First steps

Installation, the first start and a few settings worth making at the beginning. It all takes a few minutes.

Which version to download

Download the program from rigandlog.com (the download page). There are two kinds: an installer (a normal .exe file) and a portable version (a .7z archive to unpack). Both work the same way.

Installation

1. Unblock the downloaded file. Right-click it → Properties → tick Unblock → Apply. Windows marks files from the internet and may refuse to run them.
2. Run the installer. If a blue Windows protected your PC window appears, click More info → Run anyway. This is normal for less known programs.
3. Follow the installer. It does not need administrator rights. By default it installs the program in your user folder (%LOCALAPPDATA%\ELFRO\RigAndLog), where the program can save its data.
4. Missing components are downloaded by the installer (internet needed): the .NET 10 version asks to download Microsoft .NET 10 Desktop Runtime, and both versions install WebView2 if it is missing (WebView2 shows web pages inside the program, e.g. the QRZ page and the propagation map).
5. Start the program from the Start menu shortcut (or the desktop one, if you ticked it). The program file is RigAndLog_SP4THK_Core.exe.

Portable version (.7z)

Unpack the archive anywhere you have write access - e.g. C:\RigAndLog or a USB stick. Do not unpack it into C:\Program Files: Windows does not let programs write files there, and RigAndLog keeps its data in its own folder. The .NET 10 version needs .NET 10 Desktop Runtime installed (from the Microsoft website).

First start

1. First the About window with the license information appears - close it.
2. Then the First run - quick configuration window:
   • Select language / Wybierz język - choose the program language. Changing the language requires a restart.
   • CallSign - your callsign (required).
   • Grid locator - your locator, e.g. KO02 or KO02MK. Not required, but without it you will not get distances, maps or propagation forecasts.
   Click OK.
3. The LogBook window opens with an empty log called Default. You can start logging right away.

Everything you enter here can be changed later in the configuration.

Five minutes of configuration

Open the configuration with the gear button in the LogBook window or with F11. Choose pages from the tree on the left. Worth checking at the beginning:

You connect a radio in the Rig window (the Rig button in the LogBook window) - step by step in the Radios - quick start help. The LogBook also works without a radio.

Your first QSO

1. Type the other station's callsign into the Callsign field.
2. Check the RST S/R reports, enter the frequency (in kHz, e.g. 7074) and choose the mode.
3. Press Enter or click Save to LogBook. The QSO appears in the list below.

Details: Logging a QSO.

Where the program keeps its data

Everything is in the program folder - there is no database and nothing in the registry. You back up everything with one button (Menu → LogBook Tools → Back up all RigAndLog data).

Updates

When a new version is available, Updates are available appears at the bottom of the LogBook window. Click it - the Program update window guides you through three steps: a program backup, showing the program folder and the download page. Close the program before installing the new version. More: Tools.