Why no state issued GMRS call sign license plates?

[Lscott]

14 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

That's a pretty dangerous suggestion:

So I could acquire WRQC527 if I want it?!?

This is one of your suggestions, that I clearly do NOT agree with! 

Unless the state reserves that format block there isn't isn't anything you can do about it. Contrasted to Ham call plates, at least here in Michigan, you have to show proof of your license before they will issue the plate. The fees are the same as an ordinary plate so you don't pay extra for it. At least I've never noticed if they did charge extra.

[WRQC527]

4 hours ago, Lscott said:

Unless the state reserves that format block there isn't isn't anything you can do about it. Contrasted to Ham call plates, at least here in Michigan, you have to show proof of your license before they will issue the plate. The fees are the same as an ordinary plate so you don't pay extra for it. At least I've never noticed if they did charge extra.

Same here in California. Ham plates cost $20 at the time of application, and you send a copy of your license. Unlike normal vanity plates, there is no additional yearly fee. The way California is set up now, the way to get your GMRS call sign on your plates is through the normal vanity call system, and pay an additional amount yearly when you renew your tags. I don't see California adding GMRS plates to the list of special plates like ham plates are.

[WRND441]

There is no way I would have mine on my plate, theres tons of reports and reasons why having personal info or ways to identify your family/hobbies/political sides/ military status etc is a bad idea.

[MichaelLAX]

I had to give up my Ham Vanity plates just to keep all the "chicks" away!! 

[WRQC527]

14 hours ago, WRND441 said:

There is no way I would have mine on my plate, theres tons of reports and reasons why having personal info or ways to identify your family/hobbies/political sides/ military status etc is a bad idea.

One thing is for sure, having my ham call on my license plate makes me think twice about taking part in road rage. It helps me drive more courteously than I already do. 

[cfa]

CT and MA both have special class of plates for amature. They have a little lighting bolt instead of a dash. Really the only advantage they gave you was it made it legal to have a scanner in your car. Now with scanner apps on your phone getting the plates seems somewhat pointless. I don't need some wacko being able to google my plate and have it come back to my name and home address. Back in the day he would have to have known it was a ham call sign and then track down a printed directory. 

[Lscott]

This is what a Michigan Ham call sign plate looks like.

[edisondotme]

On 11/13/2022 at 11:15 PM, WRND441 said:

There is no way I would have mine on my plate, theres tons of reports and reasons why having personal info or ways to identify your family/hobbies/political sides/ military status etc is a bad idea.

This is true and I am normally all for protecting personal information, but I think the vast majority of people are not even aware that they could look up someone's info via call sign. Nor would the vast majority of people even be aware that it is a call sign.

[SteveShannon]

3 minutes ago, edisondotme said:

This is true and I am normally all for protecting personal information, but I think the vast majority of people are not even aware that they could look up someone's info via call sign. Nor would the vast majority of people even be aware that it is a call sign.

The vast majority of people might not, but it doesn’t matter. It only takes one to ruin your life. 

[OffRoaderX]

23 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

The vast majority of people might not, but it doesn’t matter. It only takes one to ruin your life

I havnt had any issues so far..

[WRXR255]

23 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

I havnt had any issues so far..

Lost to time, that and this... but i wouldve been laughing inside if i had a WKRPxxx callsign.

[marcspaz]

26 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

I havnt had any issues so far..

 

As a child of the '70s, I approve!  LOL

[WSBY419]

On 10/9/2022 at 10:48 AM, 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.

Please send me a link to this book with all of the answers in it.

TIA

[nokones]

On 10/10/2022 at 7:48 AM, 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 think most "Nutjobs" wouldn't have a clue if they saw a Personalized Plate with a KAJ0097 or WQJT335 rather it is a regular  sequential issued plate or a special plate with a FCC callsign.

[nokones]

In Arizona it is very easy for a special group to petition the State and be approved for a special plate. Arizona has 104 approved special groups with license plates.

[nokones]

On 10/21/2022 at 6:18 AM, Lscott said:

That's sort of strange. Any Ham call plates I've seen from other states were rather distinctive. 

So in California they have to run the call sign plate through the system differently from other types? That seems weird the system can't figure it out on it's own. I would suspect people are telling BS stories.

That was true for California, especially back in the day when the vehicle registration inquiry system was less automated as it is today. In those days when a license plate inquiry was submitted, you had to insert a license plate type so the system would search for that type of plate. Thus, a passenger car plate is "A", Truck/Commercial Plate is "C", Trailer is "T", Motorcycle is "M", and Amateur Radio Plate is "H", Personalized Plate is "L", Pro-Rated Plates is "P", Dealer Plate is "D" but those plates were only a telephonic inquiry and not automated.

So, if an "A" was used for an Amateur Radio License Plate inquiry the system would return with a response of "Record Not On File". 99% of the Amateur Radio Plates were issued to passenger cars so Officers would call in the HAM plate as an "A" plate and the dispatcher would run it as such.

Nowadays, the inquirer no longer has to insert a license plate type code.

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, WSBY419 said:

Please send me a link to this book with all of the answers in it.

TIA

Just search Amazon for Amateur Radio License Exam Question Pool. I think they’re compiled by Gordon West.

