The Quadrantids have the potential to be the strongest shower of the year but usually fall short due to the short length of maximum activity (6 hours) and the poor weather experienced during early January. The average hourly rates one can expect under dark skies is 25. These meteors usually lack persistent trains but often produce bright fireballs. Due to the high northerly declination (celestial latitude) these meteors are not well seen from the southern hemisphere. Predictions for 2026 show a peak near 21 UT on January 3rd. .Activity will be severely compromised in 2026 as a full moon occurs on January 3rd. The bright moonlight will obscure all but the brightest meteors therefore the best hourly rates are expected to be less than 10.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]Category: General Information
None-specific posts
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The Quadrantids
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Post Windows 10? What next?
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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.
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SDRPlay’s RSPDuo and SDRConnect under linux.
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Airspy HF+Discovery and SDR++ under linux.
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GQRX and Airspy HF+Discovery under linux.
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WRTH Drops Paper!
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WRTH Drops Paper!
The World Radio-TV Handbook for 2026 Will Be the Last Printed Issue.
According to the publisher, the change to digital is due to “rising costs in printing, paper, tariffs, logistics and labor (which) have made it financially unsustainable to continue producing a yearly printed publication”.
Pre-order is now open, with printed editions shipping in December. Web App pre-orders include free access to the WRTH 2025 database until the end of the year, while the E-book includes both the International Winter and Summer Schedule editions.
Anyone interested should visit their website at https://wrth.info.
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SDR Connect 1.0.5 is Here
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]Version 1.0.5 was released on September 25, 2025
Added
- Diversity support over the network via server (requires RSPduo)
- MP3 Audio recording support
- Rig control support
o Omni-Rig (windows only)
o HamLib - Waterfall gradient preview
- Show ticks on the RF gain slider
- Slider to change noise reduction strength
- Option to enable NFM deemphasis
- Option to display spectrum frequency markers in relevant unit
- Option to enable hold with decay on main spectrum
Changed - Improved CW mode filter performance
- Application and server memory usage improvement
- Display application version in title bar
Corrected Defects - Touch controls in the waterfall were active whether they displayed or not
- RDS decoder filtered out characters in the extended ASCII set
- RDS decoder did not work at all sample rates
- Copy/paste frequency between tabs required a frequency in the destination tab to be selected
- Switching frequency tabs whilst the edit field padlock was open caused a crash
- Bandwidth resize could be performed for DSB and LSB when mouse was in the frequency bar
- Inconsistent style on remote devices dialog
- IQ playback file selection was disabled when streaming was stopped
Go here to download for Windows, Linux and MacOS
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WLogger V2 is Now Live!

WLogger V2 is now live for WTFDA members. Now WTFDA members can log both TV and FM stations automatically using the WTFDA FM Database as its data source. Not only can you log stations, you can now plot them on a map for a visual representation of your loggings. Logs and map are both on one page; no need to open two screens or fumble around with entering data before you log. WTFDA’s Quick Log feature does it all.
Here are some features of WLogger V2:
The WTFDA’s WLogger v2.0 is now live and has the maps and everything you see on other logging sites It’s easier to use, too, and more accurate.
1. Map can be viewed in fullscreen mode
2. The map plots your name on one end, callsign on the other and bearing power and distance when hovering over the plot.
3. Logs can be downloaded as a csv file daily or weekly for printing or posting elsewhere.
4. Distances can be miles or kilometers
5, Prop Modes color scheme is the same as the log prop modes.
6. Map can be filtered to show all Tr, Ms, Es, Au, F2, etc. Select the prop modes you wish to see.
7. Maps will display all logs last 30 minutes, two hours, six hours, 24 hours
8, Map can display FM logs only, TV logs only or everything.
9. Quick Find mode available for TV logging.
Other changes to the logger itself:
1. Click on your name (or any name) and see all of your own loggings or those of any person you select.
2. Comments in the discussion pane are now editable. The comment box can now be resized easily.
The address is http://wlogger.wtfda.org. Check in and see for yourself.
