[CQ-Contest] Travelling for Contests or Dxpeditions

[Zack Widup]

Maybe "light up" is not the correct terminology. I think if they see the
device powers up, they assume it isn't full of something other than the
expected innards.

Whenever I've taken my digial SLR through these checkpoints they want to
take the lens off and look through it. I guess that tells them that the
lens isn't full of explosives, cocaine or what-have-you.

I was just looking at a website somewhere that showed some of the (failed)
attempts of people to smuggle drugs into or out of the country. One photo
even showed hollowed-out bolts that contained cocaine. Amazing what effort
some people will go through.

73, Zack W9SZ


On Tue, Sep 23, 2014 at 6:16 AM, Charles Harpole <hs0zcw at gmail.com> wrote:

> Pardon me, but one can make anything containing anything and make it just
> light up... even compute or deliver song or be a pacemaker in your chest.
> Just making an item light up is so silly as an inspection as to be foolish
> in any bad guy's heart.  73, Charly​
>
> On Tue, Sep 23, 2014 at 4:49 AM, David Kozinn, K2DBK <dkozinn at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > I'll reply to a couple of comments here. First, I have to assume that
> > simply turning the thing on should suffice. The guys isn't going to
> expect
> > you to work DX from the airport terminal. ("Hey, I don't know if that's
> > legit; 20 meters is open now and you can even work into Europe from
> Newark
> > Airport? Please come with me sir".)  And I'll bet that most agents will
> > have no clue about ham radio, although once I did have a guy who claimed
> to
> > be a ham, though he couldn't (wouldn't?) tell me his callsign. He asked
> > some questions that were a little "off" for anyone who has ever done much
> > on the air, but again, that's not their job.
> >
> > As far as carrying around batteries, packs or otherwise, if it comes to
> > that, I guess I can deal with it, but having to carry around a bunch of
> > batteries just in case the guy decides to make me switch it on is
> annoying.
> > It's not like a phone that's got a built-in battery. On top of that, I'd
> > assume if you go the "unopened batteries" route you'd need to immediately
> > pick up more as soon as you landed, just to be on the safe side.
> >
> > Finally ,as far as carrying a copy of QST with my radio in an ad, I'm
> still
> > using my trusty Icom MkIIG as my travel radio and that hasn't been in a
> > magazine for years. :-)
> >
> > Anyone on the list know someone in the TSA that could answer a question
> > about how likely this is to be an issue?
> >
> >
> > 73,
> >      David, K2DBK
> >      k2dbk.com
> >      k2dbk.blogspot.com
> >      twitter: @k2dbk
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 3:21 PM, Jim Brown <k9yc at audiosystemsgroup.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > On Mon,9/22/2014 10:11 AM, David Kozinn, K2DBK wrote:
> > >
> > >> The powering up things is of concern to me even for domestic travel.
> > >>
> > >
> > > Depending on the radio, the receivers in most 12V rigs will at least
> turn
> > > on and run from a fresh stack of 9 AA cells. A K3 draws only 1A in RX
> > mode,
> > > +100mA with the 2nd RX. A KX3 draws a quarter of that. Another option
> is
> > a
> > > low capacity LiIon battery pack. This 6Ah pack sells for about $65
> > prewired
> > > with Power Poles and weighs less than 2#. Note that it's
> current-limited
> > at
> > > 2A by the protection circuitry.
> > >
> > > http://www.batteryspace.com/custom-lfp-18650-battery-12-
> > > 8v-6000-mah-77wh-2a-rate-w-pcb-7-2.aspx
> > >
> > > Or this one -- 5Ah, but output current limited to 10A, for $80, a few
> > > ounces lighter.
> > >
> > > http://www.batteryspace.com/lifepo4-battery-12v-5ah-60wh-
> > > 10a-rate-with-led-indicator---replace-sla-12v-4-5ah-lighter-
> > > weight-and-higher-capacity----un38-3-passed.aspx
> > >
> > > Both of these batteries have passed the safety testing that makes it
> > legal
> > > for them to be on an aircraft. There are many cheaper alternatives from
> > the
> > > same vendor that have not passed that testing.
> > >
> > > 73, Jim K9YC
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Charly, HS0ZCW
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