SWLog: Release Notes

Release Notes

Build 9227 - Released April 6, 2025

The import form for Canadian postal codes, US ZIP Codes, and US counties has been reworked to embed the browser within the form.
Fixed a bug where PDF files were not being sent to the rendering application properly.
Improvements and bug fixes around the Mesa Mike AM list of stations.

Build 9226 - Released April 5, 2025

Resolved an issue where the API Server was not always starting with the main logging program.
Mesa Mike AM has changed its format. Updated the import routine to reflect the changes.
Fixed a bug when generating a QSL report with no program details.

Build 9221 - Released March 31, 2025

Hamlib upgraded to 4.6.2. Support is still as-is as some radios work, others do not. Using a native driver is strongly recommended.
The ACMA import now loads DR records (called DAB/DAB+ everywhere else!).
Updated the UI for importing schedules. The web page for downloading is now embedded in the form, so a separate browser session no longer needs to be loaded.
Added a progress bar to the Database Maintenance Update form. While rather trivial, it will now give an indication as to how long the process will take.
Fixed an error where the web page for SchemaSpy would not open if launched from the main logging program.

Build 9212 - Released March 22, 2025

Added OFCOM as a data source for looking up MW, FM, and DAB stations for the United Kingdom.
Minor bug fixes across the main logging application. Upgrading is recommended for all users.
Microsoft has dropped support for SQL Server 2019. Thus the minimum version of SQL Server required is now 2022. Note that SQL Server 2025 is forthcoming; however, SQL Server 2022 will be supported until January 2028, so there will be no immediate need to upgrade to SQL Server 2025 when it is released.

Build 9197 - Released March 7, 2025

Added additional functionality when deleting the entire logbook. Now all associated audio clips, QSL cards, attachments, and web pages are deleted as well.
Yet more work on the ADIF import process to handle malformed records.
A fourth digit for lat/long has been added to the forms for shortwave/broadcast/utility logging.
Fixed bug with importing ACMA data in that the power is now correctly converted to kW.

Build 9185 - Released February 23, 2025

Added additional checks for malformed ADIF records and fields.

Build 9180 - Released February 18, 2025

Added code to work around data errors where Contest IDs and ARRL Region Codes are malformed. This is particularly important with imported logs from a specific logger that, for some reason, does not follow the ADIF standard and inserts incorrect data.
ADIF Export records can now be single- or multi-line.
User Request - The main SWLog program will now save and restore its window state.
Resolved a bug when editing shortwave/broadcast logs where the lat/long would be reset.
Resolved a bug when editing shortwave/broadcast logs where changing the sent date, received date, or signature would create a new QSL instead of updating the existing one.
Resolved bugs in Amateur Edit and Telnet DX Clusters when the local region is using European settings (i.e. the old command/decimal point flip).
Additional workarounds and patches for importing ADIF files that do not follow the published specification on adif.org. The ADIF import will work to dynamically fix the malformed data in real-time.

Build 9165 - Released February 4, 2025

The refresh cycle for POTA Monitoring can now be done manually. Additionally the list of spots can be filtered to just CW, SSB, or FT8/FT4.
In Radio Control (Desktop), the tuning step is now saved from session to session.
Fixed a bug in the POTA Monitor form where adding a new log would cause a crash.
Fixed a bug in the POTA Monitor form where the park reference was not being checked for validility.
Updated the shortwave/broadcast import process to better support several common types of data errors, fixing the errors in real-time.
Fixed a bug in the web version of Radio Control where the list of active radios was not being displayed.
When using the LoTW upload form, the start and end dates are now taken into consideration when using the REFRESH button.
Fixed a bug with POTA Hunter statistics that has been lingering since POTA moved from prefix to ITU2 code.
Improved the functionality when importing logs from KB6IBB.
A map has been added to the GPS utility. It will be active when a local GPS device is used (i.e. not when SNTP is used).
Ported the Shortwave QSL Writer from SWLog 1.xx. While it took over 30 years to do this, now QSLs can be written in several languages.
Fixed a bug in the QRZ lookup page where the email address was not being properly changed from the previous lookup.
Fixed a bug in the POTA Monitor form where the park reference query was failing.
SWLog Light has been retired and is fully replaced by the Android and iOS apps.
The HamLib library has been updated from 4.5.5 to 4.6.1. Note that HamLib is supported on an as-is basis. Some radios are not supported or are only partially supported.
Increased the length of the previous columns field for Mesa Mike AM records.
Various fixes from regression testing.

Build 8987 - Released August 9, 2024

An attempted bug fix for a mutex error. The only reason to upgrade from build 8990 is if SWLog does not start and throws a mutex error. There are no other changes.

