Hintlink - RF Safety Calculator Help (UK update)

New UK changes from Ofcom Main Help page EU Help page
History Current Software Release: v1.0 ( 2021-06-17 ). Current Help Release: v2.0 ( 2021-04-23 )

Timeline

2020-02-21	Ofcom launches a Consultation on EM Field exposure: "Proposed Measures to Require Compliance with International Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields".
2020-02-28	RSGB EMF Brief (in reply)
2020-03-11	ICNIRP publishes revised guidelines (with detailed 1998 to 2020 differences) on limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields¹. "Guidelines for limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz)"
2020-03-24	Ofcom announces all consultation deadlines have been suspended until further notice.
2020-04-07	EMF licence conditions (FAQ clarification) from Ofcom.
2020-05-07	Ofcom re-starts consultations. Adopts ICNIRP 2020 Guidelines as basis for new regulations.
2020-05-15	Ofcom consultation would have ended².
2020-06-05	RSGB responds to Ofcom
2020-06-12	Ofcom consultation now ends on this date - extended².
2020-12-31	'Earliest' adoptation of changes to Wireless Telegraphy Act by Ofcom.
2021-03-12	Ofcom announces General Notice of Licence Variations and takes final comments on introduction procedure
2021-04-16	Comments up until this date
2021-05-18	Reply from Ofcom: Final licence changes on or before this date - holders to be informed of new licence documents Compliance is not required until November 2021 for frequencies above 10MHz or May 2022 for frequencies below 10MHz. Licence changes confirmed in this document [pdf]
2021-06-17	v1.0 of Ofcom spreadsheet tool, new simplified version of the full Guidance plus specific advice for holders of amateur licences.
2021-06-30	v0.1.2-rsgb10a of RSGB spreadsheet tool.
2021-10-09	v0.1.2-rsgb11b of RSGB spreadsheet tool.
2021-11-18	Compliance checking for all stations operating at or above 110MHz starts.
2021-11-05	v0.1.2-rsgb11c of RSGB spreadsheet tool.
2021-11-20	v0.1.2-rsgb11d of RSGB spreadsheet tool.
2021-12-02	v1.0.12-beta1-11d of RSGB web tool.
2022-05-18	Compliance checking for all stations operating at or above 10MHz starts.
2022-11-18	Compliance checking for all stations operating below 10MHz starts.

Ofcom is required by law to make final consideration on 'published' rules/method of introduction. "We will publish our decision no later than 18 May 2021."
Variations, if any, to licences (of all types) will be made after that decision is published. Further clarification by Ofcom is on this page.

Calculation:

3. Ofcom (v1.0) and RSGB (v0.1.2-rsgb11d (obsolete)) have spreadsheet calculators, based on Microsoft Excel using .xlsx format. These versions have been tested by me using LibreOffice (v7.6.6 / 24.2.2.2) and found to be usable. An RSGB video instructing how to use the spreadsheet is given in this YouTube video. Other information can be found on this RSGB page.

The complexity of calculations required by the new Ofcom regulations can be seen in the example of pre-assessed configurations:
Example1. Simple dipoles, 160-40 m (PAC-1) [20 pages]

One wonders if Ofcom expects all radio amateurs to be degreed or have a doctorate!

In my opinion, to prevent platform and version limitations, it is better if calculations are performed online with (browser accessed) server-based code. The RSGB now has this.(v2.0.1)
Hintlink - RF Exposure Calculator Help

What does this mean for amateur radio? A lot, because it's the first time that radio amateurs don't have special exceptions or exemptions in some way. They existed because of the almost infinite number of situations and supposed 'solutions' in most amateur configurations. The use of a truly online calculator (or one that says it's "online" but is downloaded and run locally in a spreadsheet or as a local executable) simply CANNOT in any way model anything but the simplest of situations. Parodoxically, it means nothing except for a "warm fuzzy feeling" that the FCC, Ofcom, etc. have done something to address an oddity in the use of parts of the radio spectrum. So, go through the motions to the best of your ability, stash away your results and get on with things. Just hope that they don't tighten things further in the forseeable future. Field modelling is sophisticated and expensive in time and money. It's sad that 5G is what triggered these changes because of exposure on 'social media' and bad press. Before this, few people thought of RF Exposure except for cell towers being placed at or near schools, which was mostly 'folly'.

Installing LibreOffice...
Go to LibreOffice web site. Click on 'DOWNLOAD NOW'. Check that it has detected your operating system correctly [type and 32-bit or 64-bit].
Click on the yellow 'DOWNLOAD' button. Save the .msi file to a place where you know where it can be found (NOT the desktop!).
The file will be over 300MB, so it may take a while if you have a slow connection.
While it is downloading, you'll be taken to the Help install page. Download the Help file. Click on the green box as follows:

This is very small (2MB or so). Download the .msi file. DO NOT install this before you install the main program.
Open the large main .msi file and wait for it to install (use 'Typical' install, NOT 'Custom').
When it has installed, open LibreOffice and let it install plug-ins and fonts [this slows down the first opening, but not successive openings].
Close LibreOffice. Run the Help file .msi file and install it. It will take a much shorter time than the main install.
That's it. You now have a free Open Source program that'll run the spreadsheets under 'Calc', which is equivalent (but NOT identical) to MS Excel.

An existing calculator for 1998 guidelines is available, ICNIRPcalc (v1.5 ) from Thilo Kootz, DL9KCE. It is available from IARU Region 1 site (caution, link to zip file).
A version taking into account the changes for ICNIRP 2020 guidelines [Say, ICNIRPcalc2020 (v-.- )] is not available for download and any proposed update is NOT coming at this time.
I have been in touch with Thilo and his answer is:
"I am aware of the fact that ICNIRP has been changed. In the EU, we have had a Recommendation to all members states since 1999. This Recommendation still holds and is transferred to national law in most of the EU states. ICNIRPcalc is based on those limits and until the EU changes their recommendation, most of the member states will not either".

Notes:
1. Ofcom’s consultation was published before this date and therefore refers to the previous guidelines, dated April 1998.
Ofcom noted in their consultation that they would reflect the updated guidelines in their future work.
ICNIRP - International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection.
2. Due to 'coronavirus'/COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2, the Ofcom consultation was indefintely paused. However, it was resumed with a new end-date.