By: Kevin K5KVN
Please share this page with as many Arkansas amateur radio operators as possible, email the link, talk about it at your club meetings. We need to determine interest in this, so please let me know what you think in the comments below.
A little more than a year ago, I thought, “What if we could spruce up the Arkansas amateur radio license plate?” Give it a fresh design, get some press out of it, generate some excitement among hams in the state, do a special event. Several other states have recently revamped their amateur radio license plates.
I’m a public relations professional and passionate about promoting the ham radio hobby. So, I see the license plates as many things:
- A nod of thanks to ham radio operators for the hobby’s public service, from the first experimental wireless efforts to today’s emergency communications support;
- Identifies us to other amateur radio operators on the road;
- Promotes the hobby to other drivers;
- Identifies us to emergency officials on scene when we are asked to help with communications; and
- A unique badge of pride for ham radio operators.
What we have today is not a design at all; it’s a callsign on the same background that everyone else gets, with the words “Amateur Radio” in small font at the bottom.
It looks like this:
(Click for a larger version)
But what if it could look like this:
 Click for a larger version |
Or this: Click for a larger version |
Or this: Click for a larger version |
Any design will have to meet current statutes for the size of the letters and words, reflectivity, readability, etc. It would need to accommodate the longer 2×3 callsigns. Any design would likely be slightly tweaked by the Department of Finance and Administration to make it “legal.”
In Arkansas, we enjoy a very low cost for the privilege of these license plates. We pay a $2 yearly fee, in addition to the normal license plate registration fees. Strangely, despite this low cost, only 1,353 amateur radio license plates are on Arkansas roads today. (Source: Department of Finance and Administration email) Could this be because the plate’s design is nothing special?
After more than a year of research, including emails to officials inside the Department of Finance and Administration the following was determined:
- This would only affect newly issued plates. Plates currently on a vehicle would not need to be replaced by the owner.
- The design must meet the state requirements for proper letter size, reflectivity, readability, etc.
What do you think?
Should this be done? Let me know in the comments below. We need to hear from as many Arkansas amateur radio operators as possible. Got a design idea? Email me k5kvn@arrl.net.
Even more info, if you’re interested:
- There are more than 8,800 active amateur radio licenses in Arkansas as of 2020. (Source: FCC Universal License System)
- Read the current amateur radio license plate legislation [PDF] (Subchapter 24 on page 94)
Kevin,
I think this is a great idea! I current have an Arkansas ham plate, but I find the design uninspiring. I'd love to see a fresh new design that brought positive attention to the hobby! It would also be great to have something to better catch the eyes of other amateurs. Could help increase simplex activity too.
The current plates are effectively the same design as tens of thousands of vehicles all over Arkansas except for the words "Amateur Radio" on the bottom. Why not have something better?
If we could get a more unique design and effectively decrease the cost of the plates over the long run, that would be a win-win!
Andy
K5PO
I feel that something, ANYTHING, should be done to actively promote Amateur Radio in Arkansas. I believe that a new plate design would accomplish exactly that. It would get people noticing the plate, it would get legislators to publicly recognize the contributions of hams, and the news media would certainly cover it giving us more publicity.
From where I sit, Amateur Radio hasn't even been mentioned in the news in a couple of years – not even over Field Day! This is an idea that is sure to help promote Amateur Radio.
And if people aren't into promoting ham radio, then that price should definitely get their attention. That new plate would pay for itself over and over again!!
It's a no-brainer.
Thanks for putting this together Kevin!
I like the idea of improving upon our current design! The current plate doesn't appeal to me at all and because of that I've never considered getting one.
I'm partial to the designs that include some type of antenna or other graphic to generate interest and curiosity. The Alabama license plate is another good example of this. You can take a look at it here.
Robert
K5DTE
Hey Wes, thanks for commenting and welcome to AR! Funny you should mention the zero. We have some feedback from other zero calls asking for the zero to be slashed. So, we have that on the to-do list.
I think this is a great idea, I would be more apt to get a Amateur Radio license plate if it was a little more than the call sign on white background.
Kevin, I too think this is a great idea. As a police officer in Arkansas, I see a lot of license plates. I've seen perhaps 2 ham plates in my almost 6 years on the road and heard about only a handful in my 11 years in law enforcement. I, like so many others, do not have the plate simply because it didn't attract my attention enough to bother. I didn't look at it and say, "Cool, I want one of those!" Like you said – we don't have a real plate – we have a call sign on the same plate as everyone else. I don't want to be misunderstood, the original designers did a great job at getting a plate set up for hams that would identify us without drawing political fire. But its time for something new.
Things to consider beyond the state's "requirements" when designing: readability is definitely a primary concern. You've all seen the "Wildlife" supporter tags with the nice designs and colors. Try reading them while going down the road sometime. That is a legal tag and designed to the state's standards, but is it practical? Not for me, it isn't. As you mentioned, Kevin, we want emergency services personnel to be able to read our tags in times of crisis when we're called to help. Don't make it any more difficult than it needs to be. That doesn't mean we can't have a very nice design, or even a full background photo, it just needs to contrast correctly with the lettering so the lettering stands out strongly – especially at night. Tags are relatively easy to read during daylight hours. The test will be a night time drive.
I can tell you that identification of volunteers and even other emergency workers is a big issue during disasters/crisis. We have that issue with volunteer firefighters/medical personnel all the time. They show up on scene, but don't have anything on their personal cars to identify them. That gets them delayed as we, the police officers controlling the traffic/scene, must then stop and id them before allowing them into the scene.
