LightLog 2026 - V1.4

📻 LightLog 2026 (V1.4) - Station Logbook & Radio Control

LightLog 2026 is an advanced radio amateur contact logging (Logbook) and station control application developed in Python with a Tkinter graphical user interface. It combines CAT radio monitoring, real-time integration with DX Clusters, geolocation tools, and synchronization with QRZ.com.

---

🚀 Key Features

📝 QSO Logging & Log Management

• Comprehensive Logging: Support for callsigns, UTC date/time (with an option to freeze/unfreeze the clock), frequencies, bands (160m to 70cm), modes (SSB, CW, FT8, RTTY, etc.), sent and received RST, name, QTH, country, Grid Locator, and comments.
• Duplicate Detection (DUPE): Immediate visual alert if the QSO has already been logged on the same band and mode.
• DXCC Indicators (ATNO & New Band): Automatic identification of All Time New Entities (ATNO) and new contacts on specific bands.
• Callsign History: Quick view of previous contacts made with the same callsign directly on the panel.
• ADIF Import & Export: Full compatibility with .adi files to import and export logs to/from other software.

📻 Radio Control (CAT / SmartSDR / FlexRadio)

• Flexible Connection: Supports communication via Serial Port (CAT) and TCP/IP.
• Supported Protocols: Compatible with equipment and software using FlexRadio, Kenwood, Yaesu, and Icom (CI-V) protocols.
• Automatic Synchronization: Real-time reading of frequency, band, and mode directly from the radio, automatically filling out the QSO form.
• Remote Frequency Control: Ability to tune the radio directly from the DX Cluster or selected spots.

📡 DX Cluster & Real-Time Spots

• Integrated Telnet Client: Connection to DX Cluster servers (e.g., dxc.nc7j.com) with automatic reconnection and a raw stream monitor.
• Advanced Filters: Filter spots by "Active Band Only" and by mode (SSB, CW, Digital).
• SmartSDR Integration: Automatic forwarding of spots to the SmartSDR Panadapter via TCP API.
• Spot Submission: Dedicated panel to submit new DX Spots directly to the cluster.

🌐 Geolocation & Interactive Maps

• Global Maps & Mini-Maps: Integration with tkintermapview to visualize contact locations in the log and geographical positions.
• Distance and Bearing Calculation: Automatic calculation of distance in kilometers and azimuth based on Grid Locators.
• Visual Flag Indicators: Support for country identification and flag thumbnails based on the cty.dat file parser.

🔑 QRZ.com Integration

• XML Search: Instant lookup of callsign data on QRZ.com (Name, QTH, Country, Grid, and profile picture).
• Logbook Synchronization: Upload pending or individual QSOs directly to the QRZ.com Logbook using the API Key.

📊 Statistics & Advanced Charts

• Integrated analytical dashboard powered by Matplotlib, displaying:
  • Charts of QSOs by Band and Mode.
  • Monthly evolution (last 12 months).
  • Top 20 Countries / DXCC Entities.
  • Activity by UTC hour and continent distribution.
  • KPI cards with total QSOs, unique callsigns, Grid squares, and worked DXCCs.

☀️ Solar and Ionospheric Propagation Monitor

• Real-time solar and ionospheric indices consultation (SFI - Solar Flux Index, K-Index, A-Index, and Solar Wind).
• Table of estimated conditions for HF bands (Day and Night) and critical frequencies (MUF).

🌍 Multi-language Support

• Fully translated and adaptable interface for 7 languages: Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Russian.

LightLog 2026 - V1.3

📻 LightLog 2026 (V1.3) – Modern Amateur Radio Logging Software

LightLog 2026 is a modern, lightweight, and feature-rich logging software for radio amateurs, developed in Python with a graphical user interface built on Tkinter and CustomTkinter. This version (V1.3) brings significant improvements in stability, multilingual support (Portuguese and English), and advanced new tools for DXers and field operators.

✨ Version 1.3 Highlights & Features
☀️ Solar & Ionospheric Propagation Monitor (New!): Track real-time SFI (Solar Flux Index), K-Index, A-Index, and the estimated status of HF bands for day and night.

🗺️ Integrated Geographic Mapping: Direct visualization of Grid Locators on an interactive map (powered by tkintermapview with direct links to OpenStreetMap), automatically calculating distance and bearing.

📡 Optimized DX Cluster: Native Telnet connection to DX Cluster servers with smart filters for active bands and modes (CW, SSB, DIGI), accompanied by a Raw Stream monitor for debugging.

