Logging is an essential part of radio. When folks first get into radio, they may see logging as chore, let me explain why this is not the case and why you want to log.
Consider the following sentence:
“I talked with a nice person on the radio last yesterday.”
Now consider this sentence:
“I talked with Sean W3YAD on the 40 meter band on 7.278Mhz SSB yesterday at noon, he was at a park in Delaware.”
It should quickly become obvious, being able to remember who you talk too (and when) can be very helpful. Radio is a community and being able to remember a person’s name and call sign will help you carry on a conversation as well as put a name to a voice. There are far too many names and call signs to be able to rapidly and easily remember when you first start out.
Day 1 Lesson:
Have at least a sheet of paper and pencil handy and write down who you talk to, when and on which frequency, as well as any brief notes.
Hint: A plain old spiral ring notebook is even better and will serve nicely as your first station log!
Pro Tip:
You will eventually out-grow a paper log as time goes on as you have many conversations making many contacts. When that day comes, you will want at least a free QRZ.com account, it will help you track many more interesting things, like which counties, states, countries and continents you have contacted.
Summary:
So you see, logging has been listed as “Fun” because like a scrapbook or journal, your station log will help you fondly remember the many fine people and places you contact.