Bummered
@carohosting.net
| 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? | |
|
 
drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs:
| Re: Ham vanity plate 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.
--
One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. | |
|
 |
Bummered
@carohosting.net
| Re: Ham vanity plate 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?). | |
|
| |
drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs: | Re: Ham vanity plate I think it depends on what state you're in.
Do you have a vanity call?
--
One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. | |
|
Splitpair
Premium
join:2000-07-29
Cow Towne
 ·T-Mobile US
| 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
--
If you cannot fix it with a buttset and some beanies you ain't a technician | |
|
Eat Me
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ | 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. | |
|
Waldothe3rd
Premium
join:2009-02-16
Sun N Sand | Report that a car with that plate just hit your car and sped away.... You'll find out who it is!  | |
|
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. | |
|
| |
| 
jeffhambone
Peace, through superior firepower
join:2002-02-02
Manassas, VA
 ·Comcast
| 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.
--
Son, there's only one thing you need to know: HEMI | |
|
| |
jacour
join:2001-12-11
Ypsilanti, MI | 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. | |
|
|
| jacour
join:2001-12-11
Ypsilanti, MI
·Comcast
| Re: Ham vanity plate said by Subaru  :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!! Do you do know that you can print a duplicate of your license off the ULS system?
»wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=home
You need to have a FRN (which you get by registering) but after that it is pretty easy. | |
|
| |
drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs: | Re: Ham vanity plate I think he means the registration for his car.
--
One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. | |
|
| | | 
Subaru
1-3-2-4
Premium
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT
clubs: | Re: Ham vanity plate said by drjim :I think he means the registration for his car. Correct. | |
|
kcpistol
Premium
join:2009-03-29
Independence, MO
| 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. | |
|
|
|
drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs:
| Re: Ham vanity plate 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.
--
One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. | |
|
| | |
| |
|
| |
| | |
| | | 
UHF
All static, all day, Forever
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-24
clubs: | Re: Ham vanity plate said by burner50 :wow... waaaaaay over the head there... Yes it was! | |
|
| 
battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000 | I've had some type of Rockford Fosgate sticker on everything I have driven since 1993 without problems. I've not always used something obvious though. My new Tacoma has a black old skool diamond R on dark windows so it does not stand out. | |
|
mattmag
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-04-09
NW Illinois
clubs: |
Looks like another anon troll starting junk threads.
What state? Any state I am aware of requires proof of the callsign on the application. | |
|
| tobicat
join:2005-04-18
Tombstone, AZ
| Re: Ham vanity plate 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.
--
9000 spaceway III, 7000S SatMex 5 990, Dlink wirless | |
|
| |
drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs:
| Re: Ham vanity plate 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.
--
One man's Magic is another man's Engineering. | |
|
| | azjerry
join:2002-12-04
Phoenix, AZ
| said by tobicat :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. Actually Arizona does have an amateur plate now. $25 per year for the privilege. You have to send a copy of your license. | |
|
| |
Bummered
@fusedhosting.net
| Yes, I live in a state where you can get whatever you want on your plate and call signs are not protected.
I finally tracked down the owner of the plate with my call sign. I called him up and asked him about it and he said it was the call sign of his grandfather who had died a few years back. He said his grandfather taught him everything he knows about hamming and they used to "play radio" together. Nevertheless, I asked him if I could have it and he refused. I offered him $100 for it and he said he wouldn't give it up for $1000. Guess I will just have to wait and see if he forgets to renew it or moves out of state and then I can snatch it up. | |
|
| | | 
burner50
Pinlifter
Premium,VIP
join:2002-06-05
EN22wm
·Mediacom
 ·FrontierNet Intern..
| Re: Ham vanity plate said by Bummered :
Yes, I live in a state where you can get whatever you want on your plate and call signs are not protected.
I finally tracked down the owner of the plate with my call sign. I called him up and asked him about it and he said it was the call sign of his grandfather who had died a few years back. He said his grandfather taught him everything he knows about hamming and they used to "play radio" together. Nevertheless, I asked him if I could have it and he refused. I offered him $100 for it and he said he wouldn't give it up for $1000. Guess I will just have to wait and see if he forgets to renew it or moves out of state and then I can snatch it up.
You could also just get a new systematically assigned callsign
--
I'm tired of killing stupid people just trying to do my job and go home! | |
|
accounting
join:2008-02-29
Columbus, OH
| Ohio requires that you bring in your original and a copy of your FCC license in order to get the ham plates. The plates are not in the vanity plate category. They are specialized plates that also say "amateur radio" on the bottom of them.
Anything looking like amateur radio call letters are not permitted to be used on regular vanity plates, although I'm guessing some may slip through. | |
|
|
|
See 9 replies to this post |
|
accounting
join:2008-02-29
Columbus, OH
| I agree with what burner50 just said..."You could also just get a new systematically assigned callsign"
I think you can do this online at
»wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=home
That would solve the problem for sure. | |
|
| 
Gbcue
E.I.T.
Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
clubs: | Re: Ham vanity plate I wish CA's plates had a cool Amateur Radio logo on it. | |
|
| |
accounting
join:2008-02-29
Columbus, OH | Re: Ham vanity plate Ohio does not have a logo on the ham plate, but it does say "Amateur Radio" on the bottom of the plate. | |
|
accounting
join:2008-02-29
Columbus, OH
| The Amateur Radio plates do come in handy when you are parked in a shopping center parking lot in the middle of the night working a severe weather net like I was the other night.
When a police car drives over by your car to check you out, they see the ham plates and then just drive off. They apparently know that hams sometimes work severe weather nets. | |
|
xygor
join:2006-05-08
Quakertown, PA
1 edit | In Pennsylvania ...
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR: One plate may be issued with your Federal Communication Commission
(FCC) assigned call letters. If you desire a second Amateur Radio Operator registration plate, your call letters
plus a hyphen and the number “2” will be issued. A copy of your Amateur Radio Station license must be
attached to the application.
STATE "HAM TAGS" INFORMATION:
»www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regula···tes.html | |
|
mr weather
Premium
join:2002-02-27
Mississauga, ON
| In the Province of Ontario, ham radio plates are no different than regular number plates.
You can have (or had I don't know if it's still available) the Radio Amateurs of Canada logo added for extra $$.
--
"It's all coming down!!" - Mike Holmes | |
|
|
|
|
·
·
·