Some of You Will Move to Windows 11
And Some of you will move on to something else.
Wildows 10 went end-of-life on October 14th. Some of you will realize that you’re fed up with Microsoft and want no part of Windows 11. This is for you.
Linux is a great alternative to Windows. It’s free and open-source. You’re not going to need an anti-virus program. Ads won’t plague you. Bloatware won’t slow you down. If you decide on Mint or Zorin for your linux distro, you’ll notice that it looks like windows and acts like windows. Many browsers have versions for linux and the same goes for email clients like Thunderbird. Apps like Discord, Slack and Telegram work with linux. And some SDRs will work with linux. Let’s talk about that.
Airspy SDRs and SDRPlay SDRs work with linux. RTL-SDRs will also work.
Airspy does not make a linux version of SDR# software but there’s a nice piece of software out there called SDR++, which will also work.
SDRs made by SDRPlay have their own software that supports linux called SDRConnect. SDRConnect is a full featured software with fast decoding RDS and Diversity mode, which is a mode used for phasing two antennas to create a null. SDR++ will also support SDRPlay products.
Elad products are Windows only. You can run them in Virtualbox on linux with decent results. If you do, make sure your computer has plenty of RAM.
Those of you running dongles will find that the RTL-SDRs are supported by SDR++ on linux.
Many DXers love SDR Console because of its fast RDS decoding, among other things. Unfortunately, the developer of Console seems not to be interested in creating a linux version, so if you run linux and really need console, the best way to use it is to dual boot your linux machine with both Windows and linux SSDs. Take all of your important data, documents, pictures, music…everything, and put it all on linux. Leave your old Windows drive with very little on it except for your SDR software and Console. If you get malwared or get a virus on the Windows drive, you won’t lose any data and you can restore your Windows drive with a disk image.
Make a disk image of both of your drives every month. You never know when a SSD might die or windows might hiccup and ruin your day.
SDRs on linux. It’s much better than it was ten years ago and improving daily. And if you’re a DXer, you now have an alternative to buying a new computer or upgrading (?) to Windows 11.
SDRPlay’s RSPDuo and SDRConnect under linux.
Airspy HF+Discovery and SDR++ under linux.
GQRX and Airspy HF+Discovery under linux.