Or download the questions and answers for free from https://www.ncvec.org 

But as a volunteer examiner I will tell you that the gnashing of teeth from people like wrkc935, incensed over the availability of the question pool is wasted gnashing. The pools are large (hundreds) with respect to actual number of questions on the tests and in my opinion it would be difficult to memorize 300 questions and answers without learning something about the concepts. 

Almost all the people I have administered tests to have had questions about the concepts if they have incorrect answers. Only one has not and he repeatedly fails on the amateur extra examination. I’ve offered to go over the questions and answers with him and I’ve offered to explain concepts but so far he hasn’t taken me up on the offer. 

[SteveShannon]

12 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

I havnt had any issues so far..

You would probably be the person I would guess is most likely to have to deal with stalkers. I think you were right to change your fcc license address from your physical location in California to the mailbox service. Based on some of the unhinged comments you’ve pinned on your YouTube videos it’s obvious that there are some frighteningly irrational people out there and California has had its share of celebrity stalking. 
In any case I’m glad you have not had problems. 

[nokones]

3 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

You would probably be the person I would guess is most likely to have to deal with stalkers. I think you were right to change your address from your physical location in California to the mailbox service. Based on some of the unhinged comments you’ve pinned on your YouTube videos it’s obvious that there are some frighteningly irrational people out there and California has had its share of celebrity stalking. 
In any case I’m glad you have not had problems. 

After the Teresa Saldana (sp) stabbing took place after the stabber made a public inquiry to DMV on her plate to get her address, the State has made it extremely difficult for the public to get information from DMV. Also, law enforcement employees are now held accountable for misusing the system for personal gain and criminal statutes are now in place for those violations.

DMV does sell the Driver's License and Vehicle Registration Information in batch form to specific requestors but that information is very limited.

[nokones]

Randy's plate is a Personalized Plate that was issued not in conflict with a regular sequential issued series plate. The three Alpha and three numerical series plates are still in service and were originally issued in 1963 with yellow characters on a black background plate. In 1970 they reversed the three numbers and three Alpha characters and were yellow characters on a blue back ground plates. After a couple decades most of the 1963 series plates were no longer in service and DMV allowed the 1963 series letters and numbers combination be used for personalized plates providing there were no conflicts with an existing in-service record.

I bet when Randy requested that plate, the Sunrise reflectorized plate was the only style plate issued during that era. 

It wasn't until about 2017 that the State allowed people to request Personalized Plates on the Legacy Yellow Characters on Black background plates.

Since Randy's license plate number is the old letters and number series combination that were issued starting in 1963 with the black plates he should make an application to request his number be put on a legacy plate. Just my opinion, I'm an old black license plate fan.  I had several of them.

Although, he may want to keep the existing plate because those plates are rare and discontinued in the interest of saving money in producing those plates. They discontinued those plates during an extreme fiscal management crisis period back in the 90s. 

If my memory serves me right I think he is using a Legacy black plate on his "Notarubicon" now and I know what his plate combo is. His license plate number combo gave my the idea of my license plate number combo for my "ISARUBICON"

My old plate:

[marcspaz]

5 hours ago, WSBY419 said:

Please send me a link to this book with all of the answers in it.

TIA

 

3 hours ago, Sshannon said:

Just search Amazon for Amateur Radio License Exam Question Pool. I think they’re compiled by Gordon West.

 

 

The ARRL manages the testing process, as the FCC decided we should be self-regulated.  The ARRL shares all of the official test questions and answers, exactly as you would see them on the test, including the correct and incorrect questions.  So not only do you get to memorize the correct answer, you get to use pattern recognition to learn to avoid the wrong answer.

 

http://www.arrl.org/question-pools

 

The only problem I see is with the Extra Class... with 621 possible questions and 10 schematic diagrams, you may be more likely to pass the test if you actually know the material, rather than trying to memorize it all.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, marcspaz said:

 

 

 

The ARRL manages the testing process, as the FCC decided we should be self-regulated.  The ARRL shares all of the official test questions and answers, exactly as you would see them on the test, including the correct and incorrect questions.  So not only do you get to memorize the correct answer, you get to use pattern recognition to learn to avoid the wrong answer.

 

http://www.arrl.org/question-pools

 

The only problem I see is with the Extra Class... with 621 possible questions and 10 10 schematic diagrams, you may be more likely to pass the test if you actually know the material, rather than trying to memorize it all.

I didn’t phrase my statement very clearly. Gordon West doesn’t compile the test questions for the amateur radio exams; he compiles his books using the test questions and answers. 

[marcspaz]

8 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

I didn’t phrase my statement very clearly. Gordon West doesn’t compile the test questions for the amateur radio exams; he compiles his books using the test questions and answers. 

 

I read it the way you intended.  I just provided the info I did in the event someone just wanted to read the questions and answers.  West does a good job, but they cost money. LOL

[SteveShannon]

8 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

 

I read it the way you intended.  I just provided the info I did in the event someone just wanted to read the questions and answers.  West does a good job, but they cost money. LOL

He has definitely made a business out of it.  I heard that the reason the questions/answers are now public is because he sued to get them.  He uses them to assemble his books.  A new edition must be released every three years when the questions change. And he has a school for the purpose of training hams to upgrade.  And now ARRL is his publisher. He has done an excellent job of vertical integration.

 

[WRYS709]

14 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

I havnt had any issues so far..

I would have thought your plates would say:

RWC 280