Linux Ham Radio Logging Software: CQRLOG vs QLog

Most well-known logging programs for radio amateurs were written for Windows, and a Linux user can feel left out. That is no longer the case. There is a healthy group of native Linux ham radio logging software that connects to your radio, shows spots from the DX cluster, looks up callsigns, uploads your contacts to online services and works with WSJT-X. Two of the best known are CQRLOG, a long-established logger built around a MySQL database, and QLog, a newer program built on the Qt framework with an SQLite database. This guide compares them on the things that matter in everyday use, explains what to look for in any logger and describes how to move your log between programs so that you are never locked in.

What a Good Logger Has to Do

Before comparing programs, it helps to list the jobs that a logger must do. A logbook is only useful if it handles the following tasks without friction.

• Record contacts quickly. The entry window should let you type a callsign, add a report and save the contact in a few seconds, with date, time, band and mode filled in by the rig.
• Talk to the radio. Frequency and mode should follow the radio automatically, and it should be possible to set the radio from the logger. On Linux, that usually means Hamlib or FLRig. Our guide to rig control with Hamlib explains how that connection works.
• Look up callsigns. A callbook lookup fills in the name, location and grid square, and a country file identifies the DXCC entity and zones.
• Show the DX cluster. A cluster window or band map lets you click a spot and jump the radio to that frequency.
• Confirm contacts online. Uploads to services such as Logbook of the World, eQSL, QRZ.com and Club Log turn a log into awards.
• Import and export. A good logger can read and write the standard exchange format, so you can move to another program or share a log. See our article on ADIF and moving your log between programs.

The two loggers below do all of this, with different priorities.

CQRLOG: The Long-Established Choice

CQRLOG describes itself as an advanced ham radio logger based on a MySQL database. According to the project’s own CQRLOG website, it provides radio control through Hamlib libraries with support for more than 300 radio types and models, DX cluster connection, an online callbook, a gray line map, online logs, remote connections to other programs, an internal QSL manager database and a country resolution algorithm based on country tables prepared by OK1RR. It is meant for daily general logging of all your contacts and is strongly focused on easy operation and maintenance.

In practice, CQRLOG is a mature program with many years of users behind it. The use of a database server means that it handles a large log comfortably and lets other tools read the data, but it also means more setup than a program with a single file. If you like a logger that you configure once and leave alone, and you do not mind running the database service in the background, CQRLOG is a safe choice. The website also mentions a membership-list system for clubs and awards, so if you take part in club programs, it is worth a look.

QLog: The Modern Qt Logger

QLog is described on its project page as an amateur radio logging application for Linux and Windows, based on the Qt framework and using SQLite as the database backend. It aims to be as simple as possible while providing everything the operator expects from a log. The feature list is long: rig control through Hamlib, OmniRig, TCI or FLRig; rotator control; callbook integration with HamQTH and QRZ.com; DX cluster integration; uploads to LoTW, eQSL, QRZ.com, Club Log, HRDLog.net and Cloudlog or Wavelog; an online and offline map; a bandmap; a CW console with support for several keyer types; WSJT-X integration; station location profiles; statistics; basic awards; and basic contest support. MacOS support is described as experimental.

The project is explicit about one limit: it is not currently focused on contests. If your main activity is a weekend contest with rapid-fire entries, a dedicated contest logger remains a better tool, and our guide to choosing a contest logger covers that field. For general logging, DXing and digital modes, QLog’s integrated approach is attractive: you do not need a separate program for the cluster, the callbook or the map.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The table below puts the two programs next to each other, using the information published by the projects themselves. Features change as the programs develop, so confirm the current details on each project’s site before you decide.

The comparison should not be read as a ranking. Both are capable, and the choice depends on how you operate and what else you run on the same computer.

Choosing Between Them

• Choose CQRLOG if you value a long-established program with deep Hamlib support, you are comfortable with a database server and your operating system is Linux only.
• Choose QLog if you want a single-file database that is easy to back up, you work digital modes with WSJT-X and you want the cluster, the map and the online uploads built into one program. It is also a sensible choice if you also use Windows on another machine and want the same logger on both.
• Use something else for contests. If you spend serious time in contests, use a dedicated contest logger, possibly under a compatibility layer, or a program designed for that purpose, and import the log into your general logbook afterwards.

Try each program with a small test log. Install it, connect it to your radio, import a handful of contacts, enter a few new ones and check the uploads with a test account. A day of testing is cheaper than a year of living with the wrong program.

Setting Up the Radio Connection

The most common difficulty on Linux is not the logger but the serial or USB connection to the radio. A short checklist saves time.

