Logging a QSO

How to save a contact: which fields are needed, where the data comes from and what the Enter key does.

The shortest way

Type the other station's callsign into the Callsign field. If QRZ is configured, the name, QTH, locator, e-mail and country fill in after a moment.
Correct the RST S/R reports - the left field is the report sent (S), the right one received (R). Empty fields are filled in when saving: 59, or 599 for CW.
Check Frequency (in kHz), Band and Mode. With a connected radio they fill in by themselves.
Press Enter in the callsign field (in home mode) or click Save to LogBook (Ctrl+S).

After saving, the other station's data disappears, while your fields (My Callsign, My Grid, Power, your programs) stay for the next QSO.

Their fields

Field	What to enter
Callsign	The other station's callsign, also with additions, e.g. `DL/SP4THK/P`. Letters, digits and the slash are allowed; the callsign must contain at least one letter and one digit.
Date Time	Fills in by itself and runs live. Format `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS`. Whether it is UTC or local time depends on the Time in UTC option (the UTC label next to the field).
RST S/R	Report sent and received. The lists suggest typical values.
Grid/QTH	Their locator (e.g. `JO62`) and a place description. From the locator the program calculates distance and the propagation forecast.
E-mail, Name	Usually from QRZ. The e-mail address is needed for QSL cards sent by e-mail.
DXCC/Country	The country from the DXCC list. The program takes it from QRZ or from the callsign. Click the field to choose a country from the list (e.g. for an unusual callsign). The entry 0 – no DXCC entity is for maritime mobile stations (/MM).
Comment	A comment on the contact.
Program fields	E.g. Parks, Summit - the other station's references in POTA, SOTA, WWFF… See POTA, SOTA, WWFF…

Your fields

My Callsign, My Grid, Power and your program fields (right column, e.g. Parks) are not cleared after saving. The program stores them with every saved QSO, so they are the same after a restart. My Comment applies to one QSO only - the field is cleared after saving.

Save defaults - stores these fields right away, without saving a QSO (e.g. before a park activation).
Clear defaults - clears your program fields (e.g. after the park activation is over).

My Comment goes into the ADIF NOTES field, and their Comment into the COMMENT field.

Operating with a different callsign (e.g. SP4THK/P)? Change My Callsign before the first QSO - every QSO is saved with the callsign currently in the field.

Time

The clock button next to the Date Time field turns the live time on and off. When the time is stopped, a second button appears - it inserts the current date and time once.
When you start typing in the date field, the time stops running - this is how you enter a past contact (e.g. copied from paper).
The log always stores time in UTC. If you enter local time in the window, the program converts it.

Frequency, band and mode

Enter the Frequency in kHz, e.g. 14074 or 7155.5. The band is set automatically. The Band alone without a frequency is also enough - one of the two is required.
The Mode is required. Choose it from the list (SSB, CW, FT8, FM…).
Clr. clears the frequency, band and mode at once.

Frequency from the radio

When the radio is connected in the Rig window and the Rig window is open:

the Set updates from TRX link opens two options: Update frequency from TRX (the frequency and band fields follow the radio) and Also suggest mode and power from TRX;
without permanent updates: Update frequency now (Ctrl+U) reads the frequency from the radio once;
clicking a spot in a cluster list puts the callsign, frequency and mode into the window - and retunes the radio (more: Clusters and spots).

Connecting a radio is described in the Radios help.

Enter: home mode and field activation mode

In the configuration (LogBook → Behavior → Pressing Enter in the CallSign field) you choose what Enter does in the callsign field:

Mode	Enter in the callsign field	Who it is for
Home mode - Enter saves the QSO	saves the QSO at once	working from home with the radio connected to the program - frequency and mode are already in the window
Field activation mode - Enter goes to reports	moves to the reports; further `Enter` presses lead through the reports, frequency and mode to the save button	field activations, when you type the reports every time

Tab always moves to the next field, Shift+Tab to the previous one. F2 returns to the callsign field from anywhere in the window.

Checks before saving

When saving, the program checks the data. A wrong field turns red and the QSO is not saved until you correct it:

an empty or invalid callsign (yours or theirs),
no frequency and no band, a frequency that is not a number, a band that is not on the band list,
no mode,
an invalid date and time,
in the POTA, SOTA… templates - your first program field is empty (e.g. your Parks), if the program has validation turned on.

Duplicates: a QSO identical to one already saved (the same callsign, time, band, mode and frequency) is not saved a second time - Duplicated appears. When the same station was in the previous QSO less than 20 minutes ago, the program asks whether to add another one.

Where the station data comes from

QRZ - after you type the callsign (with a short delay, so it does not query every letter) or with the Query QRZ button. See QRZ.
Your log - when QRZ is disabled, the program can take the name, QTH and locator from a previous QSO with this station.
The callsign - the program recognizes the country (DXCC) from the prefix, also without internet.

Previous QSOs: the i button next to the callsign shows your earlier contacts with this station and their statistics. You enable it in the configuration (LogBook → Appearance → Show previous QSOs and statistics for the selected callsign); with Open window automatically the window opens by itself after you type the callsign. Working Before (F6) narrows the list to this station. With the Check the date and time of the last QSO option, the date of the last contact appears next to the button.

Other ways to add QSOs

WSJT-X / JTDX - QSOs logged in the digital program go into the log by themselves: WSJT-X, JTDX, UDP Hub.
ADIF import - from another program or a file: Import and export.
CW window - sending CW macros and saving the QSO from one window: Tools.
Satellites - a QSO via satellite is saved with the satellite data when the SAT panel is running in the Rig window: the Satellites help.