| Ham vanity plate I just got my (ham) license and wanted to update my car license plate as well. My state has pretty sweet ham vanity plates and I wanted to get my call sign on it. Turns out, somebody else in the state already has it! I couldn't believe it and they won't tell me who it is. What can I do? Why have a ham vanity plate that doesn't have your call sign? |
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 drjimPremium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA
kudos:3
 ·Verizon FiOS
| Are the Amateur Radio plates issued in your state distinctive in any way? Here in California they're just a regular looking plate. It could be possible that certain combinations of letters and numbers would spell out a callsign.
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One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. |
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| The ham plate is a custom plate option that says "Amateur Radio" on it and has an antenna and stuff. I was going to get one but what I really wanted was the plate number to be my call sign and that apparently is what is not available. What are the odds.
Is it common to have your call sign as your license plate number? I'm still new to hamming and thought it would be cool but I'm not naive enough to think I came up with the idea (or did I?). |
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drjimPremium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA
kudos:3 | I think it depends on what state you're in.
Do you have a vanity call?
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One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. |
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 SplitpairPremium
join:2000-07-29
Cow Towne
kudos:3 | reply to Bummered
The first thing you need to do is to find out what the state regulations are for obtaining an Amateur tag, if the application requires the registrant to a licensed Ham Radio operator then you may have something to go on.
Wayne
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| reply to Bummered
That's kinda strange. In NY I know they will not issue regular vanities with amateur calls, unless it slips by. I know one ham who got a regular vanity because he didn't like the NY design. |
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| reply to Bummered
Report that a car with that plate just hit your car and sped away.... You'll find out who it is!  |
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| reply to Bummered
I think true hams are confident enough in their status and abilities to not have to go and be narcissistic enough to get vanity plates and such. Seems ridiculous if you ask me. Waste of money too. Should buy a new antenna or something instead. |
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 burner50Helping Darwin WINPremium,VIP
join:2002-06-05
Cowtown
kudos:1
 ·inmotionhosting
| said by Ham Man :
I think true hams are confident enough in their status and abilities to not have to go and be narcissistic enough to get vanity plates and such. Seems ridiculous if you ask me. Waste of money too. Should buy a new antenna or something instead.
Find me a 5 dollar antenna and I will buy that instead of my ham plates.
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 hambone42Peace, through superior firepowerPremium
join:2002-02-02
Manassas, VA | reply to Ham Man
said by Ham Man :
I think true hams are confident enough in their status and abilities to not have to go and be narcissistic enough to get vanity plates and such. Seems ridiculous if you ask me. Waste of money too. Should buy a new antenna or something instead.
The stated purpose (in some/many jurisdictions, YMMV) for having ham plates is to allow easy identification of people and equipment associated with first-responder activities.
To get a callsign plate here in VA, you are required to have equipment permanently mounted in the vehicle as proof that you're at least capable of providing first-responder/emergency communications from your vehicle.
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Son, there's only one thing you need to know: HEMI |
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jacourPremium
join:2001-12-11
Matthews, NC | reply to Bummered
As suggested above, check the law in your state. I had to provide a photocopy of my ticket before I could get mine. If the other person is no longer the holder of the call sign, he might lose it on renewal. |
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 Subaru1-3-2-4Premium
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT
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| reply to Bummered
thanks for reminding me to stop at the DMV tomorrow to get my vanity plate..
I hope I wont run into a issue of them needing to see my registration because after 5 weeks they have yet to send it to my mailbox yet!!
I have the ham vanity plate slip all filled out and everything.. |
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 kcpistolPremium
join:2009-03-29
Independence, MO | reply to Bummered
Here (in Missouri) in order to receive Ham call plates you must produce a current Amateur license with the call in question.
The form you file that with states that you are giving this information on penalty of perjury, so someone filing false paperwork would possibly be in hot water. Of course most of our calls have a zero with a slash through it as the number, and that's not available on a regular vanity plate anyway - could see where in some other states it might be an issue, but not usually here. |
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| reply to Ham Man
said by Ham Man :
I think true hams are confident enough in their status and abilities to not have to go and be narcissistic enough to get vanity plates and such. Seems ridiculous if you ask me. Waste of money too. Should buy a new antenna or something instead.
In all honesty I got ham plates because it's easier to remember my callsign than it is to remember six random letters and numbers that change whenever I have to change plates.
Besides it's only like $5 to get them. |
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 n1zukBreak out the checkbookPremium
join:2001-10-24
Malta
kudos:2 | reply to Bummered
I personnaly wouldn't get a plate with my callsign on it.
-- It draws attention to the fact that the car may contain items to steal.
-- People can easily find the home address of where you live.
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 UHFAll static, all day, ForeverPremium,MVM
join:2002-05-24
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| reply to Bummered
It's better than the kids with the huge ALPINE stickers on the windows. That is an invitation for a car break in. Besides, the average Joe has no idea what a ham radio is or what to do with it, but I guess they can always sell it on ebay. I would think they after stuff they can turn around for cash very quickly, not out looking for ham radio operators. |
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 mattmagPremium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-04-09
NW Illinois
kudos:3 | reply to Bummered
Looks like another anon troll starting junk threads.
What state? Any state I am aware of requires proof of the callsign on the application. |
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drjimPremium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA
kudos:3 Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| reply to n1zuk
Those are good points, but there are some precautions you can take.
My callsign and "callbook" address are my private mail box. I also don't keep a radio in the car to tempt thieves any more than they normally are. My rig is attached to a thick plastic cutting board with a nice handle, and I can have it in and out of the car in a few minutes.
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One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. |
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tobicatPremium
join:2005-04-18
Tombstone, AZ | reply to mattmag
said by mattmag:Looks like another anon troll starting junk threads. What state? Any state I am aware of requires proof of the callsign on the application. Arizona does not have amateur plates only personalized plates. You can have your call sign on it if some one else does not already have it. They could care dink about your license.
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drjimPremium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA
kudos:3 Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| California is somewhat the same way. The ham plate looks just like a regular plate, but to get your callsign you have to fill out a special form and submit it with a copy of your license. It's a one-time fee, only payable when you first get the plate.
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One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. |
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