[Elecraft] kx1 on airlines

[Dave Andrus]

It wasn't a KX1, but I recently carried my K2 (including the internal  
SLA battery option) in my carry-on bag, and had no problems going  
round trip San Francisco/Orlando.  Best protocol is to take it out of  
your bag and put it in one of the plastic bins, just like you'd do for  
a laptop computer.  That way, you're "declaring" it, rather than  
causing them to want to dig in to your bag just to see what in the  
heck that little box really might be. In SFO, they did tell me that  
they wanted to scan it twice, but didn't ask any other questions.   
Nothing said at all in Orlando.

FWIW, there should be no problems carrying a gell-cell or SLA-type  
battery as long as it's installed in the equipment.  Same should apply  
to the battery pack for your KX1, unless you're doing something more,  
um, custom.  I've always carried loose AA-size batteries with no issues.

There ARE quite a few ham things--mostly homebrew gear--that I would  
not try to take through airline security these days.  They are  
extremely suspicious of any thing that doesn't look "commercial build"  
quality, ie handbuilt "don't know what this thing is" kind of stuff!

BTW, I had my little PAC-12 antenna in a checked suitcase, which got  
inspected by Homeland Security on both legs of the trip (as evidenced  
by the little paper "calling card" they leave inside the bag).  On the  
return leg, the dim bulb inspector couldn't figure out how my "TSA  
approved" lock on the suitcase was supposed to unlatch, so he broke it  
and the latch on my suitcase getting it open!  I thought it was  
unusual that they'd inspect it on both legs of the trip, until it  
dawned on me that the loading coils for the antenna are basically PVC  
pipe sections with wire wound around the outside, and metal caps on  
each end.  Uh oh--pipe bomb!!  Guess I'll carry a dipole or doublet  
next time!

73,

Dave K7DAA
http://www.k7daa.com

On Apr 22, 2008, at 12:52 PM, Darwin, Keith wrote:

> Pack it in your shoe so they don't find it.  What they don't know  
> won't
> hurt 'em, right?
>
> ... :-)
>
> My guess is you'd be fine if it was checked.  Do people carry MP3
> players onboard?  If they can bring that or a walkman, you'd think a
> similar sized ham rig would be OK.
>
> - Keith N1AS -
> - K2 5411.ssb.100 -
> - K3 711 -
>
> -----Original Message-----
> Going on a trip and was wondering what kind of hassle I would get if I
> packed my KX1 in my baggage. Would it look like a "bomb"? Was thinking
> of putting a copy of my amatuer ticket on the box. But I bet no one
> there knows what a ham radio operator is. Is it worth the trouble?
>
> Don...w2xb
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