Insurance

[perrybucsdad]

These radios are not cheap and with the thought of investing in a nice unit now that I have passed my Tech exam, the thought arose of what happens if someone breaks into my car and steals my radio. Will standard auto insurance cover that or do I need some sort of rider? Or does my homeowners policy cover it?

I hope I never have the experience of having my car broken into and my rig stolen, but I remember when in college my car was broken into and the radio and equalizer was almost stolen. Thankfully, my Dad insisted I put reinforced steel under the plastic that we drilled the holes into, so the thief would have had to take the car apart to get the EQ.

Anyhow, what is your advice on this.

Thanks,

John

[rapidcharger]

It varies from policy to policy. You'll want to check with your ins co.
Keep in mind that if someone smashes your window and steals a ham radio that costs $500 to replace and you have a $1500 deductible, you're still not going to be covered.

A lot of people like remote mounted and removeable control heads. The way I look at it is if you're not comfortable leaving stuff in your car with your parking situation, then my advice would be don't leave anything in there you can't afford to lose. One of my vehicles spends a lot of time in boat ramp parking lots which is the best place on earth to break in to a vehicle and steal something because they're deserted and it's obvious the owner isn't coming back for a long time. I don't have any radios in that vehicle for that reason. Remote mounted or not, someone would have time to disassemble the entire vehicle piece by piece and find the radio by the time I get back to it.

[MTS2000des]

The ARRL has equipment insurance, now underwritten by Hays Affinity Group, you do NOT have to be a member to purchase it:

https://arrlinsurance.com/userinterface/home.aspx

$50 deductable per claim, up to $2000 on newly acquired equipment. Costs $1.40 per $100 of insured value, so say, if you have $5,000 worth of gear would run you $70 a year. Not bad, but you may wish to see if getting a rider for your homeowner's policy is cheaper. The Hays product covers all your stuff no matter where it is located. Most homeowner's policies only cover stuff inside your home, so mobile radios might not be covered.

[perrybucsdad]

Thanks for all the good info.

[newsphotog]

Also: Hams: Are you covered?

[n5ims]

Originally Posted by perrybucsdad

These radios are not cheap and with the thought of investing in a nice unit now that I have passed my Tech exam, the thought arose of what happens if someone breaks into my car and steals my radio. Will standard auto insurance cover that or do I need some sort of rider? Or does my homeowners policy cover it?

I hope I never have the experience of having my car broken into and my rig stolen, but I remember when in college my car was broken into and the radio and equalizer was almost stolen. Thankfully, my Dad insisted I put reinforced steel under the plastic that we drilled the holes into, so the thief would have had to take the car apart to get the EQ.

Anyhow, what is your advice on this.

Thanks,

John

First off, to find out what specifically is covered by your insurance you need to check with your insurance agent. Policies and coverage are different based on where you live, who your coverage is through, and what options you pay for. Some may cover everything (less a minimal deduction) while others will pay nothing. It's also possible that your policy may cover your radio if it's installed one way and cover nothing if it's installed another way (I had one where coverage was 100%, less deductable, if installed "permanantly" and there was no coverage if not). There also may be specific "riders" (extra coverage you can add to an existing policy) to get coverage for radios that extend what a normal policy would cover.

Like others have said, there are specific policies you can purchase for coverage like those through the ARRL. They only cover your radios, but often you'll get better coverage through them than through typical auto insurance plans.

[gewecke]

Save yourself the risk and simply install your radios in a quick release mount and store them in your trunk when you park. Out of sight, out of mind!

73,
n9zas

[doctordialtone]

Originally Posted by gewecke

Out of sight, out of mind!

If your $500 radio is visible on your dashboard or anywhere else in your unattended vehicle you are much more susceptible to theft than someone who hides their $500 radio in the trunk or covers it up. Better yet, take your $500 radio with you! Think of your $500 radio as $500 in crispy $100 bills. Don’t leave your $500 radio on a counter or table, unattended. Never take your eyes off your $500 radio. This way, you shouldn’t need insurance.

>No smiley face needed.<

[n5ims]

Originally Posted by doctordialtone

If your $500 scanner is visible on your dashboard or anywhere else in your unattended vehicle you are much more susceptible to theft than someone who hides their $500 scanner in the trunk. Better yet, take your $500 scanner with you! Think of your $500 scanner as $500 in crispy $100 bills. Don’t leave your $500 scanner on a counter or table, unattended. Never take your eyes off your $500 scanner. This way, you shouldn’t need insurance.

>No smiley face needed.<

You forgot about the $1500 (often way more) damage done to get to that scanner. You may want to think of that scanner placed out in the open on your dashboard as 5 crisp $100 bills placed into a solid gold $1000 money clip resting on a few bearer bonds with at least a $500 face value.

[doctordialtone]

Originally Posted by n5ims

You forgot about the $1500 (often way more) damage done to get to that scanner. You may want to think of that scanner placed out in the open on your dashboard as 5 crisp $100 bills placed into a solid gold $1000 money clip resting on a few bearer bonds with at least a $500 face value.

Roger that. This is why I park the '68 Rambler in well-lit spaces only with an open coupon book full of expired coupons for KFC on the passenger seat.. It's worked so far.

Good luck!

[perrybucsdad]

If I take it with me or if I mount it in the trunk, to someone in the know, the antenna is a telltale sign that something valuable might be in the car. I'm heavily leaning towards trunk mount with the remote face, but I think I'm going to get that ARRL insurance. My insurance agent danced all over the place when I brought the subject up and I don't think he knows if it is covered or not... time to look for a new insurance agent too. His hands felt oily when I shaked his hand.

[W2NJS]

John,

A competent insurance agent should know without consulting anyone or anything what coverage limits apply in a standard casualy policy, what extra coverage riders are available, etc. I would certainlly dump that guy you're dealing with at the first opportunity.

[perrybucsdad]

Originally Posted by W2NJS

John,

A competent insurance agent should know without consulting anyone or anything what coverage limits apply in a standard casualy policy, what extra coverage riders are available, etc. I would certainlly dump that guy you're dealing with at the first opportunity.

You read my mind.

[newsphotog]

Originally Posted by W2NJS

John,

A competent insurance agent should know without consulting anyone or anything what coverage limits apply in a standard casualy policy, what extra coverage riders are available, etc. I would certainlly dump that guy you're dealing with at the first opportunity.

To be fair, "are my ham radios covered" is not a common question insurance agents are asked, particularly in regards to independent agents (agents who sell policies for multiple insurers instead of just one -- they may not know the policies as well as an exclusive agent would). It should be fine for the agent to say "I'm not sure, but let me find out and get back to you..." However, it is not fine for the agent to stall and not provide a firm answer or at least find out the answer and follow up with you. Policies do vary, even within the same insurance company, and there are a multitude of policy endorsements to look through to see which would be the best fit and provide the best coverage.

[KZ9G]

State Farm has a policy called a personal articles policy. It has zero deducable and is well priced for what it does. I have a couple of my handhelds and the mobile that is in my vehicle on the policy.

[newsphotog]

Originally Posted by KZ9G

State Farm has a policy called a personal articles policy. It has zero deducable and is well priced for what it does. I have a couple of my handhelds and the mobile that is in my vehicle on the policy.

Same as an inland marine policy with all of the other insurance companies. Just a different name.