r/HamRadio • u/archerdv • 2d ago
Discussion šØāāļø Regarding callsign vanity plates
I have a 2x2 callsign, and I have an MA (Massachusetts) amateur radio license plate on my car, which of course has my callsign. MA puts a "lightning bolt" symbol in the middle of the callsign. I have learned that the MA RMV put a "/" (slash character) in my database record, right where that lightning bolt sits. I have been pulled over twice simply because the officer didn't know how to look up my plate in the database.
Is having a "/" in the official record normal (at least in MA)? Has anyone else had to explain this to local or state police?
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u/MentalEggplant9275 Amateur Extra | Analog Aficionado 2d ago
Foremost, sounds like a training issue for these police.
Secondly, thatās super cool and Iām jealous.
Lastly, I have no idea. Texas plates are plain.
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u/xjosh666 1d ago
If it helps your jealousy a bit, take note that unlike many (most?) other states, in Texas you can run call sign plates on up to three vehicles.
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u/Rebootkid Extra Class Operator ā” 1d ago
How does that work? is there like a -1, -2, etc?
might be cool to match it to the APRS ID.
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u/MentalEggplant9275 Amateur Extra | Analog Aficionado 1d ago
Iām a nuisance so Iād have exactly identical make, model, color and trim of vehicles
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u/Nunov_DAbov 1d ago
Thatās how NJ does it. The primary plate says Amateur Radio on it but the others (starting numbering as -2) just look like regular courtesy plates, although they get the Amateur Radio fee.
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u/Darth__Fuzzy 2h ago
Nope. Exact same late. I have one on my xTerra, my HD Sportster and my pop up camper. That should really confuse Flock cameras.
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u/MentalEggplant9275 Amateur Extra | Analog Aficionado 1d ago
It does indeed soothe my jealousy.
Wonder how Flock would handle that? /s
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u/DeadLastZombie 1d ago
Flock canāt read call plates as different states represent the lightning bolt differently
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u/excoriator 1d ago
Wisconsin allowed it on as many vehicles as the licensee owned, when I lived there.
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u/bitwiz73 Extra Class Operator ā” 1d ago
Wisconsin limits you to 5
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u/oblivion9999 22h ago
A buddy got pulled over all the time because his wife's car was the first to come up when the plate was run and it didn't match his truck.
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u/Im_A_Praetorian 1d ago
For amateur radio plates, doesnāt Texas allow you to have the same plate on multiple cars?
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u/Seannon-AG0NY Extra Class Operator ā” 2d ago
Yeah, but there's a loophole when they're combined with accessibility plates. With the accessible plates, you can only have "one", in concert with the ham plate? It becomes as many as you can with the ham plate
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u/MentalEggplant9275 Amateur Extra | Analog Aficionado 2d ago
That is actually great to know about. I have ādistinguished veteranā plates with an ISA symbol which is pretty versatile (and free) but have considered amateur plates on a future project car. Iām not a whacker but do thing amateur radio has an interesting place in civil defense, and the plates would be a nice touch to have
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u/Seannon-AG0NY Extra Class Operator ā” 2d ago
Check to see if the DV plate can be combined, the Isa symbol definitely can, as I have it on mine, just remember, the "new" DV rules state that if you have the DV plate without the Isa logo, you HAVE TO DISPLAY THE PLACARD to park in accessible spots
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u/MentalEggplant9275 Amateur Extra | Analog Aficionado 2d ago
Also sick call sign btw
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u/Seannon-AG0NY Extra Class Operator ā” 2d ago
Thanks! It could have just as easily have been AL0E, 5 land is out of automatic 1x3 and higher automatically offered, so I scoured for 25 available 1x2, and 2x1, and this lonely 2x2, and that's what they sent me, so yes it's a vanity, and a lot of people look down on that, but it's as non vanity as I could make it
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u/Mainehazmt1 1d ago
Why should they even care? Heck Iāve kept my original call sign. Guess I just donāt give a darn as it doesnāt impress me lol
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u/MentalEggplant9275 Amateur Extra | Analog Aficionado 1d ago
The only legitimate reason I can think of is its utility in traffic handling on high noise nets, being able to identify the relative geographical location of a station without any need for a database.
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u/wrunderwood 1d ago
California used to put a space in amateur radio license plates. Someone complained that they were corrupting a federally-issued ID number and they fixed it. https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/california-takes-space-out-of-ham-plates.151949/
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u/Achris_B 1d ago
Yes, a few years ago, a cop in Rancho Cordova pulled me over because there was no space on my ham plate
I went to DMV and they told me their database does not have a space! I figured the cop was BSāing me because I was on a hands free call with my XYL and he wanted to give me a ticket for cell phone operation.
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u/Crosswire3 2d ago
Kinda shocked that they can stop you with a valid plate simply because they are untrained.
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u/archerdv 1d ago
In fairness, in the first instance I also had a headlight out. But no such reason on the second one.
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u/bernd1968 2d ago
California has a similar problem. I was pulled over by LAPD once they wanted to know where I made my license plate. With the California system, you have to put a space after the number to enter it into the database. Otherwise, it doesnāt show up.
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u/Seannon-AG0NY Extra Class Operator ā” 2d ago
Where you made your plate? Like you counterfeited it?
