Taking gear with you on an airplane.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I took a bunch of stuff to Australia with me a few years ago (immediately
post-911). No problem with security, but I did have to pay duty to bring it
into the country. I saved the receipt, so when I brought it back home I
processed the receipt and got a full refund by check in the mail six weeks
later or so.

I was out about $200 for the period, but other than that, no hassle.

I don't know if UK is the same, but since they're both Commonwealth
countries, they probably are.

If you're going to check anything, you might as well check everything. Just
be sure you've got a good case.


Good luck, and let us know how it comes out.

--
john.krieger@att.net
"Peter B." <thecatspjamas@aol.com> wrote in message
news:f03c0e77.0409271500.277287e9@posting.google.com...
> Hello,
> I'm wondering how much trouble it is to bring recording equipment by
> plane to Europe. I'm in the US and would like to record a festival
> back in my father's 'old country'. I'd be bringing a two track
> recorder, two mics, stereo bar, cables, a stand and other odds and
> ends. I think getting it out of the US will be a problem and getting
> it back into the US might be a problem. Everywhere else should be OK
> (I might not be able to bring batteries through one airport though).
>
> Mics, the stand and the stereo bar can all look like great pipe bombs
> to security people. The recorder and cables might look a little odd
> too.
>
> What should I know ahead of time?
>
> The stereo bar is a hollow tube and I can pull the end caps off so
> they can see right through. I'm going to be buying a compact stand
> that hopefully I can do something similar with (any suggestion on what
> type?).
>
> How do I go about clearing the mics and recorder through security?
>
> I'd like to bring as much as possible as carry-on luggage. Maybe the
> stand and cables can be checked in.
>
> I'd rather not have to rent equipment. I will be having a hard enough
> time getting around as it is.
>
> I am fairly sure I can get it all to fit inside a carry-on sized bag
> along with a little room left over for clothes. I guess the old camera
> will have to go through check in.
>
> Thanks for any tips you might have.
>
> Peter

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

most gear goes just fine, but friends of mine carried during
expo2000 couple of XLR plugs (spare plugs) attached to each other
and went thru investigationport. of course custom guys did not understand
what the heck those plugs were and did not really understand my friends
description about spare plugs, audio connectors etc.

They did not give him a permission to deattach those plugs to show how
usual looking they are (familiar from microphones). Gladly they finally
understood what it was all about.

usually I have gone thru just fine with my recorder but have placed almost
all in suitcase and havent carried them with hand luggage

..jukka

"Peter B." <thecatspjamas@aol.com> wrote in message
news:f03c0e77.0409271500.277287e9@posting.google.com...
> Hello,
> I'm wondering how much trouble it is to bring recording equipment by
> plane to Europe. I'm in the US and would like to record a festival
> back in my father's 'old country'. I'd be bringing a two track
> recorder, two mics, stereo bar, cables, a stand and other odds and
> ends. I think getting it out of the US will be a problem and getting
> it back into the US might be a problem. Everywhere else should be OK
> (I might not be able to bring batteries through one airport though).
>
> Mics, the stand and the stereo bar can all look like great pipe bombs
> to security people. The recorder and cables might look a little odd
> too.
>
> What should I know ahead of time?
>
> The stereo bar is a hollow tube and I can pull the end caps off so
> they can see right through. I'm going to be buying a compact stand
> that hopefully I can do something similar with (any suggestion on what
> type?).
>
> How do I go about clearing the mics and recorder through security?
>
> I'd like to bring as much as possible as carry-on luggage. Maybe the
> stand and cables can be checked in.
>
> I'd rather not have to rent equipment. I will be having a hard enough
> time getting around as it is.
>
> I am fairly sure I can get it all to fit inside a carry-on sized bag
> along with a little room left over for clothes. I guess the old camera
> will have to go through check in.
>
> Thanks for any tips you might have.
>
> Peter

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I speak with experience that's several years old, so it may be outdated,
but...

If you're using any equipment that's not made in the USA (say, Neumann
microphones), go to a U.S. Customs office a few days before you go, bring
the equipment and get a piece of paper that says you showed it to them here
in the USA. When you come back, showing that paper can save you loads of
hassle with the customs people.

Peace,
Paul

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Peter B." wrote in...
> I'm wondering how much trouble it is to bring recording
> equipment by plane to Europe.