🔌 Advanced CAT Integration: Expanded support for radio control (Kenwood, FlexRadio/SmartSDR, Icom via CI-V addressing, Yaesu) and automatic frequency, mode, and band reading.

🌐 QRZ.com Integration: Instant callsign lookup in the QRZ.com database with profile picture loading and automatic synchronization of pending logs in the QRZ Logbook API.

📊 Detailed Statistics & Charts: Integrated Matplotlib interactive charts to monitor QSOs by band, mode, monthly progression, and top worked DXCC countries.

🛠️️ Technologies Used
Language: Python 3.x

Graphical User Interface: Tkinter / ttk / CustomTkinter / tkintermapview

Charts: Matplotlib

Communication & Connectivity: PySerial, Requests, Sockets (Telnet)

Database: SQLite3 (Secure and fast local storage at Documents/RadioLogbook/logbook.db)

🚀 Installation & Running
Make sure you have Python 3.10+ installed on your system.

Clone this repository or download the main script file (lightlog_2026_v1.3_3.py).

Install the required dependencies by running the following command in your terminal:

Bash
pip install requests pyserial pillow matplotlib tkintermapview
Run the application:

Bash
python lightlog_2026_v1.3_3.py
⚙️ Initial Configuration
When launching the program for the first time, go to the top menu under Settings > System Settings & Cluster to configure:

Your Station Callsign (e.g., CT7AYD) and default Grid Locator (e.g., IM59ph).

Your QRZ.com credentials and QRZ Logbook API Key (optional, for remote QSO submissions).

Your radio/CAT protocol and port, or your preferred DX Cluster server.

📄 Import & Export (ADIF)
LightLog 2026 fully supports the amateur radio data interchange standard:

Import: Cleanly load old .adi files directly into your local database.

Export: Export your updated QSO log at any time via the File > Export to ADIF (.adi) menu.

👤 Author
Developed with 73 by José Luís Albuquerque (CT7AYD).

Suggestions, bug reports, or contributions are very welcome through Issues or Pull Requests on GitHub!

LightLog 2026 - V1.2

LightLog 2026 - Release v1.2

We are excited to release LightLog 2026 (V1.2), bringing powerful enhancements and advanced tools for amateur radio station management.

🚀 What's New & Core Features

• Radio Control (CAT / RIG Control): Support for serial port (COM) or TCP/IP connections, compatible with various manufacturers and protocols (FlexRadio / SmartSDR, Kenwood, Icom, and Yaesu), enabling real-time reading and writing of frequency, band, and operating mode[cite: 16].
• QSO Management (Logging and Editing): A comprehensive form for logging contacts with automatic timestamping in UTC, callsign, RST, band, mode, name, QTH, country, and grid locator, including automatic duplicate contact detection (DUPE)[cite: 16].
• QRZ.com Integration: Direct search functionality within the QRZ.com XML database to automatically populate biographical and geographical data for the corresponding station, view operator photographs, and synchronize/submit pending logs using the QRZ Logbook API[cite: 16].
• Real-Time DX Cluster: Integrated Telnet client for connecting to DX Cluster servers with live spot monitoring, filters for active bands or modes (SSB, CW, Digital), visual alerts, and DXCC country flag indications[cite: 16].
• Statistics and Charts: Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboards and analytical charts generated using Matplotlib covering QSO distribution by band, by mode, monthly evolution (last 12 months), and the Top 20 countries/DXCC[cite: 16].
• Mapping and Geographic Tools: Integration with interactive maps (tkintermapview) for automatic calculation of bearing, distance in kilometers based on the Grid Locator, and geographic visualization of completed contacts[cite: 16].
• Solar Propagation Monitor: A dedicated module for tracking ionospheric and solar indices (SFI, K-index, A-index, and solar wind), along with a condition summary table for HF bands[cite: 16].
• ADIF Import and Export: Full capability to import and export contact databases in the universal ADIF format (.adi)[cite: 16].
• Customization and Multilingual Interface: Native support for Portuguese and English, configurable settings stored in JSON format, quick keyboard shortcuts (such as Ctrl+S to save or Ctrl+F to search), and detailed callsign history[cite: 16].

