Index: dialin/utils/base.py
===================================================================
diff -u -radd8b1e7cce0187c9fb5b09a5881d0121f9a0ddb -r8d1e195e98679117283899b38dbfb40d8840ec10
--- dialin/utils/base.py	(.../base.py)	(revision add8b1e7cce0187c9fb5b09a5881d0121f9a0ddb)
+++ dialin/utils/base.py	(.../base.py)	(revision 8d1e195e98679117283899b38dbfb40d8840ec10)
@@ -18,9 +18,36 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 import os
 import logging
-from typing import List
 
 
+def create_logger(log_path: str = "/tmp/DialinScript.log", level: str = "ERROR"):
+    """
+    Convenience function to create a logger for external Dialin scripts
+
+    @param log_path: (str) The full path to the output log file.
+    @param level: (str) The logging level (e.g. INFO, WARN, DEBUG, ERROR, CRITICAL)
+    @return: (logging.Logger) The logger object
+    """
+
+    numeric_level = getattr(logging, level, logging.ERROR)
+
+    logger = logging.getLogger("DialinScript")
+    logger.setLevel(numeric_level)
+
+    fh = logging.FileHandler(log_path)
+    fh.setLevel(numeric_level)
+    ch = logging.StreamHandler()
+    ch.setLevel(numeric_level)
+    formatter = logging.Formatter(fmt=_LogManager.LOG_FMT,
+                                  datefmt=_LogManager.LOG_DT_FMT)
+    fh.setFormatter(formatter)
+    ch.setFormatter(formatter)
+
+    logger.addHandler(fh)
+    logger.addHandler(ch)
+    return logger
+
+
 class AbstractObserver(ABC):
     """
     Publicly accessible parent class for all observers.
@@ -68,6 +95,9 @@
 
 class _LogManager(ABC):
 
+    LOG_FMT = '%(asctime)s,%(msecs)d %(levelname)-8s [%(filename)s:%(lineno)d] %(message)s'
+    LOG_DT_FMT = '%m-%d-%Y:%H:%M:%S'
+
     def __init__(self, log_level=None, log_filepath="Dialin.log"):
         """
 
@@ -147,8 +177,8 @@
             fh.setLevel(numeric_level)
             ch = logging.StreamHandler()
             ch.setLevel(numeric_level)
-            formatter = logging.Formatter(fmt='%(asctime)s,%(msecs)d %(levelname)-8s [%(filename)s:%(lineno)d] %(message)s',
-                                          datefmt='%m-%d-%Y:%H:%M:%S')
+            formatter = logging.Formatter(fmt=self.LOG_FMT,
+                                          datefmt=self.LOG_DT_FMT)
             fh.setFormatter(formatter)
             ch.setFormatter(formatter)
 
Index: tests/test_logging.py
===================================================================
diff -u -rb62b040b80e3b42e9749ee8689f5d65c5dcc71e0 -r8d1e195e98679117283899b38dbfb40d8840ec10
--- tests/test_logging.py	(.../test_logging.py)	(revision b62b040b80e3b42e9749ee8689f5d65c5dcc71e0)
+++ tests/test_logging.py	(.../test_logging.py)	(revision 8d1e195e98679117283899b38dbfb40d8840ec10)
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
             print(dg.dg_version)
     if True:
         # hd = HD(log_level="CAN_ONLY")
-        hd = HD(log_level="DEBUG")
+        hd = HD(log_level="CAN_ONLY")
         if hd.cmd_log_in_to_hd():
             hd.ui.cmd_ui_request_hd_version()