Build 8980 - Released August 1, 2024

Improvements to printing labels for QSL cards. The formerly Brother-specific functionality has been expanded to include any printer or work processor mail merge that can read from a database.
Modification to the workflow for uploading logs to ARRL LoTW.
A long overdue feature to create maintenance forms for amateur call signs has been created. When upgrading to this version, all distinct call signs in the amateur log will automatically be added.
A new form for submitting a POTA spot to POTA.app.

Build 8952 - Released July 6, 2024

Initial support for an XML-RPC server that will emulate the functions of Flrig. Currently a subset of commands is supported. See the documentation for details.
Fixed a bug where truncating the amateur radio logbook was causing an error.
Added support to Radio Contorl Server and Web Control for the Flex-6000 via SmartSDR CAT and TCP/IP.
Added an import routine to parse an amateur ADIF file, yet store the results on he SW/BC/Util side. This is when the SWL flag is set in the ADIF file, signifying that it is not a full QSO.
Fixed a bug with ADIF import where the external database lookup order was not being honored.
IsActive has been added to the Radio Control Server. As many radios can now be in the JSON config file, but only active radios will be used.
Added an option when importing ADIF records as amateur logs to include records marked as SWL.
Updated mappings for the GIS Europe report.
Updated the web page for the Mesa Mike AM stations listing to its new URL.
Expanded the functionality of the Email QSL Import form.
All UI themes that used Arial have been changed to use Tahoma.
Fixed a bug when adding a log from the POTA Monitor form where the application would exit after the log was added only if the windowing mode is set to MDI.
Oauth2 authentication added for Outlook/Hotmail and Gmail email integration. Microsoft is disabling basic authentication September 16, 2024 and forcing Oauth2. Gmail can still be used with basic authentication via an application account.
Added functionality to the ARRL export to TQSL to provide flexibility in uploading logs given the data breach and hack of the ARRL servers.

Build 8918 - Released June 1, 2024

A POTA Quick Setup form has been created that will set an existing QTH as the default or create a new QTH, will enable the UDP server, and seed the UDP server with the park reference with one click.
A POTA Activation Monitor form has been created to show the active state of an activation.
Added the ability to print QSL labels on Brother QL series label printers. This function can also be optionally used for anyrt of printing that can read values from a database.
Fixed a bug where uploading an image of a physical amateur QSL card back would put it in the front position.

Build 8911 - Released May 25, 2024

Improvements for the Icom RC-28 remote encoder.
Integration with HamLib is problematic. Updated the documentation to reflect this. Also added some code to hopefully better trap errors coming from Hamlib.
Created a propagation API.
Fixed a bug in Radio Control Desktop with the Band Selector.
When browsing Amateur logs, the confirmation status is now directly displayed in the default view with having a need to scroll.
Added support for Flrig and a Kenwood TS-2000 driver that should be compatible across most radios that emulate the command set.

Build 8890 - Released May 4, 2024

The address information retrieved from a QRZ lookup can be optionally overridden by the official data from the American FCC and Industry Canada. QRZ currently allows non-American stations to alter or hide their physical address and has announced similar functionality for American stations will be forthcoming. This option, if enabled, will still query QRZ but will use the official address data from the American and Canadian governments, thus getting around any obfuscation. (Only the American and Canadian governments publish official databases of call signs.)
Added a feature to bring forth the last QSO comment to a new QSO. This is for the traditional add new QSO form as well as the Nimble forms.
Country combo boxes can now be searched by typing the first letter of the country name (shortwave/broadcast/utility) or the first letter of the DXCC prefix (amateur).

Build 8884 - Released April 28, 2024

DatePickers and DateTimePickers now support space, Home, End, PgUp, and PgDn as shortcuts.
Minor UI tweaks.

Build 8881 - Released April 25, 2024

Added support for Flex-6000 over TCP/IP.
Fixed a bug stemming from the DRM A24 schedules.
Added the ability to export only the modes for WSJT-X / JTDX in ADIF format. This will allow for creating an ADIF based upon the logs to reseed WSJT-X and JTDX.
Improved the speed of ADIF exports.
Fixed a bug in the Dark Comic Sans theme.
Updated the DMS calculator to accept the format provided by the Icom IC-705.
POTA confirmations now support multiple parks.
DX Cluster monitoring will now strip out call sign prefixes or suffixes and use the main call sign as the sign-in. Some clusters have length limits for logins or reject the slash.
Fixed a bug when attaching an audio clip.

Build 8857 - Released April 1, 2024

Added the ability to send anonymous feedback, thereby not needing to join the groups.io group. This is attached to the application menu.
Fixed a bug where the file name for audio clips was not removing invalid characters.

