I sent an email to Dave Parsons at OFCOM, who has always been quick and helpful. Within 24 hours he came back to me for some clarification. Hopefully, he will unblock things. He is one of the better people there.
UPDATE 1333z: Just a day after contacting Dave, my licence has been amended so I can run 20W if I need/want to on 8m.
My IC-705 was traded in some months ago for the Yaesu FT-710. Both are excellent radios and I have enjoyed them both. The FT-710 has 4m but no 2m or 70cm. The FT-710 also has an auto ATU which I find quite useful. The FT-710 is a 100W radio whereas the IC-705 is a 10W radio (5W with the attached battery). As a QRPer, 10W was more than enough for me.
I was hoping that Yaesu would announce a new QRP SDR transceiver at Dayton as a proper replacement to the FT817. Sadly, no such product was announced. Had one been announced, I might have traded it for the FT-710.
In my view amateur radio is at a crossroads. In many countries, amateur radio appeals mainly to older males. As these age, fewer new rigs will be sold and magazines will lose advertising revenue from dealers. Some will get smaller, less frequent, or close. In my view, several larger manufacturers will leave the amateur radio market as they will be unable to make profits. My prediction in the UK is that amateur radio will cease to be a service supported by OFCOM. I can see (not many years ahead) when CB, ISM and amateur radio will all become a "free for all" as these generate no income and are unnecessary hassle. The watchwords will be "no interference".
At the start of today, I had great hopes for Es in Europe. Sadly, certainly at the moment, things are not looking too great. Hopefully things will get better.
See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/8m-40mhz-spot-band/ .
We are used to thinking of time flowing from the past into the future and experiencing just one life from cradle to grave.
However, we are only aware of one life, which is the one experienced now. It is equally possible that we could have been born on a different planet at a different time. We could have multiple lives, not one.
All we know is things are far beyond our imaginations. We are just humans with limited brain power.
Been on 10m WSPR TX since before breakfast. It is now 0958z and, so far, 12 unique stations have spotted me. These are the usual suspects.
As the Es looks encouraging today, I have stuck with 8m QRP FT8. Already spotted by HC02 (1808km) in Portugal.
This photo was posted by someone who lives (I think) in Norway. It is interesting to see how people use 365project. My wife and I use it as a visual diary, whereas some use it to show their photographic prowess. We would never win on that count!
In view of the (low) activity levels on 8m this Es season, I propose to concentrate instead on 10m QRP FT8 using my little QDX transceiver.
My gear was turned on before breakfast. It is now 0848z. Just a single spot (quite strong too) from HC02 (1808km) in Portugal.
There appear to be fewer active stations on 8m this Es season. I was hoping for more, not fewer. With this year probably seeing the peak of the current solar cycle this is very disappointing! Where are all the experimenters? Perhaps people prefer discussing vegetables on 80m with commercial gear!
UPDATE 1414z: Just HC02 (Portugal) and SR4BBX (1217km) have spotted my 8m QRP FT8 today. Just G3WCS spotted on 8m FT8 RX.
UPDATE 1539z: It is extremely unusual to see 8m FT8 reports from new stations, bringing into question why I should continue with my experiment. My experiment was to see how useful QRP and simple antennas could be on 8m. I think I have already proved that and only with reports from newcomers will I learn more. So, unless I see significant interest from others it is unlikely that I shall spend as much time on 8m in the future. Results were more interesting in the last Es season.
Stations spotted on 8m RX today 
Stations spotting my 8m FT8 QRP today
UPDATE 1814z: Just 2 spots all day on 8m QRP FT8. On RX 3 stations spotted, although I suspect the EA is illegal.
My 500mW W5OLF WSPR beacon on 10m has been on since before breakfast. It is now 0836z and, so far, 8 spots of me. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of Es around yet.
It is now 0554z, so it is too early to tell how Es will be in Europe today. Assuming it is good, my plan is QRP 8m FT8 and 10m QRP WSPR TX.
See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ .
There is little doubt that the power of artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a powerful force for good allowing huge quantities of data to be analyzed quickly and accurately. An example is analyzing x-rays for tumours.
At the same time AI could also be our downfall. As the knowledge warned today it could also be our downfall.
"The truth is that it’s “already too late” for any meaningful pause in AI development, says Iain Martin The Times. As with the creation of the nuclear bomb in the 1940s, the pressing question is whether democracies or dictatorships get there first. If the West and its allies fail, we will be at the mercy of autocrats who can swarm us with thousands of lethal drones, or deploy sophisticated programmes which “relentlessly search for weaknesses through which to launch cyber attacks and shut down our financial systems”. This is a race “we have to win”. "
This is quote from The Knowledge today.
