SWLog

SWLog started back in 1988 and was solely focused on shortwave logs. In the late 1980s, shortwave transmissions were the primary source of news and features from an overseas perspective. The big names in broadcasting such as the BBC, Radio Netherlands, Deutsche Welle, Radio Moscow, Radio RSA, Radio Australia, HCJB, Swiss Radio International, and many more broadcast daily to North America.

In 1988 SWLog was (obviously) a program written for MS-DOS. For the classic computer aficionados, SWLog version 1.00 was coded under MS-DOS 3.30 on a Tandy 1000 SX first with Borland Turbo C then with Microsoft C 6.0A. The logs were stored with the Paradox database engine. While the original version does still technically run, the code to import the data from Paradox has long been sunsetted. So any logs would be effectively orphaned. For retro-PC enthusiasts, version 1.21 of the MS-DOS program can be downloaded. It can be run under DOSBox and DOSBox-X, so a traditional MS-DOS virtual machine is not strictly necessary.

SWLog was originally distributed on BBS systems and the well-known Simtel MS-DOS Archive, which was the primary method of distribution as CD-ROMs of the Simtel archive were widely available at computer fairs in the early 1990s. By 2004 the web site was created and SWLog started to be distributed as a download, although users could still obtain a CD-ROM version if necessary.

As the years progressed, the scope and features expanded and the underlying technology has changed. A dedicated section for logging amateur radio QSOs was added in the early 2000s. SWLog is today a suite of programs providing not only logging but radio control and extensive reporting.

At first blush, it is obvious that SWLog just looks and operates differently from other logging programs that look and act like Excel for Windows 95. SWLog eschews the 1990s aestetic that is so typical of radio-related programs.

Secondly, SWLog is built upon modern technologies. While SWLog has been in development since 1988, it has continually stayed modern and has thus avoided becoming legacy software that is so aged that it must be discarded and rewritten. SWLog is designed to be flexible from a single notebook comptuer to a home lab setup to cloud-based.

And do not forget the maps! SWLog is admittedly a bit map crazy!

The data that is collected and how it is collected simply differs beetween broadcast and amateur logs. For example, a shortwave or AM/FM log would use frequency databases like ILGRadio, HFCC, or FCC AM/FM Engineering. Amateur radio logs use data from QRZ, the FCC, HamQTH, ClubLog, etc. However, the underlying structure for both types of logs is unified in the database.

Or think of it as like the McDonald's McDLT - the hot stays hot and the cold stays cool!

Bundled with the installer is a PDF that can be printed old-school style like the old Word Perfect manuals from the 1980s! Based upon feedback, the once beefy documentation has been reduced and streamlined to contain just the essentials.

After the one- or two-year license expires, the program will continue to function with reduced functionality.

Support can be found on the groups.io forum. Priority is given to licensed users.