1. Find the device. Plug in the radio’s USB cable and look for the new device name in the list of serial devices. A radio can present several ports, so note which one is for CAT control.
2. Check your permissions. Your user account usually needs to belong to the group that owns the serial device, otherwise the logger cannot open it. Add yourself to the group and log in again.
3. Choose the right model and speed. Pick the radio from the Hamlib list, set the baud rate to match the radio’s menu and test the connection with the logger’s test button.
4. Avoid fighting for the port. If both the logger and another program, such as WSJT-X, need the radio, let one program own the connection and share the data through a rig control service, as described on the Hamlib project site, or use the network-based option if the radio supports it.
5. Keep the clock correct. A logged contact is only useful if the time is right, so synchronise the computer clock, especially for digital modes.

CQRLOG’s own website notes that, with a recent Hamlib version, radios that have their own network address can be reached by address and port instead of through a USB port, which also avoids the common problem of one program taking over the USB port. If your radio supports it, that is a neat way to share one connection between several programs.

A Practical Digital Mode Workflow

Most Linux operators who log digital contacts want the same chain of events: the digital program decodes a call, the contact is logged automatically and the entry appears in the main logbook with the right band, mode and grid square. Getting that chain to work reliably takes a little planning.

1. Let one program control the radio. Decide which program owns the CAT connection. Many people let the logger own it and point the digital program at the logger’s rig control service, while others do the reverse.
2. Enable the log link. In WSJT-X, enable the network settings that broadcast logged contacts, and in the logger enable the corresponding listener. When a contact is saved in WSJT-X, the logger receives the record without retyping.
3. Check the first few records. Compare the date, time, band, mode, signal reports and grid square. The first test contacts will show if the clock, the mode name or the frequency is wrong.
4. Prevent duplicates. If both programs write to a log, make sure that only one of them is the master. Otherwise you will find the same contact twice, and your award counts will be wrong.

Our guide to a WSJT-X setup covers the digital side of the chain, including the clock and the audio levels, and it applies as much on Linux as anywhere else.

Confirming Contacts Online

Uploading a log is where a logger earns its place. After a session, you will usually want to upload the new contacts to one or more services so that others can confirm them. A sensible routine is to upload at the end of each operating session or once a day, and to download the confirmations from time to time to update your award progress. Keep your credentials in the secure password storage that the program offers, such as the system keyring, and never put them in a plain text file.

For Logbook of the World, you also need the official signing software and your certificate. Back up the certificate file, because without it you cannot sign new uploads, and a lost certificate is a nuisance to replace. For the other services, a username and password or an application key is usually enough, and the logger will show an error if the upload fails. Read the message, correct the cause and upload again, instead of repeating the same failed attempt.

Backups and Portability

A log is a record that you may want to keep for decades, so treat it that way. Whatever logger you use, make regular backups, and keep them in a different place from the computer. Export your log in the standard exchange format from time to time and store the file with the backup, because it is readable by almost every logger and will survive a change of software. A single-file database such as the one QLog uses is simple to copy, while a server database such as CQRLOG’s needs a database export. Test the restore at least once. A backup that you have never restored is only a hope.

The Bottom Line

Linux users have real choices in ham radio logging. CQRLOG offers a mature, database-backed logger with broad Hamlib support, and QLog offers a modern Qt program with a single-file database, built-in WSJT-X integration and a long list of online services. Neither is a contest logger first, so keep a dedicated tool for serious contesting. Test both with a small log, set up your radio connection carefully, keep backups and export your log in the standard format now and then so that you stay free to move. The best logger is the one that you will actually use after every contact.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Linux ham radio logging software?

There is no single best program. CQRLOG is a long-established, database-backed logger, and QLog is a modern Qt logger with WSJT-X integration and many online services. Try both with a small test log.

Does CQRLOG work with Hamlib?

Yes. The CQRLOG website says it provides radio control based on Hamlib libraries, with support for more than 300 radio types and models.

Which database does QLog use?

QLog uses SQLite as its database backend, so the log is a single file that is easy to back up.

Can QLog upload to LoTW and Club Log?

Yes. The project lists LoTW, eQSL, QRZ.com, Club Log, HRDLog.net and Cloudlog or Wavelog among the services it integrates. Check the project page for the current list.

Is QLog good for contests?

It includes basic contest support, but the project states that it is not currently focused on contests. For serious contesting, a dedicated contest logger is a better tool.

How do I move my log from one logger to another?

Export it in the standard ADIF format from the old program and import it into the new one. Check the number of contacts and a few sample records after the import.