My grandson's video channel - NOT amateur radio

 My 13 year old grandson has a YouTube channel he has created. He is looking to get more subscribers. This is his channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4m_i-SRpAFX-iBtk9z8O4w

Overnight on 160m FT8 RX

Overnight

Overnight I again stayed on 160m FT8 RX. As before, stations from 5 continents spotted in numbers approaching 400 as the world map shows.

UPDATE 1000z:

1000z Sunday - quite different

Just 1 G being spotted now as the other map shows.

UPDATE 1245z: Still very quiet on 160m FT8 in the daytime.

UPDATE 1351z:  QRP TX now on.

UPDATE 1611z:  2 G stations have spotted my QRP so far. Real DX has still not started to come through as it is still daylight here.

UPDATE 1700z:  European DX has been coming through for about 30 minutes now. Spotting stations in Finland and Germany.

Devon - NOT amateur radio

This is near where I come from in South Devon. 

Sunspots - Sunday March 21st 2021

Solar flux is 80 and the SSN 12. A=29 and K=5.

Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

This is a National Trust property about 5 miles away from home. We walk in the grounds most weeks. 

Kombucha - NOT amateur radio

Until this morning, I had never heard of this.  Today, I have come across it twice within about 6 hours! Firstly I saw that a radio amateur had made some and then it appeared in the BBC Good Food magazine.

As far as I can see, it is a form of fermented tea. In Japan it refers to tea made from kelp seaweed. I think you can get kombucha in various flavours.

Funny how you can go a whole lifetime without coming across it, then it appears twice! 😄

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha .

EMF and public safety

OFCOM is consulting about the dangers of exposure to RF by the general public. 

It is intending to add something in the licence to make clear that radio amateurs have to ensure the public is safe. 

OFCOM and the RSGB are working on calculators so that amateurs can work out if the RF produced is likely to be a danger. 

Being able to show how any potential danger was worked out could be important if a station was to be inspected, for example in the event of interference to a neighbour's TV.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/214663/emf-implementation-update.pdf .

OFCOM limited power FM trials

OFCOM is to trial 10 limited power FM broadcaster stations for a year and is asking for volunteers to take part. It is wondering if such licences would be suitable for hospitals and army barracks for example. Rnage could be approximately 1km.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk .

Antenna tuner for the IC-705

ICOM has released the auto ATU for the IC-705 (the AH-705) reports Southgate News. It is quite expensive and there are lower cost auto tuners that will work as well or better e.g. the Elecraft T1. This is also smaller and probably has a wider range. It is also, lower cost. 

The AH-705 is £309.60, which is expensive. The answer is use resonant antennas or lower cost tuners!

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2021/march/ah-705-hf-50-mhz-automatic-antenna-tuner-for-the-ic-705.htm#.YFYBKyuTLrc .

160m FT8 QRP (Saturday)

At 1355z I turned on my 2.5W FT8 to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I am calling CQ in the middle of the FT8 "window".  All I am spotting currently is G stations. No DX is being spotted in the daylight. It is now 1402z. Just one, fairly local, station G4HPW (37km) spotting me this afternoon.

UPDATE 1659z: 5 stations (all G) have spotted my QRP TX this afternoon. 5 stations spotted on RX with the furthermost LY2BVB (1659km) in Lithuania. It is still very light here, although I guess it is darker further east. The European DX is just starting.

UPDATE 1749z: 26 stations now spotted on RX. Clearly European DX is now coming through as night draws in.

UPDATE 2214z: 215 stations spotted on160m FT RX as shown on the map. 19 stations have spotted my QRP on TX as I have been on RX much of the evening. QRT soon, then on RX only overnight.