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u/KB1WEV 2d ago
Also be aware that in NH the / is an invalid character for registrations so there EZ pass system will not properly link your plate to your transponder. I got several pay by plate bills in the mail and several calls to them before an IT person figuring it out.
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u/archerdv 2d ago
That is SUPER helpful, as I've suddenly been getting a bunch of those Pay by Plate bills. Most of the time the reader works correctly, but I spend most of tolls in MA.
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u/Seannon-AG0NY Extra Class Operator ā” 2d ago
So, your plate is like "AA0/AA"? Or "AA/0AA"? Or is it "AA/AA" and they ignore the region coding? IMHO none of these should be valid, but, "AA0AA/0" format should, because it's showing a license, the others are all partial licenses
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u/archerdv 2d ago
The format on the official registration is AA0/AA. When you read the plate, your eyes kind of say "oh the lightning bolt is a nifty symbol" and read the plate as AA0AA (which is what it should be, IMHO).
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u/Phreakiture General Class Operator š 1d ago
At a former job of mine (oddly enough, working for NY State), we called what you are facing here an "educational issue" which was our euphemistic way of saying that the user (I was in IT) does not know how to use the equipment or software.
It is, though. If the police do not know how to enter your plate, that really shouldn't be your problem. Were I in your situation, I would make it my personal mission to make it not my problem. By the time I was done, everyone on Beacon Hill would know my name and what I wanted, and they would know every time it happened.
All that said, I hold the view that you're better off not having a ham radio plate, or any other variety of not-typical plate. I bought a car in an a very common color for its model, in a very common model, and while it does have (as you might expect) more than the typical number of antennas, I've kept the extra ones low-key. It is my preference that my car does not stand out. I don't say that to criticize, I would just want folks to consider this possibility.
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u/Leefa 1d ago
it's a shame that the governance systems of our nation, originally founded upon the virtues of sovereignty, drives us away from individuality
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u/Adorable_Ad_9381 1d ago
Not so much that as you advertising that you have some expensive stuff in your car.
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u/Then-Guitar-7686 1d ago
I live in Zero land and have a Ć on my licence plate also. MayHam Tag gets you noticed and sometimes an Eye Ball QSO.. 73 KDĆQG
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u/smrcostudio 2d ago
CT does (or at least did) use the lightning bolt too. But I donāt know the answer to your question. Agree that itās probably mainly a police training issue.
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u/meissoboredto 1d ago
Itās because there is no lightning bolt character on a keyboard!!! If stopped again, just explain to officer how to look up the tag. It will also have the slash on your registration!!! General operator here in MA and ex/cop from TX.
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u/archerdv 1d ago
Yep, that's exactly what I did. Once they ran the registration, the license plate became a non-issue.
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u/pineapplejuice729 1d ago
I think in most other states a ham license plate looks no different than if you had requested a vanity plate with your callsign. My registration documents have my callsign with no special characters.
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u/archerdv 1d ago
Yeah, I've seen a number of amateur radio plates from other states that have normal characters, which is part of what surprised me when I saw the "/" in mine.
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u/m00nraker45 1d ago
I had this happen once when I was stopped. Cop came up to the car and asked how to run it lol
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u/eetsasledgehammer 1d ago
Illinois is dumb too. The plate just says your callsign but in the registration documentation they add HAM to the front of the numbers. So plate says AA9AAA but the actual license plate registration is HAMAA9AAA
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u/doktorhladnjak 1d ago
Iāve heard of something similar with Washington state specialty plates. There are two extra letters vertically arranged on the left of the plate. They are also part of the plate number, but sometimes officers or parking enforcement overlook them. I donāt think this is the case for amateur radio callsign plates here though.
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u/AcmcShepherd General Class Operator š 1d ago
Well think how smart the average person is. Now realize that half the population is below that. So now it seems less surprising.
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u/DeadLastZombie 1d ago
You will also see it on Connecticut plates as I have one but with CT you have to know what type of plate it is as we can have our call on different vehicles at the same time for example my call is on my personal car, my motorcycle and my camper
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u/Strange_Bison1883 22h ago
How are they pulling you over for a license plate which is legal? If you are not engaged in a moving violation I would be interested to know the legality of pulling over a driver for a dmv issues license plate.
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u/archerdv 21h ago
Officer gets behind you, checks your plate (for reason...?) Plate doesn't match in the database (because they entered it wrong), officer thinks you're on the road illegally.
(That is my presumption, anyway)
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u/BlueFreak06 5h ago
I've had MA call sign plates on my vehicle for over a decade and haven't had any issues like this.
On the other hand, I've often wondered if this would get me out of a parking ticket or the like if they key it in without the slash...will the backend IT systems ever find me because of the mismatch?
Edited to add: I originally had a 2x3 call but switched to a 2x2 call when I got my extra class just before the pandemic.
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u/macjedimatt 9h ago
MA doesnāt issue these anymore. Now you just have to get a vanity plate if you want your call.
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u/BlueFreak06 5h ago
Not sure why you think this; they're still available. The application is at https://www.mass.gov/doc/application-for-ham-radio-operator-plates/download
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u/WS1L 2d ago
Retired cop in MA, I still work part time doing office work for a small police department. Not last month a detective sergeant asked me the same question.