who has heard you on the Reverse Beacon Network, and an awards drawer tracks progress toward WAS, WAC and DXCC from your real log.

Contest mode

Press Contest mode and J-Log asks two questions: which contest, and which database. The suite includes 86 contest definitions, stored as JSON plug-ins. You can continue an existing log, or start a new one with a suggested name such as NovSwpSSB2026.db.

The screen then rebuilds around that contest. The entry bar is built from the contest’s exchange, a live score line keeps the running total, and dupe and multiplier panels follow that contest’s rules. When you finish, Export Cabrillo writes the submission file using the categories you set in J-Hub, and the finished database can be archived out of the way.

Getting your QSOs out

Uploads to LoTW, eQSL.cc, QRZ Logbook and Club Log run from J-Hub. ADIF and CSV exports go to a timestamped file, and existing logs from other programs can be brought in by ADIF import.

The phrase translator

For working DX in another language, the Translator opens a table of common QSO phrases in Spanish, German and Portuguese, with a pronunciation guide. It works offline, and it can follow the country of the station you are logging.