Why no state issued GMRS call sign license plates?

[Lscott]

I'm purchasing a new vehicle shortly and will transfer my Ham call sign plate from the old ride to the new one. It got me thinking about call sign license plates. I'm guessing one can get a Ham call sign license plate, they typically are distinctly marked as "Amateur Radio" etc.,  for any state they live in. In Michigan they are treated like a normal plate, not an expensive vanity plate, as far as fees are concerned. To get one all I had to do was show my official FCC license to the Secretary of State.

What I'm puzzled by is why no GMRS call sign license plates? It's a licensed service like Ham with an official FCC issued call sign unique to an individual. 

[gortex2]

Its all about how many people will do it. Normally a petition to the DMV will result in a new plate. We tried to get SAR plates in NY and never got enough "wants" for the state to do it. 

[WRKC935]

Because many years ago, when technology wasn't what it is now, Amateur radio was a vital part of communications when things went south.  Having an Amateur Radio license indicated that you had worked hard and studied electronic theory, laws and regulations and were somewhat proficient in communicating with Morse Code. 

The real question is why are they STILL a thing. 

Because having a Ham license now means you bought a book with all the answers to the questions, read it for 3 hours and took a test so you could get on the air with your 30 dollar radio that makes all sorts of beeps and crap and irritate the guys that did it right back in the day. 

Just sayin.

[Sshannon]

10 minutes ago, WRKC935 said:

Because many years ago, when technology wasn't what it is now, Amateur radio was a vital part of communications when things went south.  Having an Amateur Radio license indicated that you had worked hard and studied electronic theory, laws and regulations and were somewhat proficient in communicating with Morse Code. 

The real question is why are they STILL a thing. 

Because having a Ham license now means you bought a book with all the answers to the questions, read it for 3 hours and took a test so you could get on the air with your 30 dollar radio that makes all sorts of beeps and crap and irritate the guys that did it right back in the day. 

Just sayin.

Bullshit. That’s a cheap shot that paints all of us with the same brush.

Yes, there are those that simply memorize enough to pass the Technicians test, but they don’t hang around long.  There are still many who work within clubs to help provide backup long distance communications.  There are hams helping out during every tornado, flood, and hurricane. 

[H8SPVMT]

I think with todays technology most anyone with the desire could get a label printed up (or sticker) with a callsign and attach it inside the back window.

[Lscott]

10 hours ago, H8SPVMT said:

I think with todays technology most anyone with the desire could get a label printed up (or sticker) with a callsign and attach it inside the back window.

That's not as cool as the license plate. I once had a car with some kids in it asking me at a traffic light what the letters and numbers mean on the plate. They were trying to figure out what it said. I told them it was a radio station call sign ID.

[WRUE951]

in today's scam society, not sure it's a good idea anyway..    One google search  of your license plate call sign  can reveal most everything about you, i.e. your name, where you  live, your phone number etc..  That information in itself is enough for the basic scammer  or even a road rager to begin his dirty work..   No Thanks....  

 

[MichaelLAX]

21 hours ago, WRKC935 said:

The real question is why are they STILL a thing. 

Because Trump will need a project at his low-security incarceration.

[Ren]

On 10/9/2022 at 5:03 AM, Lscott said:

I'm purchasing a new vehicle shortly and will transfer my Ham call sign plate from the old ride to the new one. It got me thinking about call sign license plates. I'm guessing one can get a Ham call sign license plate, they typically are distinctly marked as "Amateur Radio" etc.,  for any state they live in. In Michigan they are treated like a normal plate, not an expensive vanity plate, as far as fees are concerned. To get one all I had to do was show my official FCC license to the Secretary of State.

What I'm puzzled by is why no GMRS call sign license plates? It's a licensed service like Ham with an official FCC issued call sign unique to an individual. 

You could always just apply for a vanity plate, and use your GMRS call. Most states adhere to the 7 character format so, as long as you're within those parameters, you *should* be able to get what you want. 

I do have to agree with WRUE951, however, that you want to be careful who you cut off in traffic. Our licenses, both GMRS and Ham, are public information, and there are a LOT of nutjobs out there. I've opted to keep my calls off my vehicles for this very reason. But that's just my 0.02.

[Lscott]

2 hours ago, Ren said:

You could always just apply for a vanity plate, and use your GMRS call. Most states adhere to the 7 character format so, as long as you're within those parameters, you *should* be able to get what you want. 

I do have to agree with WRUE951, however, that you want to be careful who you cut off in traffic. Our licenses, both GMRS and Ham, are public information, and there are a LOT of nutjobs out there. I've opted to keep my calls off my vehicles for this very reason. But that's just my 0.02.

I thought about the vanity plate idea. Chances are almost nobody would have a clue that the sequence of 4 letters followed by three numbers is an FCC radio call sign unless you were involve with radio communications.

