Sunday, May 24, 2015 — OK, OK, I don’t have a new bug to write about, or the scintillating tales of my CW expeditions across 80 and 40 meters, but it is (at the very least) related to ham radio.
As in just about every other state in the Union, Kentucky offers licensed Amateurs the opportunity to get a specialty license plate for your car, truck or motorcycle with your callsign. As you can see in the photos, Kentucky’s ham radio plate — the top one — is as nondescript as a license plate can be: blue letters on a white background (well, it once was reflective white, now its a weathered grayish-white).
But the plate is as boring as the day is long; even the wording “Amateur Radio” barely fits between the lower mounting holes. The rust streaks are from the original, albeit rusty, mounting screws on my former daily driver, my 1995 Suzuki Sidekick.
After several years of owning the standard-issue Amateur Radio plate, I tired of its utilitarian look. Over the years, I have had a variety of personalized plates that were about my hobby, my car or my job (little did I know the level of derision I would receive for my plate promoting my workplace, the Kentucky Standard … limited to six characters, it became KY STD. Yep).
In 2011, I found out that a plate number used in one series of license plates could also be used in a different series of license plates, which meant KY4Z could be used as an Amateur Radio plate, and also as a personalized plate. So that year I decided to invest in a personalized plate, KY4Z. Which would you prefer?
What I also later learned was that my callsign could be used to personalize other plates available in Kentucky; however because I have the personalized plate currently issued, I would need to cancel that plate in order to make my call available for another plate. I had considered personalizing an Emergency Management plate, or a University plate, but just never got the gumption to do it. I’m fine with what I have.
TO PLATE OR NOT? I have heard considerable debate over the use of Amateur Radio plates on a vehicle, with most concerns raised by the conspiracy theorists and folks who work or live in moderate-to-high crime areas. Neither group want to identify themselves as hams, which might also mean criminals might assume they have wealth with them, or that their vehicles are full of expensive radio gear. Both concerns have validity, I suppose. Fortunately, where I live there’s not much interest in going to the trouble of taking anything out of any of my beater vehicles. My 1998 Dodge Durango just doesn’t scream “wealthy individual inside” to most but the most stupid of criminal elements. And another truth is that I don’t buy super expensive ham gear to run mobile. If someone wants the gear, they’re going to get it — and probably the car too if they want it that bad.
Another truth is that I’ve done precious little mobile hamming since my son took over my daily driver about this time last year. My Suzuki was equipped with an indash scanner, HF and VHF/UHF ham radio. I need to pull that gear out, he’s a ham but for now isn’t that interested in using. And truth be told, he’s still a new enough driver that I prefer he NOT be distracted fiddling with any radios, AM/FM or HF/VHF/UHF. I had a ham stick whip on the left rear of the vehicle and it embarrassed him to no end, so I took it off.
My daily driver is my Jeep Wrangler, and I need to put my radio gear in there. I have a High Sierra screwdriver antenna for it and everything … the only thing missing is spending time driving anywhere, HI HI! Well, I should put some radio gear in it, just for the sake of having comms when needed.
My shack cleaning was interrupted temporarily by my tractor repairs (a long, LONG story!), but I hope to get back on it in short order.
73 ES CUL … DE KY4Z SK SK dit dit
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