No doubt you've been on the air and heard QSL, QSO and QRZ. If you check into any nets, you have also likely met up with QNC, QNI and QNF -- but have you ever encountered any of these while driving? Here in New Zealand, our cars don't just have turn signals - they have Q-signals.

David, ZL2WT, recently reported to Neil ZL1NZ, the NZ-Net News net manager, that he's been seeing more and more vehicles with plates that are sporting all kinds of Q-signals. That's because New Zealand, which issues three letters and three numerals to each of its newly registered vehicles, does so in alphabetical order. Not quite two years ago, the system began issuing plates with the letter "Q."

A busy radio operator, David is always on the alert for a QRZ -- but when recently spotted one while he was taking a walk, he wasn't operating pedestrian mobile. It was on the plate of a car at a nearby QTH. Sadly, he didn't find a QTH -- at least not one that was on a car. He was ready to locate a QRV, however -- and he did -- parked not far from his own QTH.

David told Newsline that the worst Q code any car can receive is "QSD." An enthusiastic CW operator, he knows that it means: "your keying is defective." He told Newsline: "I would not own a vehicle with that number plate."

Now....I'm not driving but it's time for me to put the brakes on anyway. Time to go QRT.