Build 8851 - Released March 25, 2024

Added the ability to export KML for amateur logs.
Added to the existing functionality to export KML for shortwave / mediumwave / broadcast logs.
Added a new licensing option for just broadcast logs.
Coded a work-around for a bug in JTDX where logs are stamped with a date of 9/14/1752.
Added a form to rename POTA park Reference Numbers. This is necessary due to the renaming of all parks in 2024.
Added direct support for Flex-6000 series radios via SmartSDR CAT.
In the Amateur Radio Add and Nimble modes, if the mode changes on a radio and if that mode matches an ADIF mode (or USB/LSB for sub mode), the mode in the form will change.
Fixed a bug where the edit grid was not being shown in the Amateur Edit form.
Added Icom PCR-1000 support to Radio Control (Desktop).
Added a band selector form in Radio Control Desktop.
Created a work-around when the database is run in a Docker container. SWLog automatically makes a database backup when there is a system uupdate (i.e. a new version). This was failing in Docker containers.

Build 8827 - Released March 2, 2024

Yet more incremental work on Hamlib with the goal of better stability.
Resolved bug in Amateur Add/Edit where an empty value from an external lookup service, like QRZ or Clublog, could result in an empty collection crash.
The POTA Monitor form now has a selectable refresh interval and will start a log entry when using a right-click on a selected card.

Build 8824 - Released February 27, 2024

More work on Hamlib Serial drivers.

Build 8823 - Released February 26, 2024

Improved stability with Hamlib drivers; much work still to do. Hamlib is throwing errors at a low-level for several radio models.
Added support for the Icom RC-28 encoder.
Back end changes for trial versions.

Build 8817 - Released February 21, 2024

Fixed a bug where the scheduled ADIF import form was not being displayed.
Improved handling of cluster data from hamclusters.net.
Fixed a bug with ADIF export where the file name did not reflect a secondary POTA site.
If a form is minimized, fixed an issue where it was not being returned to the normal state.
When adding a shortwave/broadcast/utility log, if the UTC Finish field is not populated when existing the frequency field (i.e. when searching for matches), it will be populated with the current time plus one minute.
A significant revision and reduction in size of the documenation. All of the background technical information has been removed. What remains are the basics to install, configure, and run the applications.

Build 8812 - Released February 16, 2024

Updated the logic to send electronic QSL cards to better deal with large images. Added the ability to enable or disable the footer. The ability to customize the footer will be in a forthcoming release.

Build 8811 - Released February 15, 2024

Fixed a problem with trial licenses. All trial users from Orlando Hamcation should upgrade to this version.
Added the ability to use a custom connection string for SQL Server rather than the automatically built strings for Shared Memory and TCP/IP. This will allow for SWLog to use a second instance of SQL Server or for other advanced configurations.
Re-enabled a series of menu items under the Utilities menu
In the Nimble mode, if a contest sequence number is being used, adding the log will automatically increment the sequence number.

Build 8802 - Released February 6, 2024

Nimble Tiny has been further enhanced.

Build 8801 - Released February 4, 2024

The Hamlib libraries are now integrated into Radio Control (Desktop).
Direct connection via serial ports (RS-232) with Hamlib is now supported in Radio Control (Desktop). It is not yet in the Radio Control Server.
Finally fixed the Discord icon for dark themes.
Created a tiny mode for Nimble log entry.
Fixed a bug for uploading of logs to external logbooks like QRZ, Clublog, &c. for licensed users.
The web page and table format for DRM Schedules has changed. The download and processing code has been rewritten for the new location and format.

Build 8796 - Released January 31, 2024

This is a significant infrastructure upgrade as the entire application suite has been upgraded from .NET 6.0 to .NET 8.0. This yields not only significant speed improvements, it also prepares the release of SWLog for Windows on ARM64. While ARM chips are rare now, basically limited to single models from the Microsoft Surface and the Samsung Galaxy Book product lines, 2024 is expected to see the release of many more ARM64 systems. Support for ARM64 allows SWLog to run natively and not having to suffer the performance degradation with emulation. SWLog on ARM will be demonstrated at Orlando Hamcation. A full release for ARM will be coming shortly.
Fixed a bug when importing amateur radio confirmations where the total number of new confirmations was incorrectly inflated as some confirmations were being counted twice.
Added code to properly detect correct UTC start and stop times in the add log forms. What was previously there was rudimentary and could allow for incorrect times to be entered.
Fixed bug with some shortwave heat maps where an error would occur when the length of a location or radio exceeded a specific size.
Fixed an error where logs sent from the mobile apps or the web app were not setting OwnerCallsign, so it would be NULL.
Added more granularity to LoTW uploads. Now a list of logs that have not been uploaded is displayed, and these logs can be separated by call sign.
SDRSharp.Plugin.VirtualSerialPort has been upgraded to .NET 8 as SDR# is being upgraded to .NET 8 as well.
The POTA Monitoring form now supports sorting the spots in several ways
Fixed a bug when double-clicking on a previous QSO result as double-clicking on the QSO in the data grid did not open the log.
Fixed an obvious issue where MUF was red and LUF was green. Now it is reversed and proper.
Added support in the Radio Control Desktop application for CATSync Web SDR control by DJ0MY. When using this, use the CAT control and not the OmniRig interface.
When adding shortwave/broadcast logs, the form will now recalculate propagation when the listening post is changed.
Fixed a bug in the DX Cluster Monitor where all call signs were being incorrectly marked as a match.
Added a new feature where all alerts are shown in a unified form.
Added a dashboard, which can be set to launch at startup or can be accessed via the [F1] key.
The menu option for call sign lookups via the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) has been hidden as the web site is no longer responding.
A new version of SWLog Portable for Android with an updated UI and new and improved features. This can be downloaded from Google Play.
Rewrote the code to gather POTA and POTA P2P confirmations.

