Depending on the type of powder, it can look like an explosive, irritant, or drug. The explosive would be the larger concern, when you are carrying electronic items.
TSA Checkpoint
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Thank you for your reply. No equipment with me during that flight. Was goldbond body powder just first time they ever checked this item. Good to know
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I've flown many times (domestic in U.S.) with an assortment of radio, computer and photographic gear. I take the batteries out of my radios so they can't accidentally get powered up. Laptops are usually taken out of the bag during scanning. Radios stay in the bag. I've never been hassled about any of them.
Same here regarding photo equipment was news photog in past life. Used to have to fill out form years ago for gear so verification equipment purchased in USA. Usually press pass helped. New world now so I was not sure about anything TSA related for radios etc.
Thanks and 73s
Thanks and 73s
Yeah, I think that as noted above. the primary restriction is against using them in flight. I only recall getting held up in airport security twice. The last was right before the U.S. was getting ready to "visit" Afghanistan. I had just come from a military base and must have tracked something in because I set something off and they took a real interest in my boots. The other time was about 20 years earlier when I flew up to Portland, OR with a kitchen faucet in my luggage. It might even have been in my carry on. Anyway an inspection of my bag, some strange looks and away I went. Different times then.
Do you still have the packaging the hotspot came in?
No we recycled the plastic package but thanks
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You could always pull that model up on your phone and show them if they have any concerns.
Thanks it will be OK I will just grab screen shot of gigaparts image with receipt. Just incase it is needed thanks all for your suggestions. Think I will be good to go.
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You have someone raise an issue 1 time out of 10? That is an absurdly high rate if you are being serious. I travel with an SDS100 (minimum), and often a Unication G5 and BK KNG2-P800, and have had no one so much as acknowledge their presence once in more than 100 flights the last several years, before and since the 'pandemic era,' including the (now two) times they've also fished out an edged instrument I accidentally left in my backpack (one I'm sure the agent tossed, but the Benchmade I hope he kept).
Pacmannion
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Ham and TSA officer here, everything should be fine, we usually ask that electronics larger than a cell phone come out of the bag to declutter it (unless you have PreCheck in which case everything stays in).
belvdr
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Even that's not consistent at the same airport, unfortunately. I've been through various airports many times, and it seems like there's a different rule each day.
Pacmannion
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Even that's not consistent at the same airport, unfortunately. I've been through various airports many times, and it seems like there's a different rule each day.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It comes down a variety of factors I think, such as x-ray operator aptitude, lane configurations and much more. I wish we could be more consistent, but alas I am just one person.
It seems to me that, since it's not possible/acceptable/efficient to take apart everything everyone is carrying, some random variability might actually improve security, as the bad guys may not anticipate something and react obviously/poorly to it, giving them away.
[Add]I was at some airport in Africa (maybe Kinshasa). At incoming customs, there was a button on a stand that the passenger pressed that (supposedly) used random selection to drive something like a traffic signal. If the light turned green, they went to a fast lane; if red, their luggage was opened for more detailed inspection.
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Pacmannion
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We do actually do that, for example, the metal detectors on PreCheck lanes have a RNG built into it. It will random make a diffrent chime (distinct from the metal alarm) that notifies us this person will be receiving something additional.
Been that way in Mexico City for years...
6079smithw
Member
I can only think of two instances when my HT(s) attracted attention. One was in Guam when I was asked if my Yaesu FT-11
could xmit on aircraft frequencies, the other in Narita, Japan where I had to show the Customs people my amateur license
for some gear I had in checked baggage. They were more interested in my camera gear, looking thru the viewfinders and
checking the pockets in my camera bag. As others have said, varies from place to place and airport to airport.
could xmit on aircraft frequencies, the other in Narita, Japan where I had to show the Customs people my amateur license
for some gear I had in checked baggage. They were more interested in my camera gear, looking thru the viewfinders and
checking the pockets in my camera bag. As others have said, varies from place to place and airport to airport.
I flew from Orlando to Chicago with a DMR mobile, mag mount, D-Star handheld and charger in my bag. Put a copy of my ham ticket in the bag with the radios and a statement that the equipment is incapable of being operated aboard an aircraft. The only time I was checked was the TSA screener in Chicago couldn't figure out what the mag mount was on my return trip.
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