The answer to all of this is, if it affects you regarding your QRO power exceeding the safe limits, is to reduce your transmitted power and to improve your modulation. I've lost count of the number of times I've heard fluffy and vague audio from SSB transmissions, because the op thinks it's good to have BBC quality modulation. These days with the HF bands being as noisy as they are due to local domestic electrical generated QRN, what is required is punchy audio to get through all this noise. Ofcom wont do a thing about it! It is possible to operate with just 10W SSB, with some compression, and put out a really good easy to copy SSB signal. Take a listen to the continental Europeans on 80M with their punchy and easy to copy modulation. Over 40 years ago, we didn't have audio equalizers on our rigs for BBC quality, because we didn't need them. Of course if you still want BBC quality audio from your low power rig and make lots of contacts, forget it because you wont be heard. Of course you could always take up CW instead, as it gets through whatever the noise is, with lower power.
My wife keeps bees, thousands and thousands of the little blighters...if anyone trespasses with the intention of getting anywhere near my hf antenna EMF won't be on their mind...73
There is a draft version from ofcom been produced today which simplifies it a bit but anyone in a terraced house with end fed antennas fed just above earth would find it difficult to comply apart from minimising the time txing. I can see a lot more verticals appearing or loop antennas as they would be easier to comply. Personally i dont like drawing attention to my antennas and love my wire antennas but may have to rethink. Draft version 11/3/2021 here: www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/215657/What-you-need-to-know-as-an-amateur-radio-licensee-Draft-version.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3zGV9MHljMt4juoLvefyEpmajfDngpB1T5pCdQdKPP8mpQiK8xcZ2U52w
It's probably the latest Health and Safety thing. They are just trying to cover their backside, because of the furore around 5G masts and perceived non-ionising radiation risk. I wonder if it's just a paper exercise!
The same concept applies to (and has applied for quite some time), to American Radio Hams. The ARRL has a handy chart on it's web site. The right to inspect is also nothing new. That said, 10 watts is a bit low.
This is really simple and getting generally overthought. Ofcom have been directed to ensure that their licenced spectrum users adhere to the ICNIRP guidelines. The safe operating distances are purely related to the feedpoint of the antenna, nothing to do with the transceiver other than output power to drive the EIRP calculation. The licence changes are purely for the protection of passersby, and not the station operator. It would be foolish however to knowingly bathe yourself in dangerous levels of electromagnetic radiation, but you won't contravene the new licence conditions if you do. By running the latest version of the calculator it's really quick and simple to generate the safe distance and document the power, frequency, distance in your logbook. Or simply on the back of your licence doc. That's it, job done. Do it for the max power you can run for each band you use, it takes minutes. If you are running 100Watts into a dipole on HF, it's unlikely you will have an issue. 100Watts into a Yagi with 15dB gain may prove more challenging. The safe working distance from my Topband vertical is probably measured in mm because with 32W in I reckon I'm radiating around 3Watts, it's not what you might call a super efficient antenna.