Build 8755 - Released December 20, 2023

Emergency Patch For the past two days, there has been a problem with the SSL certificate for the shortwavelog.com domain. The issue only affects shortwavelog.com, not swlog.us or the native domain generated by Microsoft Azure (where SWLog is hosted). A resolution has not yet been found. This has caused issues with license keys, payment processing, and uploads and queries against the SWLog Community online logbook. This patch changes the code-behind to refer to swlog.us instead of shortwavelog.com and works around the problem. No other changes have been made. So only download and apply this release if warranted.

Build 8726 - Released November 22, 2023

Crystal Reports has been removed. All legacy reports (and there were 40+ reports that were nearly 20 years old) have been rewritten using Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). This will not only simplify the setup process and reduce the size of the download package, it is also a necessary step in the process of porting SWLog to arm64. For those upgrading, the Crystal Reports back-end program can be removed via the Add/Remove Programs feature in Windows.
Fixed a bug in the ARRL LoTW upload form where the default date range was not correct.

Build 8717 - Released November 12, 2023

When exporting ADIF files, excluding the comments field will also exclude tags. This will keep any personal information from being transmitted externally.
Added a form to map continents to QSOs. This field is almost always empty or incorrect for stations outside of the US and Canada.
The two dozen or so reports that were written in Crystal Reports are being rewritten in SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services). In this release, four reports have been rewritten. This is a somewhat slow process and will continue over subsequent releases until no Crystal Reports remain. Despite its reputation, the use of Crystal Reports in SWLog has been remarkably stable for the past 20 years. With the advent of Windows on ARM and its expected increase in usage over the coming years, a large back-end effort is underway to move away from hard-coded x86 and x64 code. Crystal Reports is not available on ARM and thus would run in emulation. That is not desirable.
Another season change, another issue with AOKI schedules. The file that was used for several years for the schedules was absent from the B23 download file. The import routine had to be refactored to work with another file format.
Added the ability to group the individual ADDX, AOKI, EiBi, HFCC, ILGRadio, and SWSkeds schedule databases.
Modified the import of FCC Amateur data to include data from the HD.dat file.

Build 8709 - Released November 5, 2023

Fixed a bug in the ARRL Upload form where the wrong date was being used to populate the start datetime picker box. Now the form correctly shows the proper start date from when the last log was uploaded.

Build 8703 - Released October 29, 2023

An automatic check for update will occur weekly. Manual checks can still be run from the About form, which can be found in the Application Menu.
The Browse form for amateur logs now shows an indicator for those logs that have been confirmed by physical QSLs, assuming that the QSLs have been scanned and added.
Various VARA modes have been added to ADIF 3.1.4. Adding these to the program and re-mapping the ad hoc VARA mode that was temporarily used. Logs that have been marked as VARA will be migrated to DYNAMIC / VARA HF.
Fixed mappings for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Yemen in a world map. These had the incorrect ITU2 codes, so they appeared blank on the map.
With support for ADIF 3.1.4, the new VarAC 8.2 program has changed how it sends ADIF entries and packets from a mode of VARA to a mode of DYNAMIC and a submode of VARA HF. Altered the UDP and ADIF logging code to reflect this change.
DXCC changes can be processed by downloading the CTY.CSV file from AD1C.
Support for the Griffin Powermate knob added to Radio Control Server. To see the specific mappings, check the documentation.
In the Analytics area, the DX Tracker section now supports tracking progress against certificates like the ARRL DXCC and ARRL WAS.
In the Analytics area, added two new forms to view QSOs by grid squares.
Many small enhancements and bug fixes.

Build 8675 - Released October 2, 2023

The Monitor WSTJ-X/JTDX Decodes form can now issue commands to WSJT-X to clear the content panels or halt a current transmission. The command to initiate a QSO has been in the form for a while, but one had to double-click on the row. So the feature was rather hidden. Now a TX button is on each CQ call to make this more obvious. All of these commands work with WSJT-X. Unfortunately, JTDX only supports starting a QSO. So when JTDX is detected, the unsupported features are disabled.