View Full Version : Handheld Radios and Air Travel
k6rel
03-21-2008, 04:10 PM
Is anybody have trouble with security check-in and traveling with their Handheld Radios?
ke6vfa
03-21-2008, 04:32 PM
I haven't had problems when bringing both my HT and scanner on flights.
Just like a cell, it must remain off while in flight.
Steve
KV6O
W0LPQ
03-21-2008, 04:40 PM
This subject has been beaten to death within the past month. Do a search and look for them.
Answer already given however.
No problems with any radios whatsoever, except when travelling to foreign countries and going through customs.
g4lna
03-21-2008, 05:21 PM
The security shouldn't be a problem but customs might be if you go abroad, make sure you have the receipt where you purchased it from.
No loose batteries. Batteries in radios fine.
They don't like extra battery packs. Same for computers. Too easy for them to short themselves out.
AE6JM
03-21-2008, 05:59 PM
Last week, Baltimore Washington International...3/15...my bag was checked by hand, the ICOM 91AD was examined and replaced, my conventional AM-FM radio was pulled out and the TSA person said "What is it?" I repled, "a radio". "What does it do?" "I listen to music on it". "Oh". As I gathered my belongings, I found my wallet was stolen out of its tray with my credit cards and $200.00 cash. Explanation? "We are short three people and no one to watch what comes out of the x-ray". Beware folks, The TSA is here to protect you!
KC9ECI
03-21-2008, 06:16 PM
Recently I flew out of LaCrosse, WI, with an aluminum case full of ham radio goodness, and the TSA guys scanned it, opened it, looked at it, and had a nice chat with me about ham radio. The guys at MSP..no issue. Heathrow, no issue. ORD, those apes after I flew across the ocean with it, then going through security to board a puddle jumper to LaCrosse, had to x-ray it twice, remove EVERYTHING from the case and x-ray it one piece at a time, and were generally obnoxious.
ke6vfa
03-21-2008, 06:18 PM
I make it a habit to put my wallet, keys, etc into my carry-on instead of a tray. The only thing that goes in a separate tray is my laptop. And I make sure not to send my stuff through the x-ray until I'm about to go through the metal detector.
KB2FCV
03-21-2008, 06:40 PM
No problems with any radios whatsoever, except when travelling to foreign countries and going through customs.
Never had a problem taking my 2m handheld on a carry-on bag when we went to Ireland. Nobody ever said a word. It's about the size and shape of a digital camera.. they probably didn't even have a second thought as it went through the x-ray. Funny thing was, on the way back we had to open one of the gifts we bought from Waterford because of it's strange shape - triangular Christmas tree.. :D
I would think as long as it stays off in your bag there should be no problems.
Last week, Baltimore Washington International... I found my wallet was stolen out of its tray with my credit cards and $200.00 cash. Explanation? "We are short three people and no one to watch what comes out of the x-ray". Beware folks, The TSA is here to protect you!
Why would anyone choose to go through BWI ??? :eek:
Anyway - just a comment: I *never* put my wallet in the tray, it always stays in my pocket. Just be certain that there are no metal objects in there.
Literally hundreds of flights, and never a single problem with it.
Never had any problem with my handheld.
K0RGR
03-21-2008, 07:54 PM
Recently I flew out of LaCrosse, WI, with an aluminum case full of ham radio goodness, and the TSA guys scanned it, opened it, looked at it, and had a nice chat with me about ham radio. The guys at MSP..no issue. Heathrow, no issue. ORD, those apes after I flew across the ocean with it, then going through security to board a puddle jumper to LaCrosse, had to x-ray it twice, remove EVERYTHING from the case and x-ray it one piece at a time, and were generally obnoxious.
Don't blame the ORD guys if you're coming back from the UK - I think they've seen the stories about how poor the security is at Heathrow and other UK airports since they replaced the government security staff with minimum-wge contractors. After my last trip, I believe you could be carrying a package labeled "BOMB" in between two books titled "Jihad for Dummies" and "What to do with your 70 virgins", and they'd just smile and wave you through...
ai4ep
03-21-2008, 08:14 PM
I could handle maybe 3 virgins and let some one else have the remaining 67.
kd8hho
03-21-2008, 11:31 PM
I could handle maybe 3 virgins and let some one else have the remaining 67.
lol... them 70 virgins would be something else.....
W5HTW
03-22-2008, 12:13 AM
I've been thinking about taking my HT on one of my flights, which are all domestic, no overseas. Not sure I want to, as I may forget it somewhere. Besides, I mostly listen to it as a scanner and almost never try to use it as a transceiver.
One of the things that kind of bothers me about other things is the flight attendants say things like "if it has an on/off switch turn it off." In other words everything. I was thinking of carrying a small camcorder, but if I can't turn it on, why bother? Of course I'd use it after I reach my destination as there's nothing to record on the plane anyway.
I do not put my wallet in the bin. No metal in it, so no problem. Last week I did not take my big metal watch with metal watch band off, and went through the scanner just fine. I usually do take the watch off. I put my pocket change in a envelope and put it in the bin, so I will have change when I get through security.
A month or so ago I suddenly realized, as I reached for my keys to put them into the bin, that I also had a small pocketknife in my pocket! Oooops! I took the knife out discretely and stuffed it into my carry-on bag. No problem! It went right through. Knife has just over a one-inch blade but that could kill. I have not tried that again, though. I was just lucky.
Here's something I don't know about. I had one attendant say "turn off your cell phone unless it has an airplane mode." What the heck is an airplane mode? My phone doesn't fly, so I turned it off.
Anyway, I may give the HT a try next time. But too difficult to program it for all the various frequencies I would want to monitor. Last week, in San Diego, though, I could have used it to monitor marine VHF. Sort of missed that idea. That may would have been fun.
We have those puffers here at ABQ. I would guess they not only look for explosives but have metal detection as well. I happened to be noticing a mildly plump woman in a dress going through the puffer. Looked like a Richter 5.3 shook her dress, hips, hair - everything in the booth jiggled! I wonder if she enjoyed that!!
I have not been through one of the puffers yet. Might feel good? Especially on a hot day. Have to watch my deordorant and after shave so they don't trigger the alarms!
KB0LPI
03-22-2008, 01:23 AM
Here's something I don't know about. I had one attendant say "turn off your cell phone unless it has an airplane mode." What the heck is an airplane mode? My phone doesn't fly, so I turned it off.
Some "swiss army knife" phones, like iPhones and such have a mode that basically shuts off the RF part of the phone so you can still do other things on it, you just can't place or receive calls. I had a Kyocera that had an "airplane" mode that I used so I could play Tetris on it during a flight.
W5HTW
03-22-2008, 01:36 AM
Good. I was looking for the landing gear on my phone and couldn't find it. Thanks
KC2ESD
03-22-2008, 06:27 AM
The last time I flew I used the VX-2R in flight to talk to my friends. I was hitting the local repeaters from 30 miles away at full scale. I was also recieveing PA repeaters loud and clear at 3000ft. The radio caused NO problems with the aircraft equipment at all. I had a great flight to Lancaster PA and back to Woodbine NJ. Oh BTW this is the flight I flew the plane back to NJ.:D
73 de Rick KC2ESD The Red Baron
A71AN
03-22-2008, 08:02 PM
Is anybody have trouble with security check-in and traveling with their Handheld Radios?
Customs might hold your 2 meter in case they find it in your back, but that holding go untill you show them what aprove that the 2 meter is a radio permitted by the authorities for you to use and to travel with.
This is at least what I know about the procedure here, you may also ask such a question with the authoritiy which given your paper, they should know if there is any restrictions airport wise.
Thank you and 73