[CQ-Contest] Contesters detained?- DXpeditioner curse

[Gary Letchford]

> I recently came through customs in Miami with my TS850 "hidden" inside my
> wheeled carry on bag and had no problem whatsoever.  In contrast,
> previously, when transporting a radio (a 940) in it's original cardboard
> box, I was stopped and had to open everything I had and let the customs
> folks talk it over and I almost missed my connecting flight back to
Dallas.
>
> The issue seemed to be that they wanted to know where my money was.  I
only
> had about $50 cash on me and these particular customs people didn't know
> what ham radio was and with all my sophisticated(?) equipment, they
thought
> I must have been doing work abroad and should be declaring income.
>
> I could imagine this is where these guys screwed up.  They may have
assumed
> that customs would know what ham radio is and let them sail through.
Based
> on my stressful experience, the opposite is true.
>
> In order to avoid this (and lighten my burden) I traded the 940 for an
850.
> An 850 fits inside suitcases that have the extendable handles and can be
> wheeled down the aisles in an airplane easily.  There are other radios
that
> are in this category like the IC751 with the built-in switching supply.
> It's too bad that radios that are in the competitive ranks (1000MP, IC775
> etc) are bigger than this.  For anyone interested, there was an extensive
> discussion of this problem about a year ago or so here on the reflector.
>
> If you travel abroad, watch what happens to people travelling with things
in
> boxes.  They get opened, inspected, delayed, hassled etc.  It's
unfortunate
> but I suppose necessary to "protect" us.
>
> 73,
>
> Bob N5NJ / V26O


Been through Miami several times with a TS-940.   Always carried the rig on
the plane and put it above or under the seat on the plane.  Perhaps that is
more
difficult now that most airlines have a limit what you can carry on.   Worse
that ever happened was that they wanted the rig plugged in and they even
provided
the power cord!    As soon as they saw the dial lights come on,  they were
satisfied.   Amazing to me that anyone in customs in Miami doesn't know
about ham radio with all the activity that goes to the Carribean every year.
I don't believe that is the normal situation.

73
Red
K0LUZ











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