Crime Solution? Carve SS# Into Radio Front Panel

[K0OD]

There had to be an interesting story: A rare National HRO-500 appears on Ebay with a ghastly blemish from long ago:

Ebay: "The original owner scratched his call letters and social security number on the front panel as shown in the pictures. "GO FIGURE"! "
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-National-HRO-500-Ham-Radio-Receiver-/330895217091?pt=US_Ham_Radio_Receivers&hash=item4d0ae451c3

Any ideas on what might have possessed W6KYW to do that? Social Security records show he died in 1977.
 

[K1CJS]

Most people who do something like that probably had been the victims of a robbery at some time.  They get the idea from the people/companies/agencies that say that anything which prominently identifies the goods is a deterrence to having the goods taken in a robbery.  Since they never intend to sell the piece, they 'identify' it as theirs without thought to what may happen to it later--after they're gone.

To them it makes perfect sense.  To a later owner....

[KB2WIG]

Many law enforcement agencies have programs for marking personal property. Here is one such agencies program.

http://www.fortworthpd.com/docmgmt/rapids-brochure.pdf

klc

[W5CPT]

Before the days of identity thieves , while in the Army we were encouraged (and on some bases, required) to etch our SSANs on our stereo equipment to aid in the recovery in case of a theft.  Somewhere out there is a Sansui Reel to Reel tape deck and a Harmon Kardon receiver with my number on the back panel.  I still have the two Bose bookshelf speakers that have my number carved into the soft back panels.

Clint - W5CPT - USArmy SFC (ret)

[K0OD]

Looks like it could be removed fairly easily. Here's a closeup
http://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/t422/ackleyuniforms/w6kyw-2_zps6d637807.jpg

Perhaps he traveled the world with it which might explain the extreme ID method. The SSN did belong to W6KYW, Harold L. Hendricks, who was born in 1910 and died in 1977. Couldn't learn any more from G.

[KE7YAG]

In the '70s there were frequent public service announcements on from the various PDs who would loan you an engraver and encourage you to put your SSN or your Driver License number in a conspicuous location on your valuables.

Seems he was following that advice.

Per the previous post, in boot camp (Navy) we stencilled our SSN directly on our sea bags, skivvies, uniforms..

I just sold a trunk this past year where I had grind that off of there.

Seemed like a good idea at the time...who would've thunk someone would steal your ID?

[K1CJS]

...Somewhere out there is a Sansui Reel to Reel tape deck and a Harmon Kardon receiver with my number on the back panel....

Don't count on it, although under close examination you would still see some traces--maybe.  There are many places who repair carving or scarring of metalwork.  Anyone who has any autobody experience can do it--and make the piece look like new.

[W1JKA]

   I always scratch/engrave my initials on all my radio gear in a inconspicuous place(never in front or a SSN).Fortunately nothing stolen to date only a few things gone missing over the years but all returned.

[K2OWK]

My original Social Security Card said "for Social Security use only, not for identification" We all know how that worked out. Government national ID number who new. Started the whole ID theft problem.

Back then most police departmentments recommended the engraving of the Social Security ID numbers so that stolen items could be returned to there ownersrs Now if you do this not only do you loose your expensive equipment, but your identity can also be stolen using this number. Thats what happens when you have a national ID number from birth to death. Blame the government for this one.Take a picture of what you have and write the serial number of the equipment on the picture. This is much safer then your national ID number (Social Security Number) on it.

73s

K2OWK

[AD6KA]

Thats what happens when you have a national ID number from
birth to death. Blame the government for this one.

Indeed!
When I worked for the Postal Service our time cards were plastic
"credit card" type cards with a magnetic strip. We would swipe
them in/out of shift. But...they ALSO had our full name AND
Social Security Number plainly printed on them AND with
raised embossed lettering. The cards were stored in racks
next to the time clocks. Anybody on any shift could walk by
and get your SSN in a heartbeat.

We bitched and moaned for years to get our SSN's OFF
of our time cards, but the P.O. would do nothing, the Union
would do nothing, it was sad.

You hear people get all huffy and puffy and say "I will NEVER carry
a "National ID Card". Guess what? You already do.......

[3U419HF]

There had to be an interesting story: A rare National HRO-500 appears on Ebay with a ghastly blemish from long ago:

Ebay: "The original owner scratched his call letters and social security number on the front panel as shown in the pictures. "GO FIGURE"! "
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-National-HRO-500-Ham-Radio-Receiver-/330895217091?pt=US_Ham_Radio_Receivers&hash=item4d0ae451c3

Any ideas on what might have possessed W6KYW to do that? Social Security records show he died in 1977.
 

To state the obvious, it will reduce the resale value for anyone - whether that be a thief, the original owner, or the family of a silent key. So even if you think you will never want to sell it, then it would bring your family less once one is a SK.

My house insurance would cover the cost of replacing a rig - I'd rather not ruin the cosmetic appearance for the sake of stopping theft

[W6JSM]

When I was in college in the mid-70's I had a SBE SB-34 transceiver that I engraved my SSN on the back panel, this was the recommended way to identify stereo and other personal property back then.  15 years later I gave the rig to a new ham to fix up for his first hf rig, forgot about the SSN on it.  He eventually traded it and I forgot about it for another 15 years until I get an email from a ham who had restored an SB-34 with a SSN on the back panel that he traced to me.  Long story short after a few emails and trade I now have back my old college rig fully restored with my SSN engraved on the back.  I'll probably have it buried with me.

73, W6JSM

[KJ6ZOL]

Engraving ID #s on stuff was popular in the 70s. I have a cheap mantle clock from about 1982 that has my late grandfather's California driver's license # engraved on the front. I briefly had a Heathkit SB-102 that had the call of some guy from San Jose engraved on several places on the chassis. All of my grandfather's tools had "VX" engraved on them for easy ID (his name was Vern). Gramps lived in a high crime area in the 70s and 80s and always had a gun by his side. When he died we found an old engraving tool that he had bought used. I've got it now.

[W1JKA]

Just engrave your initials in an inconspicuous place that only you know about i.e. under the screw on rubber feet.

[WI8P]

Just engrave your initials in an inconspicuous place that only you know about i.e. under the screw on rubber feet.

That works OK for local theft, where the glue sniffer next door rips you off, but not if the equipment is transported out of your area.  A driver's license on the other hand can be ID'd by any police agency in the US.  Of course you don't have to put it on the front of the radio like in the original post, but underneath where it normally doesn't show works.