There have been several comprehensive discussions of this
recently over on news:rec.arts.movies.production.sound
Recommend using groups.google.com to research them.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Paul Stamler" <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote in message news:<q566d.641101$Gx4.19523@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
> I speak with experience that's several years old, so it may be outdated,
> but...
>
> If you're using any equipment that's not made in the USA (say, Neumann
> microphones), go to a U.S. Customs office a few days before you go, bring
> the equipment and get a piece of paper that says you showed it to them here
> in the USA. When you come back, showing that paper can save you loads of
> hassle with the customs people.
>
> Peace,
> Paul


That's a great idea. Few things seem to be stamped 'made in the US' anymore.

Thanks,
Peter

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Ed Anson wrote:

> But never check film. The powerful X-rays used on checked baggage will
> ruin it.

My son lost a roll of photos that were important to his family memory
banks when the airport "safety" personnel insisted it go throught the
machine and that it would not hurt the film. Maybe it didn't hurt the
film, but it destroyed the images. In the future he will remove the film
and send it via post.

--
ha

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 03:44:38 GMT, "Paul Stamler"
<pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote:

>They're x-raying that too, or sending electron beams through it. My advice
>is to have it processed where he shoots it. My next trip abroad, I'll shoot
>only XP2, since it's processable in a C41 line.

Isn't that the IR sensitive neg film? Beautiful, beautiful stuff for
night shots. About 100 speed, so Security won't consider your request
for hand screening significant. Totally a personal call; haircut, etc.

I'm recently back from PDX and photo shoot at McKenzie River and the
Three Sisters Wilderness area. A&I in Hollywood no longer processes
Kodachrome. ! Cue Paul Simon.

"The terrorists are winning" is all I've got to say about things...

Chris Hornbeck

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Paul Stamler <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote:
>"hank alrich" <walkinay@thegrid.net> wrote in message
>news:1gktpke.1oyxl2e169jy22N%walkinay@thegrid.net...
>> Ed Anson wrote:
>>
>> > But never check film. The powerful X-rays used on checked baggage will
>> > ruin it.
>>
>> My son lost a roll of photos that were important to his family memory
>> banks when the airport "safety" personnel insisted it go throught the
>> machine and that it would not hurt the film. Maybe it didn't hurt the
>> film, but it destroyed the images. In the future he will remove the film
>> and send it via post.
>
>They're x-raying that too, or sending electron beams through it. My advice
>is to have it processed where he shoots it. My next trip abroad, I'll shoot
>only XP2, since it's processable in a C41 line.

Yes, but now you are limited to dealing with local C41 processing, which
can be doubtful, especially in the third world. It's a dye image too, so
it's going to fade faster than normal B&W and if the chemistry is substandard
and they have skimped on the stabilizing agent, it can fade really fast.
Like within a couple weeks for one lab in Bangkok that I unfortunately used.

Plus you're stuck with the crushed highlights that are the hallmark of
color negative. (Or maybe the wonderful compensating effect, if you want
to think about it that way).

Not that I have a better solution, other than FedEx (which is expensive
internationally), or carrying around a tank and some Diafine. Diafine is
great for hotel room processing since it retains the same curves regardless
of time or temperature. But it also tends to be more compensating than I
like.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Scott Dorsey" <kludge@panix.com> wrote in message
news:cjehpd$bph$1@panix2.panix.com...

> >They're x-raying that too, or sending electron beams through it. My
advice
> >is to have it processed where he shoots it. My next trip abroad, I'll
shoot
> >only XP2, since it's processable in a C41 line.
>
> Yes, but now you are limited to dealing with local C41 processing, which
> can be doubtful, especially in the third world. It's a dye image too, so
> it's going to fade faster than normal B&W and if the chemistry is
substandard
> and they have skimped on the stabilizing agent, it can fade really fast.
> Like within a couple weeks for one lab in Bangkok that I unfortunately
used.

Luckily, I don't spend much time in the third world; my travel tends to be
to Italy and the UK. The latter, at least, has good labs.

> Plus you're stuck with the crushed highlights that are the hallmark of
> color negative. (Or maybe the wonderful compensating effect, if you want
> to think about it that way).

I do; there's a creaminess in the tone of XP2 that I find quite enticing.
It's not really crushed, just mildly compressed, maybe a 1.5:1 ratio.

> Not that I have a better solution, other than FedEx (which is expensive
> internationally), or carrying around a tank and some Diafine. Diafine is
> great for hotel room processing since it retains the same curves
regardless
> of time or temperature. But it also tends to be more compensating than I
> like.

And the grain structure is really gnarly and uneven, which tends toward ugly
tonality. I'd thought about hauling along some Diafine, but thinking about
passing through Italian customs with a couple cans of white powder...

Peace,
Paul