This logger is part of your WTFDA membership. To use the logger you must be a WTFDA member. See how to become a WTFDA member here. -
Line of Sight DX
Back in September 2024, the club phased out the VHF-UHF Digest, a publication that goes way back to the early 1970s. Times have changed. DXing has changed; DX reporting has changed over the years to the point where a publication that has relied upon reception reports from its members no longer receives them.
The decision was made to drop the VUD, as it was fondly called by many club members, and create a smaller, stripped down version that was more in tune with today’s world of DXing. Line of Sight seemed an appropriate name, considering that much of FM DXing is built around the receptions of stations beyond the line of sight.
The new LIne of Sight now focuses mainly on FM DXing. TV DXing, like it or not, is becoming a thing of the past thanks to the analog shutdown in 2009, virtual channels, the vacating of most low VHF channels (Channels 2-6) and the elimination of all channels above channel 36 for broadcast use. We always welcome TV Dxers to the WTFDA and we value them, but supporting them with good, timely and reliable information isn’t that easy anymore.
So, you will now find the first six issues of Line of Sight here in our website. You can find the first six issues in the VUD archive. If you’re interested, go take a look.

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The WTFDA Fall ’24 GIVEAWAY!
During the month of September the WTFDA is giving away another great prize. This time it’s a brand new FM antenna. We’re giving away, to one lucky WTFDA member, a Stereo Probe 9 9-element FM fringe yagi from Sky Blue Antennas. This is the remanufactured SP-9 originally made by Channel Master and currently sold for $200 or more. If you’re a WTFDA member, this antenna could be yours. If you’re not a WTFDA member, why not join and enter our giveaway? You could be the winner of a brand new SP9!
Update: The giveaway is over and the winner is WTFDA member John Hanna is suburban Chicago. Thank you all for entering!
(open to members in the US and Canada only. Sorry.)
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The Perseids Peaks August 13th
The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most prolific showers of the year, producing rich, bright streaks. The Perseids are active from mid-July until late August and will peak on the night of Aug. 12, before dawn on Aug. 13, 2024.
Viewers can start observing around 11 p.m. local time when the rates of shooting stars increase and can watch the sky until dawn.
The Perseid meteor shower radiant is in the constellation Perseus. This strong shower is produced by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy body that takes 133 Earth years to orbit once around the sun.
If there’s a clear sky, the Perseids will have a meteor rate of about 100 visible “shooting stars” per hour.
From https://www.space.com/39469-best-meteor-showers.html#section-august-perseids
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SDR Console for FM DX – Mastering Meteor Scatter (Ep 6)
In this episode, I’ll walk you through incorporating the knowledge from the first 5 videos into conquering one of the most challenging modes of DX – Meteor Scatter. We’ll use tools and tricks including the Data File Analyzer, variable filters, RDS Spy (MPX output) and contrast optimization to quickly uncover buried Meteor Scatter in IQ recordings. We’ll review an “easy” file first with a couple of open FM frequencies, then move onto a more challenging environment where we hunt for meteors overtaking weaker to moderate regional signals that clutter the FM band for many DX’ers. Chapters: 0:00 – 1:30 Introduction 1:30 – 5:10 First file & Ms vs. other modes 5:10 – 15:00 First IQ file review (Lyrids 2024) 15:00 – 23:30 Second IQ file review (Perseids 2022) 23:30 – 24:33 Conclusion / preview
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The WTFDA Summer ’24 GIVEAWAY!
***UPDATE*** Make that ‘gaveaway’! Last night (6/28) we picked the winners. They are in Oklahoma and Alabama.***During the month of June, the WTFDA is giving away not one, but two XHDATA D109WB AM/FM/SW/LW/WB/Weather/Shortwave radios to two of our members. If you’ve ever thought about joining the WTFDA, now is the time to come aboard and take a chance on one of these great portables. Drawing will take place on the 28th of June, so enter now!



