In article et, "Dwight
Stewart" writes:

"Dee D. Flint" wrote:
"Dwight Stewart" wrote:
To do the types of public service
we're authorized to do (MARS,
RACES, and so on), authorization
is required.

Sec. 97.407 (snip)

That is an authorization to operate
on those frequencies and an
authorization to operate the station
not an authorization to do public
service. (snip)

"That is authorization to operate on those frequencies" to do what, Dee?
The only answer is "public service" in this context. When it comes to
Amateur Radio, we perform our public service using the Amateur Radio
frequencies. And the FCC is the governing agency that says what is
authorized on those frequencies (not everything is - your license is not a
blank check to do what you want with the Amateur frequencies). For example,
when it comes to the walk-a-thon you mentioned, the FCC has set rules on
what is and isn't authorized in that situation. The same with your power
blackout situation. And the same with ARES. In other words, you are only
allowed to use your radio in situations authorized, and in the manner
authorized. One situation authorized is public service.

Dwight, throughout ALL of Title 47, Code of Federal Regulations,
the word "service" is a regulatory term used to denote the type
and kind of radio activity being regulated.

Too many self-enobling amateurs wish to wrap themselves in the
finery of some kind of "patriotism" or "good works" and say they
do their hobby activity "for the public good."

AMATEUR radio is, de facto, a hobby, a recreational activity
involving radio transmission, done without pecuniary interest.

There should be NOTHING WRONG with having a fun hobby just
to have a hobby. One hundred seventy thousand members of the
AMA use a number of 72 MHz frequencies for model radio control.
That's purely a recreational activity. Not one whit of "public
service" about it, no dreaming about being a "service to the nation"
by using those allocated, authorized radio frequencies.

Anyone thinking that amateur radio is "primarily about public
service" is deluding themselves and/or living in a fantasyland of
daydreams. Amateur radio is a hobby. It was never anything
else and it may never be anything else. Why should it be more
than a hobby?

I've never needed a "license" to do jury duty, yet I've done it four
times. I've never needed a "license" to be a court witness yet
I've done that once. I've never needed a "license" to contribute to
a charity or be a hospital volunteer or anything else to do REAL
public/civic service. Anyone physically capable can do all of those
things without any "license" or "special authorization/allocation"
by some "authority."

The five volumes of regulations on Title 47 C.F.R. concern normal
operation of all the US civil radio services, its operators, and the
structure and activities of the FCC. The authorization/allocation of
ALL services is specifically stated therein. For those wishing to
get into REAL public service radio, that is mostly in Part 90 under
Public Safety Radio Services.

Part 97.1 "Definitions" does NOT specifically "authorize public
service" nor is it in any way some kind of Important Noble Medal
surrogate to wear/show-off/brag-about. 97.1 is basically old,
standard political boilerplate CHAFF, words to use as political
radar screening (a time-honored American law tradition even if
the names of it vary) to INFER a raison d'etre for the radio service.

Political chaff is very important in lawmaking. It carries with it a
fantastic amount of emotional baggage...but all that baggage is
essential to the creation of whatever the law is defining. A
particular activity being legislated cannot readily exist without all
that baggage. That kind of baggage gets politicians elected and
it lets those politicians enact legislation that is so "important"
to some of the citizenry.

While all the radio amateurs - and especiall the league - were busy
thumping their gorilla chests to beats of self-importance rhythm,
the AMA quietly lobbied for, and got a number of R/C frequencies.
Not for any national "public service" to "do good works" or anything
else except make several thousand model hobbyists happy. Nothing
in there about "pioneering flight" or anything else pretentious, just for
a recreational hobby, to have fun, to enjoy themselves.

The membership of the AMA is approximately equal to the member-
ship of the ARRL...170 thousand each. Isn't that curious? :-)

The AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) doesn't constantly
pretend to be anything else but a hobby membership organization,
affiliated internationally with other model hobby organizations. ARRL
on the other hand is terribly self-pretentious with a constant PR of
self-importance, "radio pioneering" and general self-grandeur.

Amateur radio transmissions fall under the federal laws concerning
United States civil radio. Such are given specific regulations by
the FCC. That isn't enoblement "to do the public good," it is merely
a separation of the various radio activities for regulatory purposes.

Trying to draw "conclusions, authorizations" from the first part of
Part 97 - for any reason - is like saying all politicians' statements
are "true." The definitions of 97.1 are just general statements,
political chaff (or any other spin-equivalent name you want) of the
old style to justify the existance of the radio activity in the political
arena.

LHA