Anyway I've had a Ham call sign plate on my vehicles for over 20 years. So far no problems. If one were really that worried then why use your call sign on the air? Lot of people own scanners out there. 

[WRKC935]

On 10/9/2022 at 11:06 AM, Sshannon said:

Bullshit. That’s a cheap shot that paints all of us with the same brush.

Yes, there are those that simply memorize enough to pass the Technicians test, but they don’t hang around long.  There are still many who work within clubs to help provide backup long distance communications.  There are hams helping out during every tornado, flood, and hurricane. 

Kinda laid that out that a growing number was that way.

You are a retired PE.  So gonna guess you have a pretty good education.  And never bothered with the Gorden West books when you got your ham license.

 

[Sshannon]

20 minutes ago, WRKC935 said:

Kinda laid that out that a growing number was that way.

You are a retired PE.  So gonna guess you have a pretty good education.  And never bothered with the Gorden West books when you got your ham license.

 

You’re right; I didn’t use the Gordon West books.  I’ve never even handled one. But I did use the HamStudy website and app which were very effective for me. Because of my background I could understand most of the answers.  The flash cards have links leading to background information that helped me understand those that I didn’t understand intuitively. I studied to understand, not memorize. 
I’m a VE now and I see some of the new people coming in. I’m sure there are some who try to just memorize the technician pool, but there are also those who seek to learn. Getting their Technician license gets them started along that path and helps foster further learning rather than memorization. 

[KAF6045]

I didn't touch the West books either -- but also didn't touch the skinny ARRL Q&A books. I preferred the thicker versions that had explanatory text and theory while stuffing the question pool in the back of the book.

Spent two weeks reading the General book when the code requirement was officially dropped... Found an online practice test site -- verified that I could pass every General test I took on the site. On a whim, I then tried the Extra class license tests, and passed 75% of those I tried. Two days later, I attended a VE session and passed both (granted, the Extra was by just one question) -- spent the following week actually reading the Extra class manual I found in my book backlog.

ADDENDUM: Something to consider regarding GMRS license plates... Original GMRS was basically designed for family (eg: large farm) and small business usage. Talking to someone with a different license was extremely rare, mostly limited to Emergency&Traveller Assistance. Hence, no purpose existed to label a GMRS license holder on vehicles. In contrast, Amateur has long been focused on making contacts using minimal power at long distances, radio experimentation and circuit development, and backup service in the event of emergencies.

As for vanity plates... Well, consider the following:

KRO3607
KAF6045
AF6VN

and (please forgive me for grabbing yours S.Shannon, but it was staring me in the face during this edit)

WROM258

WHICH of the above are GMRS licenses? Okay, AF6VN sticks out like an amputated thumb -- but can you, just on sight, tell the difference between KRO3607 and KAF6045?

Answer: KRO3607 is the class D CB call sign I held from 1976 to whenever the FCC dropped licensing CB radios. KAF6045 is an OLD GMRS license, from back in the day when one was authorized for only two of the eight main frequencies (and when they came out, the seven interstitials). With only two main frequencies, the odds were good that any other GMRS user wouldn't have any frequencies in common -- so again, "advertising" a call sign would have been relatively meaningless.

Here in Michigan, license plates are commonly a 3x4 (Alpha x Digit) -- so a regular license of KAF6045 could easily have been issued already. Amateur licenses have a easily recognized feature -- they only have ONE digit surrounded by a TWO [very rare, mostly special events] to FIVE alphas; such a pattern doesn't really appear in any state's regular license scheme (CA was something like 9AAA999[9] [they may be squeezing 8 letters onto plates by now]). It is unlikely that, even if a state could be persuaded to issue a GMRS-marked (as Amateur plates are marked) plate, that they could issue one with letter/numbers matching an existing plate. They'd have had to reserve all Kxx9999/Wxx9999 and Kxxx999/Wxxx999 numbers for use as call signs. (And maybe sequences starting with A...)

 

 

Edited October 11, 2022 by KAF6045
Added addendum

[H8SPVMT]

14 hours ago, Lscott said:

That's not as cool as the license plate. I once had a car with some kids in it asking me at a traffic light what the letters and numbers mean on the plate. They were trying to figure out what it said. I told them it was a radio station call sign ID.

But not as cool as my Jeep License Plate "H8SPVMT"

[MichaelLAX]

6 hours ago, H8SPVMT said:

But not as cool as my Jeep License Plate "H8SPVMT"

You hate special purpose vehicles in the mountains?!? 

[WRKC935]

Alright,,, damn.  Make one little comment about ham radio membership not being what it once was and y'all are looking to burn me at the stake.

