diff --git a/not1mm/ratewindow.py b/not1mm/ratewindow.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13ea772
--- /dev/null
+++ b/not1mm/ratewindow.py
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+not1mm Contest logger
+Email: michael.bridak@gmail.com
+GPL V3
+Class: RateWindow
+Purpose: not sure yet
+"""
+# pylint: disable=no-name-in-module, unused-import, no-member, invalid-name, c-extension-no-member
+# pylint: disable=logging-fstring-interpolation, line-too-long
+
+import logging
+import os
+
+from PyQt6 import uic
+from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QLabel, QVBoxLayout, QWidget, QDockWidget
+from PyQt6.QtGui import QMouseEvent, QColorConstants, QPalette, QColor
+from PyQt6.QtCore import pyqtSignal
+
+import not1mm.fsutils as fsutils
+from not1mm.lib.database import DataBase
+
+from json import loads
+from json.decoder import JSONDecodeError
+from pathlib import Path
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class RateWindow(QDockWidget):
+    """The rate window. Shows something important."""
+
+    message = pyqtSignal(dict)
+    dbname = None
+    pref = {}
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.active = False
+        self.load_pref()
+        self.dbname = fsutils.USER_DATA_PATH / self.pref.get(
+            "current_database", "ham.db"
+        )
+        self.database = DataBase(self.dbname, fsutils.APP_DATA_PATH)
+        self.database.current_contest = self.pref.get("contest", 0)
+
+        uic.loadUi(fsutils.APP_DATA_PATH / "ratewindow.ui", self)
+
+    def msg_from_main(self, packet):
+        """"""
+        if packet.get("cmd", "") == "DARKMODE":
+            self.setDarkMode(packet.get("state", False))
+            return
+
+        if self.active is False:
+            return
+
+        if packet.get("cmd", "") == "NEWDB":
+            ...
+            # self.load_new_db()
+
+    def setActive(self, mode: bool):
+        self.active = bool(mode)
+
+    def setDarkMode(self, dark: bool) -> None:
+        """Forces a darkmode palette."""
+
+        if dark:
+            darkPalette = QPalette()
+            darkColor = QColor(56, 56, 56)
+            disabledColor = QColor(127, 127, 127)
+            darkPalette.setColor(QPalette.ColorRole.Window, darkColor)
+            darkPalette.setColor(QPalette.ColorRole.WindowText, QColorConstants.White)
+            darkPalette.setColor(QPalette.ColorRole.Base, QColor(45, 45, 45))
+            darkPalette.setColor(QPalette.ColorRole.AlternateBase, darkColor)
+            darkPalette.setColor(QPalette.ColorRole.Text, QColorConstants.White)
+            darkPalette.setColor(QPalette.ColorRole.Button, darkColor)
+            darkPalette.setColor(QPalette.ColorRole.ButtonText, QColorConstants.White)
+            darkPalette.setColor(QPalette.ColorRole.BrightText, QColorConstants.Red)
+            darkPalette.setColor(QPalette.ColorRole.Link, QColor(42, 130, 218))
+            darkPalette.setColor(QPalette.ColorRole.Highlight, QColor(42, 130, 218))
+            darkPalette.setColor(
+                QPalette.ColorRole.HighlightedText, QColorConstants.Black
+            )
+            darkPalette.setColor(
+                QPalette.ColorGroup.Disabled,
+                QPalette.ColorRole.ButtonText,
+                disabledColor,
+            )
+            darkPalette.setColor(
+                QPalette.ColorGroup.Disabled,
+                QPalette.ColorRole.HighlightedText,
+                disabledColor,
+            )
+            darkPalette.setColor(
+                QPalette.ColorGroup.Disabled,
+                QPalette.ColorRole.Text,
+                disabledColor,
+            )
+
+            self.setPalette(darkPalette)
+        else:
+            palette = self.style().standardPalette()
+            self.setPalette(palette)
+
+    def load_pref(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Load preference file to get current db filename and sets the initial darkmode state.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        None
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        None
+        """
+        try:
+            if os.path.exists(fsutils.CONFIG_FILE):
+                with open(
+                    fsutils.CONFIG_FILE, "rt", encoding="utf-8"
+                ) as file_descriptor:
+                    self.pref = loads(file_descriptor.read())
+                    logger.info(f"loaded config file from {fsutils.CONFIG_FILE}")
+            else:
+                self.pref["current_database"] = "ham.db"
+
+        except (IOError, JSONDecodeError) as exception:
+            logger.critical("Error: %s", exception)
+        self.setDarkMode(self.pref.get("darkmode", False))