Service Schmervice. A male panda bear can service a female panda. Everything doesn't have to have a point. I go "fishing" for QSOs 'cuz it's relaxing. My neighbor ties flies, and I tie wires.
From the ITU RR: "1.19 radiocommunication service: A service as defined in this Section involving the transmission, emission and/or reception of radio waves for specific telecommunication purposes." Hence "amateur service". When your country participates in ITU - the basis for the modern global RF civil society - it agreed to do things per the ITU Constitution, Convention & Radio Regulations. Much of what is in your country's telecom law/regulations comes from these texts. It would behoove us all if everybody at least had some grasp of the fundamentals behind the amateur service. The lack thereof I often see evidence of here. 73, ex-VR2BG/p.
Me too, LOL I using a ground mounted vertical and making contacts 10,000 miles (16,093 Km) away! I never made a contact to Europe, though I am still making good contacts. By the way guys, a good contact does not have to be a 1000 thousand miles away or more, you just nice talk with someone to make international good will, (which is one of the reasons my country has the "service").