So lets preface this.  In 2024, 2 years away, I will be renewing my ham license for the second time.  Which of course means in total I will have been a ham for 30 years at that point.  And I have sat and watched the technical abilities of hams decline over the years.  Now, do I think it will kill ham radio?  No, I don't.  And I will NOT be one of the asshats like those that sat around complaining about the dropping of Morse Code and how that would turn ham into CB radio, or that the decline in actual radio knowledge will do it in either.  But in 30 years, I have met a bunch of hams, some of them are damn knowledgeable.  But I am not seeing that as much any more.  And I am not hearing serious technical discussions being had on the air.  Of course, I don't hear much of anything other than on HF any more.  And I am not seeing much interest in learning about radio in the ham community either.  The move has been to DMR hotspots where the sum total of the RF communications begin and end in less than 20 feet.  Using the Internet to bridge the distance.  So as long as you can program a radio and configure a hotspot, you can communicate.  For all of 20 feet.  You realize you don't even NEED an antenna to talk that far.  And yes, I do find all that disheartening.  And what really gets me is all that demand for knowledge and wanting to learn is right here in GMRS and the service is limited to less than 1 Mhz of total frequency allocation and is ONLY wideband FM.  We have no SSB, digital, packet, none of that.  And we are fine with it.  And I am good with it too.  I just wish since there is so much interest in radio and how it all works here, that we have one little bit of one band to mess about with.  Mind you, GMRS ain't ham radio.  Never will be.  I just wish that ham radio had the sort of participation that GMRS is now enjoying.

 

[Sshannon]

28 minutes ago, WRKC935 said:

Alright,,, damn.  Make one little comment about ham radio membership not being what it once was and y'all are looking to burn me at the stake.

So lets preface this.  In 2024, 2 years away, I will be renewing my ham license for the second time.  Which of course means in total I will have been a ham for 30 years at that point.  And I have sat and watched the technical abilities of hams decline over the years.  Now, do I think it will kill ham radio?  No, I don't.  And I will NOT be one of the asshats like those that sat around complaining about the dropping of Morse Code and how that would turn ham into CB radio, or that the decline in actual radio knowledge will do it in either.  But in 30 years, I have met a bunch of hams, some of them are damn knowledgeable.  But I am not seeing that as much any more.  And I am not hearing serious technical discussions being had on the air.  Of course, I don't hear much of anything other than on HF any more.  And I am not seeing much interest in learning about radio in the ham community either.  The move has been to DMR hotspots where the sum total of the RF communications begin and end in less than 20 feet.  Using the Internet to bridge the distance.  So as long as you can program a radio and configure a hotspot, you can communicate.  For all of 20 feet.  You realize you don't even NEED an antenna to talk that far.  And yes, I do find all that disheartening.  And what really gets me is all that demand for knowledge and wanting to learn is right here in GMRS and the service is limited to less than 1 Mhz of total frequency allocation and is ONLY wideband FM.  We have no SSB, digital, packet, none of that.  And we are fine with it.  And I am good with it too.  I just wish since there is so much interest in radio and how it all works here, that we have one little bit of one band to mess about with.  Mind you, GMRS ain't ham radio.  Never will be.  I just wish that ham radio had the sort of participation that GMRS is now enjoying.

 

I don’t want to burn you at the stake, I promise!  Amateur radio needs people who have your experience and knowledge.  I understand your concerns, but I’m seeing ham radio differently. I’m a member of a couple groups for homemade antenna building, a couple groups for digital HF modes like FT8, an antenna modeling group, and even a group dedicated to test equipment. I see nobody on any of those groups who self identified as a Baofeng waving question memorizer, but I would not be surprised if some started there and grew into more technically interested hams. 
I’m excited also about how we make use of GMRS, because that’s also very useful. 
I think that a person’s perspective really depends on their surroundings and it sounds like you’re not enjoying the same surroundings as I am. 

[gortex2]

ITs very are specific for sure. I hear about clubs that are very active and involved in public safety and into new technology. Again I read and hear about them. I have yet in 20 years come across one of those groups in working all over the North East. I was a member of 2 different RACES groups up north at different times. Both held nets and "drills" but anytime either got asked to actually help with something no one was ever available. Unless it was a 9-4 scheduled event you never got any of them to leave the donut coffee shop and actually assist. I'm another 1/4 century ham and am saddened at the state of ham radio now. I got my career in part with ham radio. Where I am now the county has no races/ares or any ham involvement. I talked to the 911 director and his take is they have a TLMR system and the State also does. He sees no need for them and if he needs them he said he plans to call the state. I wish I could find that "group" of active involved hams but in 25 year I have not. 

