[CQ-Contest] Radio as Carry-On Luggage?

[Barry]

Last summer I took my Begali paddle and homebrew keyer (a non-descript 
cast aluminum box with 6 push-button switches and a few knobs) to 
Macedonia from Newark via Milan in my carry-on.  I got pulled over for 
inspection in Newark only.  The guy asked if I had something big and 
metal in my bag.  I said yes, that it was a Morse code key, and please 
be careful with it.  He looked at it, swabbed it, said it was pretty 
neat looking, and that was all, fortunately.
Barry W2UP

Vladimir V. Sidorov wrote:
> It looks like paddles attract some extra attention of the security people... 
> Last April my Bencher paddle really created such a headache for me... It was 
> a long transcontinental flight, actually, 3 of them in succession, and in 
> each of the airports I was firmly stopped by the famous X-Ray machines. The 
> last stop was Toronto where I had to spend good 40 minutes or even more for 
> a nice chat and was almost late to my (very last that day) flight to 
> Ottawa...
> Gonna take another trip like that in September. For sure the paddle will go 
> to the luggage this time. And no lap-top this time, just in case. And no 
> radio, for sure.
>
> 73,
>
> Vladimir VE3IAE
>
> ---
>
>
>
>
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Radio as Carry-On Luggage?
>
>
>   
>> I had a similar experience less than two weeks ago on August 6th while
>> returning from VP5.  Granted, this was a few days before the latest 
>> "scare".
>>
>>
>> To fit in with some business meetings etc I had to travel by air from
>> Glasgow to Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland for the recent IOTA
>> contest and had my Bencher paddles, electronic keyer and a 13.8V 
>> switch-mode
>> supply in my carry-on bag. Predictably this little lot attracted attention
>> at the X-Ray screen and I had my bag inspected. I explained what it all 
>> was
>> and the usual 'swabs' were taken to 'sniff' for explosives. Imagine my
>> surprise and concern when the swab from the Bencher paddles lit all the
>> lights, set off alarms and generally had people looking at me in a rather
>> suspicious manner. I was taken aside, asked by new security staff the who,
>> why, what and so on of my journey and belongings including 'Had I been
>> handling explosives?'!
>>
>>     
>
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>
>   

-- 

Barry Kutner, W2UP             
Newtown, PA