Batboard

Back in the early 1990's, I engraved a mobile radio with my state abbreviation and SSN with the hopes that if it was ever stolen from my vehicle, I'd have a better chance of recovering it. I'm pretty sure engraving the state and SSN was the official advice of my local police department at the time.

I don't use the radio anymore, so I'd like to sell it, but don't want to get rid of it with my SSN on it for obvious reasons. I Google searched, but couldn't find any good advice on what to do.

The obvious thing would be to grind it off, but then there's really no way for the buyer to know that it was really my SSN that I ground off, and not someone else's.

Anyone have any thoughts or ideas?

Hmm, never seen anyone engrave their SSN onto a radio... What kind of mobile is it?


-Marc

Hmm, why would anyone ever engrave their SSN on radio.

so just put a new housing on it like the person that would steal it would of done. plus then it'd look like new and you might be able to get more out of it?

Ive heard of DL # on a item of value but not a SSN# my suggestion.dremel bit and black paint.

It's a wideband GM300, so it's not worth much now. I engraved the bottom of the PA's heatsink, so a re-case wouldn't help much.

Back in 1994 or whenever, the SSN wasn't considered to be a big secret as it is today... Like I said, the local PD recommended homeowners engrave the owner's state abbreviation and SSN on things like TV's, stereos, power tools, and stuff like that. I'm sure their advice is different now. Google "Operation Identification", as that's what the called it. Also, I remember when I was in college, our SSN was our "student ID number" that we were supposed to write on tests and even some homework assignments! The professors would even post grades on their doors listed by "student ID number".

It seems the current recommendation is engraving the state and driver license number, but I don't think I'd even want to do that... I'd agree that just keeping a record of the serial number on valuable items is the way to go today.

Put it in the attic and fuggetaboudit.

I too used to put my SS# on radios back in the early '90's. That was before Al Gore invented the internet, & Identity theft didn't really exist back then. However I put it on the inside of the top cover, so the thief couldn't see it from the outside, but the radio could still be identified if the ser # tag was removed. However, the times have changed, & I don't do this anymore. Fortunately, I never had to depend on this method of ID, but there are plenty of Icom's, Kenwood's & Yaesu's made in the '90's with my SS number. LOL. GARY N4KVE

A lot of local PD's suggested the SSN number many years ago.
I worked of a SO for 27 yrs.
Just grind off the digits, blacken the spot with a felt pen and tell any buyer what it was.
It should not make enuf difference in value on an older radio.
Anymore ground off numbers (DOL, SSN or just company/agency tracking numbers) are pretty common.
Now, grinding off the model or factory serial numbers would not be a good idea.

We used to mark chassis with s/n in UV ink because we caught a couple customers swapping the stamped metal tags Moto used to apply. We'd fix their radio, but it would return a week later "under warranty" with a problem. And somehow magically the part we changed last week has an old date code on it again. my my my ....

The UV ink also twarted the psycho-billy Cadillac truck sellers. Someone would boost a handful of portables, peel the serial tags off, sell them to someone else who brought them to us to be rerocked. We would recognize the freq/pl, scan the inside, and then notify the owners, and the buyers. The semi-smart ones would take the radios apart and bring them to us in a box. One piece at a time, and it didn't cost me a dime. It's 49, 50, 51, 52 .... We didn't fall for that one either.

I've purchased a few bits of Ham equipment over the years that came bearing a SSN. I just ground off the number with a Dremel and a small grinding wheel. It takes about 30 seconds all told to deface the number into illegibility.

If the radio was a high dollar unit I might be concerned about grinding off the SSN.
Since its only worth a few hundred at best I think grinding it off and explaining to the potential buyer is best.
Most buyers will understand your situation.

Fowler

Just list the radio for sale here on the fourms, and put a link to this thread.