In article k.net, "Bill
Sohl" writes:

"Anonymous" wrote in message
news:J2MH52HJ38045.6499652778@anonymous...

Golf is a hobby not a service. Why
ham-radio is a "service" ?

It is a service because that is how it is defined and
authorized under FCC rules Part 97.

All throughout Title 47 C.F.R. the word "service" is a regulatory term
denoting the type and kind of radio activity being regulated.

All hams dont want to be considered as a public
service. Everybody has not the military
spirit. Let Them choose!

There is nothing to choose. It is a service.
In actual day-to-day activity, the fact that
ham radio is a service still allows individuals
to be hams on nothing more than a personal
hobby basis.

Citizens Band Radio SERVICE.

Remote Control Radio SERVICE.

Private Land Mobile Radio SERVICE.

Broadcasting SERVICE.

Aeronautical Mobile SERVICE.

Just five examples of types and kinds of radio activity in Title 47
C.F.R., all using the word "service." All those "services" are
for civil (non-government) radio. No military or government-like
services are meant nor intended. Just a regulatory term.

The government will ALWAYS have a say in ham radio
because the radio spectrum is not a privatlely owned
resource. Under US law and under the laws of
most countries, the government (the FCC in the USA)
gets to specify the rules for amateur radio.

All throughout Title 47 C.F.R., the word "service" is a regulatory
term used to denote a type or kind of radio activity being
regulated for U.S. non-government radio.

Of the five examples given, only broadcasting is required to perform
specified services of a specified percentage of transmission time to
program content and material to the general community within its
service area.

Note that "service area" is a term phrase to denote the geographic
coverage of broadcast signals above a specified certain field
strength. The specific word "service" in that phrase does not refer
to a "community service" nor "military service" nor "service to the
country" nor even "service for eight" as in dinnerware.

Those trying to imply that the word "service" in Amateur Radio
Service is some sort of "service to the community" is merely self-
enoblement by radio amateurs which has no relevance to reality.
Amateur radio as practiced. Amateur radio - as practiced - is
almost entirely a personal recreational activity involving radio, done
without pecuniary interest. A hobby. Anything more than that is
a fantasy existing within radio amateur's imagination...and in the
self-serving propaganda of the ARRL to reinforce such imaginary
thoughts in order to convince radio amateurs of belonging to the
League.

If anything the Amateur Radio Service is closer to "service for one"
as in dinnerware.

An amateur radio licensee cannot transfer that license. It belongs
only to the stated licensee. The license does not state, convey,
or imply that the licensee must perform any community service to
anyone other than emergency communications under certain
conditions stated in Parts 2 and 97 of Title 47 C.F.R.

No, you can play in the manner you want.
So let the hams vote if they want to
continue to be a service. The answer is
evident, they will vote for FREEDOM.

So act for "NO SERVICE INTERNATIONAL" !

Sorry, there is NO opportunity for
you or anyone else to vote as you wish.

Actually, there IS such an opportunity and it is built into the
Constitution of the United States and some Amendments. For
a large change try Articles V and VII plus Amendment IX. :-)

Otherwise - except in this little zoo called a newsgroup - we can
all "vote" as we wish just like a bunch of amateurs are "serving"
the nation through their "service" of being in a hobby.

LHA / WMD