Again, great idea, Kevin, and I'll send you an idea or two for the design as well. I'm no artist, but ideas I can produce in plenty!
John, KF5FGF
I think we are due an update. I really like the emblem on that New York plate. Anything but what we currently have would be an improvement.
Great idea! I don't have a plate for Arkansas yet (new resident) but would love to have this better option later. A zero among all these 5's!
I'll second this idea! I've never been too attracted to the current Amateur Radio plates. They're virtually indistinguishable from normal vanity plates, and if you have a license plate frame then it may obscure the text at the bottom, which is the only indication of the plate's nature.
We definitely need a special plate! I like the New York design. Nice work!
I have a vanity plate and would be very happy to have a different one if it at least looked like I'm proud to promote amateur radio to all. You hams will recognize my plate letters and #s as a "ham call sign" but the general public wouldn't give it a second glance since it looks no different than a regular Arkansas plate. Not much of a promotion at that rate
Sounds like it will be a good deal fee wise, as well. Good job with the promotion and description of the project.
Kirk W5KRK
I like your first proposal
Great idea, Kevin!
I've considered the idea of an amateur radio vanity plate off and on since I moved to Arkansas. I am an active HAM – I have the ARRL diamond logo in my back window and the ARRL license plate frame, but I've passed on the plate because it is so plain looking.
I'd like to see something similar to the ARRL logo (A rhombic antenna type symbol) or a tower with lightning bolts, similar to Utah's. Anything to attract attention, rather than just a call sign that means nothing to the public.
I have been around a day or two and any time you try to fix something that is not broken it cost you. If you get politicians and an act of congress as you say involved it cost you. I go by the old saying if it ain't broke don't fix it. It's 2 dollars now if you do what you want I would bet the cost will go up dramatically. You get this started and somebody will see it as, why do they only pay 2 dollars now when other vanity plates cost so much more. Let us charge them the same as others. If that happens I for one will not pay for the increase and you idea of improving visibility goes down the drain. Seen it happen with things like this time and time again. Someone Politician will see it as a way to make the DMV more revenue.
K5EDD
I like the current plat just fine, it does the job of identifying us completely and clearly. I have been active in public safety more than 20 years one way or another and the tag is very easy to identify. It would be nice to have us recognized as emergency responders with regard to sever weather and disaster communications state wide. As to the reason there are so few plates currently being used I believe has to do more with privacy concerns and nothing to do with what the plate looks like. I'm fine with some changes but I also think that we should pick our battles. While we have a Representative that is a ham perhaps time and energy would be better spent on dealing with any and all antenna restrictions.
Thanks for all of the comments so far! Please help spread the word about this, so that interest in pursuing this can can be determined. Send the link to this page to your friends, talk about it on nets, talk about it at club meetings.
I was just thinking about this, and I think the license plate should have the diamond in the background worked in somehow. I think the tower that has the lightning bolts off the top should have a diamond outline at the top. I like the high contrast colors with yellow on black, but I think the diamond would really bring it home that it is Arkansas.
The idea of a new Arkansas ham radio license plate is a great idea! I currently pay $50 EACH YEAR for a vanity plate on my other vehicle. I don't think a one time charge of $10 is too much to absorb if it gets us a design that is more appealing, informative and better markets our hobby. There's not a person in the country that associates Arkansas and diamonds (other than Arkansans). Let's lose the lackluster look and really knock it out of the park! 73 and CUL! – Gary WBØRUR
All of our family hams are for this great idea. We are W5OX, WA5FOX, KE5DX,
KE5CPA, KF5COP, KF5LKW,W5KM
I think they all are very cool designs. I live in Oregon, and really wish we had the option to get plates as cool as Arkansas has. Ours are just plane boring, and WAY too expensive.
Hope that changes. 73 KF7MUH
In Kansas, we have just the regular plate for Ham . But the plates don't even say anything about Amateur Radio. It's sad that states don't even offer options for our plates.
Man, Ya'lls is even worse than ours here in Texas and I think ours are way too plain.
Is this still alive? I had the plate from Mississippi when I lived there, but since the arkansas plate is just the callsign I didn't bother.
Jeremy,
I'm sorry to say it's on hold at least for another legislative session. There is a bill being advanced that will allow hams to get multiple plates with the same callsign (like "K5PO" and "K5PO-2" for another car) but unfortunately it doesn't do anything to improve the aesthetic of the plate, identity of the hobby, or promote the hobby in any appreciable way. Pretty disappointing in my opinion.
That's said, make sure to add your callsign here so we know we have you as someone supporting some real improvements.
Thanks and 73
Andy Holmes, K5PO
Thanks for the replies. I'm sorry to hear it's such a chore to do this. I reiterate, that the reason why I didn't get Arkansas amateur radio plates is they are basically a vanity plate with my call sign. When I lived in Mississippi, I had the green plate you have in your article. I believe it was a one time $15 on top of the normal license plate tax. I just like to see the plate design represent the hobby as a lot of other vanity plates do. I'll continue to follow the topic to see what happens. Thanks for working on this!
Jeremy Ellis K5WZA
The new examples aren’t showing up. I was hoping to try to revive interest in this with some fellow hams in AR.
Jeremy – sorry about that. We moved to a new host and some pics broke. I’m still looking for all of the examples, but have a couple of them re-uploaded. Let us know how it goes with reviving the idea. We’ll need support for the idea ahead of the next Arkansas legislative session in 2017.
Great idea. Ham Radio needs publicity very much. A noticably license plat on 1,000 cars would have to make an impression.
I like a version like the New York plate. Really catches the eye!