RadioBanter - View Single Post - Ham-radio is a hobby not a service

March 12th 04, 02:23 AM

In article ,
(William) writes:

"Dee D. Flint" wrote in message
igy.com...
"William" wrote in message
You and Dee simply cannot accept that an unlicensed service has played
a major role in emergency comms.

I have never refused to accept the role of unlicensed services but I do not
let that blind me to the fact that amateur radio continues to play a
significant role. You are the one who cannot accept the fact that amateur
radio continues to play a major rule in emergency comms. My position is
and
has always been that we need as many different forms of communication as
possible. No one can predict what services will or will not be knocked out
in the next emergency.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

I too think that multiple forms of communications are the best bet
when the chips are down.

But cell phones sure are playing a much larger role than amateur radio
in emergency communications.

Brian, reminding folks that 100 MILLION cell phone subscriptions
have been taken out in the USA is not a valid fact to Believers.

Believers - those whose only access amateur radio sites and
especially that of the League - cannot rid themselves of the
urban myth that "cell phones always fail in an emergency."

Believers don't believe that any other "radios" except cell phones
and amateur radio exist. They don't believe that Public Safety
(police, fire, ambulance, etc.) services ever use their radios in
emergencies...the "emergency" in their minds seems to be of
such a large scale, so devastating that Public Safety agencies
are also "down." They don't believe that there are hundreds of
thousands of other radios in utility companies, taxicabs, private
corporations, private boats, private and commercial aviation can
even be used in any emergencies. Believers don't believe that
any government agency such as FEMA can use "radio" or
acknowledge that such is ever used in any emergency. Believers
don't even bother to consider the U.S. military or the various states'
National Guards, all of whom have portable or mobile radios,
radios designed for survivability and operability in the very harsh
environment of warfare.

Believers only believe in three kinds of radios - amateur, cell
phones, and some vague amorphous 'other kind' not specified
because they don't know anything about all those 'other kinds.'
Believers only believe that "cell phones always go down in
emergencies" but amateur radio is always so robust and damage
proof that all of them survive and continue to work.

Believers believe what they are told by the League who seems to
always say that "amateur radio was 'significant' in some emergency
(or event of occasion)."* The League doesn't define 'significant' since
that would take away the emotional loading that makes all League
members and other amateurs very proud, warm, and fuzzy...which
is what they want to do to increase interest in joining the League to
keep getting proud, warm, fuzzy feelings through membership.

* the homonymic phrase "played a major role" is sometimes used
for similar effect. Also, NASA astronauts who accept getting a ham
license as one of the many tasks of having to do required NASA
public relations are always labeled as "ham-astronauts" to get folks
proud, warm, and fuzzy thinking that they got to be astronauts
through their amateur radio license first.

All throughout Title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, the word
"service" is used as a regulatory term meaning a type and kind of
radio activity being regulated. Believers insist that "service" means
the same as "a service to the country." They don't acknowledge
that amateur radio is basically an avocational pursuit, a hobby, done
without pecuniary compensation to enjoy a particular radio activity.
No, Believers insist that "they perform a service to the nation" through
having a ham hobby, much in the same way the we both served our
country in the military.

Believers cannot be convinced of reality. Believers are a cult stuck
in an imaginary world reinforced by the many words of membership
organizations into mythical proportions. Anything said to disturb
their pride and warm, fuzzy feelings about their hobby are considered
heretical and damnations of their national service.

LHA / WMD