01 · Getting Started

Installation, license activation and initial station setup

Installation

RadioLog is distributed as a Windows installer (RadioLog_Setup_v3.1.exe). Double-click it and follow the wizard. No Python or dependencies required — everything is included.

After installation you will find:

Desktop shortcut: RadioLog
Start menu entry: RadioLog Suite
User data folder: %LOCALAPPDATA%\RadioLog\

First Run — Setup Wizard

The first time you launch RadioLog the First Run Wizard appears. It guides you through the minimum settings needed for the application to work correctly.

Station Data

Enter your callsign, name, locator and city. This data appears in ADIF/Cabrillo exports and on the QSO screen.

Field	Example	Description
Callsign	EA5YC	Your amateur radio callsign
Name	Juan Carlos	Operator name
Locator	IM98wq	Maidenhead Grid Square (6 characters)
City	Valencia	City / station locality
Country	Spain	Country (dropdown with full list)

Locator If you don't know your locator, find it at qrz.com or in your user profile.

License Activation

RadioLog requires a valid license to run. Without one the application closes on startup. The first time you launch it (or if no license is registered on the machine yet), the Welcome to RadioLog window appears, offering two different paths depending on your situation.

Already have a callsign and serial? If you've activated RadioLog before — reinstall, PC wipe, new machine, etc. — don't fill in the "Request free license" form again: you don't need a new key, and each request generates a different serial. Instead, click «Already have a callsign and serial? Activate it here» at the bottom of the welcome window and enter the serial you already have.

First time — request a free license

If this is your first RadioLog install, fill in the form with your callsign and email address, then click Request free license.
You'll receive the activation serial by email. The key is free.
Once you have the serial, activate it following the steps below.

Already have a callsign and serial — activate it directly

On the welcome window, click Already have a callsign and serial? Activate it here (if you're already on the License Registration window, skip to step 2).
Enter the serial number you already have.
Click Activate. The application contacts radiolog.es to validate the serial and register the machine.
If activation is successful you will see «License activated» in green.

Machine Limit Each serial allows activating up to 3 different machines. To deactivate one (reinstall or PC change), go to Help → Manage License → My Machines and click Delete on the machine you no longer use — then reactivate on the new machine with the same serial, no need to write in.

View License Status

Check the status at any time at Help → About RadioLog. It shows «Registered — YOUR_CALLSIGN» in green if the license is valid.

Station Configuration

Once the wizard is complete, adjust settings at Settings → Station. Settings are divided into several sections:

General Section

Setting	Description
Callsign	Main station callsign
Locator	Grid Square (for distance and propagation calculation)
QTH	City / station locality
Transceiver	Transceiver description (free text)
Antenna	Antenna description (free text)
Power	Watts, applied to new QSOs if not from CAT

Lookups Section (QRZ / HamQTH)

RadioLog can automatically complete QSO data by querying QRZ.com or HamQTH databases.

Go to Settings → Lookups
Choose your preferred service (QRZ.com or HamQTH)
Enter your username and password
Click Test Connection to verify

QRZ.com Requires a premium XML account for automatic lookups. HamQTH is free.

Visual Theme

RadioLog includes three predefined themes changeable at Settings → Appearance → Theme. The active theme is saved in %LOCALAPPDATA%\RadioLog\user_colors.ini.

Theme	Description
Dark Blue	Dark background with blue accent — the default. Ideal for low-light shack use.
Dark	Dark background with green accent. Alternative for those preferring a different tone.
Light	Light background in Windows Fluent style. For use in bright ambient light.

02 · Logging QSOs →