First - an attempt at humor (saw this on Facebook):
This made me laugh out loud and reminds me of home, because whenever I try to explain something regarding Amateur Radio that I'm excited about to Marianne or Joseph or Cara, I see that glazed, deer-in-the headlights kind of look forming in their eyes Hi!
A while ago, I requested re-made license plates from the State of New Jersey. From before I was born we had black letters on a kind of pale buttery cream-ish color background. That changed for the Bicentennial, when the state went to a "Blue and Buff" plate based on the colors that General Washington wore during The Revolutionary War.
When the original style was brought back in the 80s, with a more pronounced yellowish color, they were still using sheet metal and were stamped.. They were supposed to have some special kind of reflective coating on them that would make them easier to see by law enforcement agencies, especially at night.
The coating did not hold up well. The manufacturer probably didn't account for harsh New Jersey winters and the amount of road salt that gets put down each year. The coating started to peel and the colors underneath became discolored and pretty ugly. At this point, my plates became really shoddy looking, but I have seen others in much worse shape, some down to bare metal. The State has a program where you can get your plates replaced free of charge ....... IF you have "normal standard issue" plates. Vanity plates, "special" plates and Amateur Radio plate holders have to pay a fee. So what else is new? And get this, when you apply for re-made plates, you have to supply a picture of the old ones. I guess they have to be deemed "worthy" of remaking.
Don't say anything to anybody, but my old plates are now tacked to the shack wall. Shhhhhhhhhhh! You're supposed to hand them in for disposal ...... but I paid for them, so that makes them mine, in my book. I seriously doubt that if ever any thief breaks into my house, that they'll be looking to escape with old license plates. (I still have the N2ELW ones too! Double Shhhhhhhhhhhh!)
I also got rid of those ugly excuse-for-an-advertisement dealer license plate frames, and bought the ones the ARRL sells. I popped for a set of these when I purchased my Field Day shirt, and I'm glad I did. These are not flimsy, cheap plastic - these are made from a sturdy metallic something and are really substantial, and they look good, too.
The weekend is looking fantastic, weather-wise. I'll finally get a chance to drop those old SLA batteries at the scrap metal place. Maybe I'll actually be able to get on the air at some point this weekend, as the NJ QSO Party is tomorrow. I like to participate because the event is sponsored by my good friends down at the Burlington County Radio Club, and they are faithful supporters of the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt.
Not that it's been mentioned much of anywhere, but the NEQRP's QRP-Afield which is always held on the third Saturday in September, is also tomorrow. You can find all the details here - https://www.newenglandqrp.org/qrp-afield-2018/ I haven't seen any chatter at all about this on the e-mail reflectors except for one, on the Colorado QRP Club reflector. That's a shame. If events like this are going to get any decent amount of participation, the sponsor really needs to "talk it up" and keep it at eye level. I know not everyone will take notice, but if you don't publicize - no one will take notice. Then, before you know it, you have an event that's become something of the past.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
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