[Maflynn]

I'm not sure if this belongs in PB forum or the perpherial forum since it involves both but here goes,

I have a 15" AL PB,
Digital Camera,
Mini-DV Camcorder.

I will be heading to Hawaii next month - on my honeymoon

I'll will be taking these items on as carry on. Should I let all three go through the x-ray machine, or carry them through the metal detector. I'll have the PB in sleep mode incase they will need to see it running.

I don't want to ruin the HD on the PB, mess up the dv tapes or the images on the memory stick.

TIA
Mike

[fisherKing]

you're taking your powerbook on your honeymoon??...

[chabig]

You don't have a choice. They go through the X-ray machine. It's not a problem.

Chris

[Tenacious Dyl]

Don't worry about the x-rays... only cheap camera film, and slow speed camera film are affected.

Worry about the attendants and guards... they have a tendancy to not care for technology as we do There are a few threads going right now about damaged laptops from Airport Security.... just don't let them touch it

[SplijinX]

X-Ray machines will not damage your harddrive or memory sticks. They are affected my magnetic/electro-magnetic fields and waves, so don't walk through the metal detector with one of these.

Not sure what the internals of DV tapes are, but I know they don't recommend people having film cameras go through too many times since it may wipe things out, you may want to search on this a bit.

I've had my digital camera and powerbook go through x-ray machines on multiple occasions and have not had any problems with it. Airport security may make you power them up, so keep things organized and handy. Also keep a watchful eye so that no one walks off with it or someone working security doesnt accidently drop it.

http://www.tapeonline.com/store/airp...amp;link=HPAIR
http://www.tapeandmedia.com/airport_guidelines.asp

[Maflynn]

Originally posted by fisherKing:
you're taking your powerbook on your honeymoon??...

Yeah of course,
I want to make sure I unload my camera pictures from the memory card also load the camcorder film onto it. I'd don't own enough memory sticks to last me two weeks in hawaii.

So the camcorder tapes and memory sticks will ok going through the x-ray machine.

Mike

[mbryda]

Originally posted by Tenacious Dyl:
Don't worry about the x-rays... only cheap camera film, and slow speed camera film are affected.

It's high speed film and has nothing to do with how expsnsive it is....

But, don't check any film. The xrays they use on your baggage are much more powerful than the hand check's and will damage ALL film.

[southtdi]

Actually bringing it along is not a bad idea. I do it on all trips i take. If I take pictures I can upload them to iPhoto within a day or two of taking them and caption them and everything without having to try and remember the exact moment a few weeks later.

As for the check I usually ask them to hadcheck my items and the DV cam I take the film out and ask to hand that around the machine. If you are nice and oragnized they usually are nice and will help you out.

Just be nice, have the setup ready before you even get near the checkpoint (easy to look through), and don;t get upset if they ask questions about cables and powers supplies also. They never ask to see those powered, just the electronics themselves, but they do on frequent occasions stick my electronics in the bomb sniffing machne just to be safe.

No matter what enjoy the honeymoon!!!!!

[Randman]

Congrats on the honeymoon.

I guess if you don't want to be away from your PB, but if you have an iPod, consider one of the Belkin media readers. Nice way to store photos directly on your iPod.
And the new media reader lets you connect directly to the Pod, so you needn't even take out the memory card for transfers.
Oh, and don't forget something like an iSplitter so you lovebirds can both listen to an iPod at the same time (handy for flights as well).

[chris v]

I've heard that some airport security people will make you take the battery out so they can look inside the compartment. I just flew back and forth on my PowerBook's Inaugural Family Vacation, and it survived the X-rays just fine. At neither airport did they make me turn it on, or take the battery out. They just told me to take it out of the case and send it through by itself in one of their tubs.

I really enjoyed having it along. No broadband meant I didn't waste any of my vacation surfing, but it sure was nice being able to look through the digital camera pics and video clips right after wee took them. I even burned a CD of family photos we took on the trip for my dad so he could get prints.

CV

[dreilly1]

Any film will cloud after repeated passes through an X-ray machine. High-speed film will cloud faster, and checked-baggage x-rays are much more powerful than carry-on X-ray machines.

Your best bet for film is to put it all in clear plastic bags, take the bags out of your carry-on when you get to the checkpoint, and politely ask them to hand-check them. If you happen to get the ornery security guard who insists on putting it through the x-ray machine, one pass probably won't hurt it. Just smile, put your film on the conveyor, and be thankful you're not sitting in Gitmo.

As for your digital pics, if your PB can write CD-R or DVD-R, I'd suggest bringing a few blanks along to make backups of your pictures. On a recent trip to Italy, we burned a CD-RW (not a full one, obviously) with our pictures every night. If you're extra paranoid, you can burn 2 and mail one back home. You never know when an extra-zealous security guard will take your PB apart on the security check and confiscate your HD to check for illicit MP3's...

Make sure you back up your HD before leaving, of course. And if you don't have insurance on the PB, get some! There are other threads here regarding laptop insurance, but I just talked to the insurance agent I have my homeowners' and car insurance through, and he wrote me a personal artcle policy that covers both of our laptops worldwide for less than $50/yr. (Your homeowners/renters ins. probably only covers your laptops when they're in your house/apt.) This way, if your PB gets incapacitated, insurance will pay for a new one, you can restore from backup, and it would be like it never happened.

Finally, have fun! and Congratulations! Good luck to you both.

[Maflynn]

Thanks for all of your suggestions, I will indeed bring smoe CDRs and DVD-Rs.

Can't wait one more month WOOHOO!!

Mike

[robo74]

Only one other thing I can suggest as my Rev B PB has seen more states and airports then any other mac I have owned. When you take your laptop out and put it in that nice plastic tray they want you to use, then consider taking something soft to put it on and to discourage the PB from sliding around. My month old PB had scratches on the CD side from rubbing against the plastic bin.. it was kinda rough. 90% off the airports dont make you power them up anymore.

Rob

[Maflynn]

Good call

thanks

[romeosc]

Originally posted by Maflynn:
Good call

thanks

Make sure you have no metal so when the PB goes through, you don't get stopped to go back through detector! One of my employee had a Ibook stolen, while he was putting shoes back on. By time security looked it was passed on to someone else! The only people near had been checked too! They said the theif probably had an partner who went the oposite way after "the handoff"

[dreilly1]

Originally posted by romeosc:
Make sure you have no metal so when the PB goes through, you don't get stopped to go back through detector! One of my employee had a Ibook stolen, while he was putting shoes back on. By time security looked it was passed on to someone else! The only people near had been checked too! They said the theif probably had an partner who went the oposite way after "the handoff"

Also, if you are going with more than one person, have the last person put all the electronics through. This way, the first person will likely be through the metal detector to watch them.