[Sshannon]

27 minutes ago, gortex2 said:

ITs very are specific for sure. I hear about clubs that are very active and involved in public safety and into new technology. Again I read and hear about them. I have yet in 20 years come across one of those groups in working all over the North East. I was a member of 2 different RACES groups up north at different times. Both held nets and "drills" but anytime either got asked to actually help with something no one was ever available. Unless it was a 9-4 scheduled event you never got any of them to leave the donut coffee shop and actually assist. I'm another 1/4 century ham and am saddened at the state of ham radio now. I got my career in part with ham radio. Where I am now the county has no races/ares or any ham involvement. I talked to the 911 director and his take is they have a TLMR system and the State also does. He sees no need for them and if he needs them he said he plans to call the state. I wish I could find that "group" of active involved hams but in 25 year I have not. 

So here’s an email I received today that I think illustrates how seriously some here in Montana take this. Unfortunately I don’t have any of the prerequisites for this training:

“One of the reasons the Amateur Radio Service exists in the United States
as stated in the FCC rules is,
"Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the
public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly
with respect to providing emergency communications." (CFR 47, part
97.1(a))
Interested in providing emergency communications?  There will be an
AUXCOMM course coming this November 5 & 6, held in Helena. This course
is open to all hams who have completed the FEMA ICS courses IS-100,
IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800. The focus of this two-day class is working
in an incident communications environment, under ICS. The class is
limited to 30 participants.
•    Location: Fort Harrison, Regional Training Institute (RTI), Helena
MT
•    Times:  Class will start at 0800 Saturday and 0700 Sunday. (The
earlier start on Sunday is to let those who have a long drive home get
an earlier start.) These will be full days; the course is nominally 20
hours long.
•    There is no charge for this course; however you are responsible for
your travel / housing / food.  
o    You are on your own for lunch; lunches are NOT being provided.  Plan
to eat lunch at the training site.
•    Each student must have a public safety organization affiliation. 
Unless you have an established affiliation with a public safety
organization (e.g., city police department), we will use each county's
Sheriff. Therefore I need to know your county.  
o    The use of the Sheriff was decided by Tom Munsey, the state Emergency
Preparedness Manager. According to Tom, the Sheriff does not need to be
contacted about this.
o    NOTE: volunteer organizations like ARES, RACES, REACT, etc. do NOT
qualify as a public safety organization.  
•    Course materials will be distributed electronically the week before
the class.  You are expected to bring a device, e.g., laptop, tablet,
with those materials loaded to follow the presentations. (Remember your
charger!) Also of course, something to take notes on.
•    Course etiquette: do not bring radios, club jackets, hats, etc. 
Leave all that home or in your vehicle.
To register for the course, I need to receive from you BY OCTOBER 19:
1.    PDFs of your completion certificates for FEMA ICS courses IS-100,
IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800.
2.    A PDF of your amateur license; the Reference copy is OK. 
3.    Your County
4.    Your name as you wish it to appear on your completion certificate.
5.    Your work (if any) and cell phone number.
When I have received all of this information, I will notify you that you
are registered.”

[axorlov]

Leave the hat at home.. Awwww.... That hurts!

[WRKC935]

Steve, I would look into the ICS training online.  That's where I got mine. 

Have 100 700 and 907

Got all of them online.

 

[Sshannon]

56 minutes ago, WRKC935 said:

Steve, I would look into the ICS training online.  That's where I got mine. 

Have 100 700 and 907

Got all of them online.

 

Thanks!  I appreciate the help. 

[gortex2]

AUXCOMM is a sit in class. As said alot of the basic ICS can be done online for free. They take about an hour each max. Less time if you have been in public safety. The AUXCOMM course is a good bridge between Public Safety and Amateur Radio but is only as good as you take out of it. The last 3 I have been part of only about 2 guys actually took anything out of the class and are active in other parts of public safety also. If your in public safety and a ham its an ideal course. 

 

[Sshannon]

5 minutes ago, gortex2 said:

AUXCOMM is a sit in class. As said alot of the basic ICS can be done online for free. They take about an hour each max. Less time if you have been in public safety. The AUXCOMM course is a good bridge between Public Safety and Amateur Radio but is only as good as you take out of it. The last 3 I have been part of only about 2 guys actually took anything out of the class and are active in other parts of public safety also. If your in public safety and a ham its an ideal course. 

 

Thanks!

[WRQC527]

On 10/9/2022 at 5:03 AM, Lscott said:

they typically are distinctly marked as "Amateur Radio" etc.,  for any state they live in

 

Here in California, amateur radio plates (at least the ones I've seen and had over the years) don't have any identifying markings that indicate amateur radio, other than the distinctive call sign. They look like any other vanity plate. In fact, there are tales (probably exaggerated) of some law enforcement officers who don't know the designation amateur radio plates are under running them as normal plates and coming up with no results, resulting in traffic stops. It hasn't happened to me.