1 Nov
2007
1 Nov
'07
7:01 a.m.
Grant Stockly wrote:
US policy has a provision for carrying fast film through instead of
running it through the xray.
I fly pretty often, and sometimes with odd toys. I've had good luck
calling the local TSA office and just telling them what I'm carrying and
why I want special handling. (I suspect that if the item was a large
block of Silly Putty with wires and batteries, they wouldn't be so
understanding!)
Caveat: Expect to get The Full Treatment anytime you bypass xray
with any item.
Ob WayOffTopic:
Although this hass just nearly been 10 years - when I first started
teaching for IBM only a few of the courses had gone to screen projector
presentation. Most still used overhead projectors and transparencies.
Even after screen projectors started catching on, I had to carry the
transparencies "just in case". A week's worth of presentation is a
stack between 75mm and 125mm.
Even before 11/2001, airport security made me do the explosives swab
test *every time* I went through, and searched my bags about 1 in 3
times. I finally asked one of the local security guys - who knew me by
name by then - why I kept getting tagged. He grinned and thumped that
stack of transparencies and said "I dunno what this stuff is made of,
but under the scope it looks JUST LIKE plastic explosive. You're giving
us all heart attacks."
Doc
I have heard that what is in use internationally
will damage them.
The power supply magnetics is what I was told is what is the real
hazard not the xrays. I would not risk irreplacable media finding out
anyway.
I am looking for a way to ship 8" floppies internationally if anyone
has done so successfully. quantity is large and all are one of a kind
that cannot be duplicted at this time by any normal means.
The average airport system is running at around 120kV .5mA. About
120-170w power supply...
I would imagine that its a motor in the conveyor belt doing it. A lot
of those tubes are built using a monoblock construction (the transformer
is integrated) to save money. So the transformer is a few feet above
the belt. Dental units are built this way...
I don't know if the security systems use them, but there are conveyor
rollers with motors built right in. A motor like that would be
extremely close to the belt.
Of course I have no idea what's going on outside of the U.S...but its
probably the same.
See if you can hand carry the disks through the metal detector. Or put
them on top of your coat when you run it through.