> I recently took a trip and did not take my KX1 because I was concerned about > potential problems at the airports. I would like to hear about the > experiences of others who have traveled by plane with ham equipment. ... > Hoping that it won't be ''confiscated'' in some european airport > I will pass trough.
Over the years, before and after 911 I've travelled with lots and lots of equipment (that included 2 pieces w/ 100 Lbs each, fully packed with electronics, and clothes only as padding to the equipment, on a route Amsterdam, USA, Japan, and vice versa..) I never had a problem, but follow these basic rules which are really common sense: - sharp objects should be checked in (so should things which can be construed as such). Image you want to cut something, stab something or club something, using your amateur radio gear. If you can find a way to do that, chances are that a security guy thinks the same, in that case check it in!) - gear with battaries should preferrably be in the hand luggage, and secured against accidental power-on (so _disconnect_ and _isolate_) that battary. In general, think what a fire caused by short circuit can cause and isolate and pack properly. - Note that some people think that lead-acid cells are not allowed (K2_BAT!) even though some types are approved. As I can see the problem with acid gell loose in your luggage, I always removed those. - I always announce to the security guys that "this is a lot of electronics" and "you probably want to inspect this". They seldom do. By doing this, you set their expectation level, and that's good because you really don't want to surprize security folk. If they do inspect, just cooperate and explain. - Think what a security guard might see in something, and pack accordingly. (if it can be used for stabbing, cutting, clubbing, check it!) In general, I have found USA airports the most paranoid and underterministic, while most European airports are thorough but have clear policies and can be reasoned with. Nobody is "interested" in "confiscating" your equipment as it's not worth anything: it doesn't look like a camcorder (and don't pack it in a camcorder bag!). People are interested in you not being able to pull stupid stunts mid-air, or have your equipment pull a stupid stunt on you by inadvertently switching on, catching fire or anything. Also, checking stuff in in foreign airports is not a big deal. I've lost my luggage more often on flights to the USA, than flights to developing countries in Africa. (but USA airports, understandably, have better procedures to file claims etc, so label your stuff over and over.) Can we go back to the scheduled discussions on Hakko tools? 73, Geert Jan PE1HZG _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
