Because the member countries of the ITU attempt some semblance of uniformity the Canadian preamble to the "Amateur Radio Service" is similar to the U.S. and I suspect many other countries are similar...
Quoting from http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf01188.html#purpose
RIC-3 - Information on the Amateur Radio Service
Foreword
The Radiocommunication Regulations describe the amateur radio service as a "radiocommunication service in which radio apparatus are used for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication or technical investigation by individuals who are interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest."
The Department of Industry believes that amateur radio should be readily accessible to Canadians, so that those who are interested in the science and art of radiocommunication may avail themselves of every reasonable opportunity to learn, enjoy, contribute or participate in this service. The necessity for operators to have some technical and operating knowledge before being allowed access to amateur radio bands is a well established and internationally recognized principle.
... However, to refurbish our dwindling ranks in a world of IM, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, smartphones, and The Google and the Internets, you ( at least I ) cannot recruit anyone into the amateur ranks by showing them how neat grid square collecting, DX, "talking to the world", amateur satellites are. We have, however, found that education in the form of Space Camps, ARISS, collaborating at the university and high school level with cubesats and near space balloons with student designed science payloads will turn high school students on, get them interested in STEM and engineering studies ( and boy is that a whole topic in itself ) and, oh, by the way, you need an amateur licence to work at the ground station and test payload components and the telemetry from your science payload. Amateur radio as the hidden agenda and the educational goal. The rest of the world of amateur radio then awaits them.
... Alan
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF Sent: October 16, 2009 12:57 PM To: Rocky Jones Cc: Amsat BB Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Why do hamsats?
According to my license, the primary reason for it's issuance is education. Below are the first three sentences of BR68.
Conditions of use
Purpose
1(1) The Licensee shall use the Station for the purpose of self-training in communication by radio telecommunications, which use (without limiting the generality of the foregoing) includes technical investigations.
1(2) The Licensee may use or permit the use of the Station, as part of his self-training in communication by radio telecommunications, during any operation conducted by a User Service [defined in sub-clause 12(1) (o)] or during any exercise relating to such an operation for the purpose of sending Messages on behalf of the User Service to other licensed amateur stations. It is recommended that the Licensee follows a formal emergency communications training scheme, details of which are available from the Radiocommunications Agency.
1(2A) The Licensee may use or permit the use of the Station, as part of his self-training in communication by radio, during any community event where the Licensee has been requested in writing by a User Service [defined in sub-clause 12(1) (o)] to provide communication without pecuniary gain for the purpose of sending Messages relating to the event to other licensed amateur stations.
Rocky Jones wrote:
Ham radio is about communicating. If we want to turn its
primary task into "education" then it will look very very different.
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