WriteLog.ini
Note: While most options for WriteLog are contained in the menu items covered so far, the WriteLog.ini file allows further customizations for the program. How to access this file and what some of the favorite updates that use the WriteLog.ini file is here.
This page will also point you to the WriteLog.ini files in the WriteLog Help file.
Many of the features for ham radio contesting with WriteLog can be initiated or changed by modifying the writelog.ini file. If you open, edit, or save this file, always use a text editor only. Usually, a program like Notepad is the one to use.
WriteLog.ini Location:
Click on Search on your toolbar and type in Run. This will find the Run app. Click on it and then type in:
Regedit.exe
This will take you to a menu. Click on the files as noted at the top of this screenshot:
You will see all of the various .ini files that you can modify. The important thing here is that this is NOT where you modify the .ini settings. To modify the settings, you need to either set an option in the regular WriteLog menu items on the WriteLog Settings screens. This will most likely satisfy 99% of your needs.
Or, to directly modify the WriteLog.ini file, you need to do some actions on the opening screen when you start WriteLog. This screen:
The sequence would be:
1) Use the utility to copy registry files to a physical file using the Export button and save it to an accessible location.
2) Edit that file with a text editor, typically Notepad.
3) Use the utility to copy and Import the parameters in that file, back to the registry.
First, to edit the WriteLog.ini file directly, you first need to click on the Export button on the screen. This will automatically copy the current WriteLog.ini file and ask you to save it somewhere. I'd suggest in the Documents folder, or in a OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud folder. The cloud locations also mean the file is backed up.
When asked to save the file, I'd suggest saving it as 'writelog.ini'. Since it is the original version based on what you currently have in the registry, this will serve as a base file from which changes can be made.
Second, with the registry WriteLog.ini file settings now accessible to you, you can now edit the file. To do so, open up Notepad (or any text editor - not Word, nor any other type of editor, it must be a text editor). Notepad works fine. When you open notepad, it defaults the file type to 'text.' You want 'All files' as shown below:
Go to the location where you saved the WriteLog.ini file, click on it to put it into the file name field, and click on Open. You will be presented with a screen that partially looks like this:
The items after the = sign in each line is what is editable.
Convention in ini files is that hash (#) or semi-colon (;) can be used for comments.
Third, once done editing the file, I'd suggest saving the file as a different name (perhaps your callsign: k9jy.ini or by mode if you have multiple .ini files) to preserve the original WriteLog.ini file. Once saved, you can then go to the opening dialog box of WriteLog, click on Import, select the file name you just edited and saved, and WriteLog will import those settings from the file.
WriteLog.ini help files in WriteLog
I'll suggest some of the popular items to change just below. To see all of the explanations for what is in the WriteLog.ini file and to also see what options are available, open the WriteLog Help file in the WriteLog program and select the 'List of Settings' option.
Popular WriteLog ini setting changes
Set the number of QSO’s WriteLog will count to automatically save your contest file
How often WL should silently save the file. Mine is set to 5.
AutoSaveCount=20
Change the default multiplier colors
If you want much better multiplier box colors, modify these lines in the .ini file:
[Multipliers]
BandColor01=0x0076ce "Blue"
BandColor02=0x7c4400 "Midnight"
BandColor03=0xe6b641 "Light Blue"
BandColor04=0x1164ee "Orange"
BandColor05=0x5a29b7 "Berry"
BandColor06=0x04a26e "Green"
Clear Entry Window upon tuning
You can set WL to clear the entry window when you start tuning. This is the distance radio must tune in order to say it is tuning the band. Set this to zero and WriteLog will not clear the Entry window when the radio is tuned.
AutoClearOnTuneMinHz=200
Placing a call into Entry Window from the Band Map
If you tune closer than AutoFillFromBandmapHz to a band map station, the Entry window will be auto-filled from that frequency. Set this to zero and WriteLog will not auto fill.
AutoFillFromBandmapHz=400
Change Comm Ports for WriteLog
There are 4 "slots" available for WriteLog rig interfacing. By default, CommSlot1 is COM1:, but you can change that by changing the number on the right of the equal sign. These settings are not used for RTTY or for packet
CommSlot1=1CommSlot2=2
In this example, the third and fourth slots are on COM7 and COM8. COM15 is as high as is supported.
CommSlot3=7 CommSlot4=8
Remove the 'Country' and 'C' columns from the Entry Window:
This can also be changed in the Exchange Format Setup in the Contest Setup section of WriteLog.
[Multipliers]
ShowCountry=0
Ignore my call as a possible call/multiplier in RTTY
This one tells the RTTY decoder not to mark my call as a possible QSO/mult. It prevents you from accidentally clicking on your call and automatically putting it into the Entry Window.
[RTTYRITE]
CallsThatAreMe=K9JY, VP9/K9JY
Add a call from the Entry Window to the Band Map using spacebar
Add the call by hitting the space bar by adding to the WriteLog.ini file in the [Entry] section: MapCallOnSpace=1.
[Entry]
MapCallOnSpace=1