6.1 Station Logbook Best Practices & Record Retention
Key Takeaways
The Amateur Class Licence has no general requirement to log each ordinary contact. A record of activity can help with interference investigations.
Use consistent dates and time zones, and record the frequency, mode, call sign and power quantity when those details matter.
Schedule 1 clause 6 requires electromagnetic energy compliance records for stations within its scope. A routine contact log serves a different purpose.
Keep call sign contact details current with ACMA. An apparatus-licensed station changing its operating location may have separate licence conditions.
The Amateur Data Interchange Format can transfer contact data between applications that support it.
Keep the right record for the operating authority
The Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023 does not require a log entry for each ordinary personal contact. A voluntary station log can still help you confirm a contact, reconstruct a temporary setup or respond accurately to a report of interference. The scope of required records depends on the station and the operating authority. Check the actual apparatus licence if the station operates under one.
A contact log, a station's electromagnetic energy records, and the call sign holder's contact information each serve a different purpose. When you see the word record in an exam question, establish which kind of information the question concerns.
| Record | What it can contain | What it helps establish |
|---|---|---|
| Contact or operating log | Date, time zone, start and finish, frequency, emission or mode, other station's call sign | When and how the contact took place |
| Station engineering notes | Output power and its quantity, antenna configuration, test load, filter setting and measurements | How the station was set up and what was checked |
| Required electromagnetic energy documentation | Declaration, details of the station and assessor, and applicable measurements or calculations | Compliance with exposure documentation conditions for a station within their scope |
| Call sign contact details | Current contact information held by the ACMA | How the regulator can reach the call sign holder |
Write an entry that someone can interpret later
Use Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or record an unambiguous local time and offset. For example, a contact that begins at 06:12 UTC and ends at 06:25 UTC on 10 October lasts 13 minutes. If another record uses local time, convert the two to the same time basis before comparing them.
Record the dial reference, mode and any important offset when the actual transmitted frequency matters. A dial reading by itself cannot show the full frequency extent of a sideband. If recording output power for a Standard J3E contact at 14.225 MHz, label the relevant measurement as peak envelope power (pX). For a Standard F3E contact in the 2-metre band, the applicable quantity is mean power (pY). A log entry should distinguish a measurement from a setting or estimate.
Paper and electronic logs can both record these details. The Amateur Data Interchange Format (ADIF) is a specification for exchanging amateur radio data. Typical contact fields include the contact date, time, band or frequency, mode and other station's call sign. Applications may impose their own import requirements. If you rely on an electronic export, verify that it keeps the relevant dates, frequency and notes when you transfer it.
Know when the rules require separate records
Section 16 and Schedule 1 of the class licence address electromagnetic energy (EME). Clause 6 applies to stations other than those described in clause 3(1) or (2). It requires records such as a station declaration, the applicable measurements or calculations, and station details. If information in the declaration changes or becomes incorrect, make a new declaration. Records can be electronic, must be in English and must be readily accessible. A voluntary contact log does not supply the required exposure assessment.
For a transmitter operated under an apparatus licence, also check the applicable transmitter licence conditions. Part 4 of the Transmitter Licence Determination 2025 sets record-keeping requirements for transmitters within its higher-risk scope, including keeping the specified records until the licence ceases to be in force. Check the applicable instrument and any individual conditions before deciding what to keep.
Update contact information and check station location rules
ACMA asks call sign holders to keep their contact details current so it can reach them about call sign matters. Use ACMA Assist to manage the details. For a personal station operating under the class licence, a portable outing and a change to the call sign holder's contact details are different events.
A planned move for an apparatus-licensed station also raises a licence-location question. Sections 16, 21 and 28 of the Amateur Licence Determination 2025 address a continuous period at a location absent from a condition of the applicable licence. The specified periods are four months for a non-assigned amateur station and seven days for a beacon or repeater. If a club wants to move its assigned repeater to an unlisted site for ten days, check the licence and request an appropriate variation from ACMA for the new location.
What does the Amateur Class Licence require about a log of every ordinary contact?
It has no general per-contact logging requirement. Separate exposure documentation conditions can apply.
It requires a signed paper entry for every transmission.
It forbids an operator from keeping a voluntary contact log.
It requires a contact upload to ACMA within 24 hours.
Which specification defines a format for exchanging amateur radio contact data between supporting log applications?
The Australian Radiofrequency Spectrum Plan.
The Amateur Licence Determination.
The Amateur Data Interchange Format (ADIF).
Schedule 2 of the class licence.
A Standard operator wants to document the power used on a J3E voice contact at 14.225 MHz. Which quantity should the record identify to compare it with the Schedule 2 limit?
Mains input power.
Peak envelope power (pX).
Unmodulated carrier power (pZ).
Equivalent isotropically radiated power at 136 kHz.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.