LightLog 2026 - V1.1

LightLog

The Next-Generation Logbook for Radio Amateurs. Simple for your shack, optimizes your QSOs, and maintains total control over operations in real-time.
🚀 What is LightLog 2026?
LightLog 2026 is a modern, lightweight, and high-performance contact logging application (Logbook) designed to meet the basic needs of radio amateurs. With native CAT radio integration (SmartSDR/FlexRadio, Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu), real-time DX Cluster, and automatic synchronization with QRZ.com, LightLog is the essential tool for your day-to-day shack operations.

✨ Key Features

📡 Integrated CAT Control: Direct connection to your radio via serial port or TCP/IP (compatible with FlexRadio, Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu). Automatic real-time frequency, band, and mode updates.

🔍 DX Cluster & Raw Stream Monitor: Integrated connection to DX Cluster servers via Telnet with smart filters for active bands and modes (SSB, CW, DIGI). Also includes a raw stream monitor for advanced diagnostics.

🌐 Full QRZ.com Integration:

Automatic callsign XML lookup with instant filling of name, QTH, country, Grid Locator, and operator photo.

Log synchronization and automatic upload of QSOs to the QRZ.com Logbook.

🗺️ Advanced Geographical Tools: Automatic calculation of distance in kilometers and bearing based on your Grid Locator and the correspondent's.

📊 Detailed Statistics and Charts: Comprehensive analytics dashboard with QSO metrics, unique callsigns, worked bands, mode distribution, and monthly evolution through dynamic charts.

📂 Flexible Data Management (ADIF): Simplified import and export of .adi files for full compatibility with other software on the market.

⌨️ Efficient Keyboard Shortcuts: Quick commands (Ctrl+S to save, Ctrl+F to search, Esc to clear) to optimize workflow during contests or pile-ups.

Updated for more stability, general corrections.

• Support English and Portuguese language
• Map Window for contact location

🖥️ Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS (requires Python environment with dependencies such as pyserial, requests, pillow, and matplotlib).

🛠️ Technical Requirements

• Windows 10, 11
• If running from source code: Python: 3.10 or higher. Required modules: tkinter, pyserial, requests, pillow, matplotlib.
• Internet Connection: Required for QRZ.com XML lookups and receiving DX Cluster spots.

Por CT7AYD - José Luís Albuquerque

LightLog 2026 - Release Version

LightLog

The Next-Generation Logbook for Radio Amateurs. Simple for your shack, optimizes your QSOs, and maintains total control over operations in real-time.
🚀 What is LightLog 2026?
LightLog 2026 is a modern, lightweight, and high-performance contact logging application (Logbook) designed to meet the basic needs of radio amateurs. With native CAT radio integration (SmartSDR/FlexRadio, Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu), real-time DX Cluster, and automatic synchronization with QRZ.com, LightLog is the essential tool for your day-to-day shack operations.

✨ Key Features

📡 Integrated CAT Control: Direct connection to your radio via serial port or TCP/IP (compatible with FlexRadio, Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu). Automatic real-time frequency, band, and mode updates.

🔍 DX Cluster & Raw Stream Monitor: Integrated connection to DX Cluster servers via Telnet with smart filters for active bands and modes (SSB, CW, DIGI). Also includes a raw stream monitor for advanced diagnostics.

🌐 Full QRZ.com Integration:

Automatic callsign XML lookup with instant filling of name, QTH, country, Grid Locator, and operator photo.

Log synchronization and automatic upload of QSOs to the QRZ.com Logbook.

🗺️ Advanced Geographical Tools: Automatic calculation of distance in kilometers and bearing based on your Grid Locator and the correspondent's.

📊 Detailed Statistics and Charts: Comprehensive analytics dashboard with QSO metrics, unique callsigns, worked bands, mode distribution, and monthly evolution through dynamic charts.

📂 Flexible Data Management (ADIF): Simplified import and export of .adi files for full compatibility with other software on the market.

⌨️ Efficient Keyboard Shortcuts: Quick commands (Ctrl+S to save, Ctrl+F to search, Esc to clear) to optimize workflow during contests or pile-ups.

Location and Map Window

English and portuguese languages supported.

🖥️ Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS (requires Python environment with dependencies such as pyserial, requests, pillow, and matplotlib).

🛠️ Technical Requirements

• Windows 10, 11
• If running from source code: Python: 3.10 or higher. Required modules: tkinter, pyserial, requests, pillow, matplotlib.
• Internet Connection: Required for QRZ.com XML lookups and receiving DX Cluster spots.

Por CT7AYD - José Luís Albuquerque