Flying in the US or CAN lately with an amp or other big electronics as carry-on?
Hi. I am considering flying from Toronto Pearson Int’l to O’Hare with a ~25lb AC-DC power converter/power supply unit (JRDG “Power Storage Unit” to be specific) in my carry-on wheelie bag. It will fit in the wheelie bag and is under the weight limit, but I am pretty sure that the airport security X-ray machines will read the device, which is basically milled from a large block of solid aluminum, as entirely opaque and hence, suspicious, and so the staff will need to inspect it manually. Obviously, I don’t want them to scratch its beautiful front or try to open the chassis.
I would take the unit out of the bag and put it in it’s own bin for the screening and try to explain the situation to an officer before hand as well.
Does anybody here have any recent experience with trying to bring a medium/big piece of audio equipment on a US commercial flight in your carry-on bag?
(The alternative, because I don’t want to ship from Canada, is to drive to Niagara Falls/Buffalo, clear customs at the Whirlpool Bridge (NEXUS only) and then FedEx or UPS the PSU from Buffalo, but there are various issues with that approach that I’d prefer to avoid, if possible.)
Thanks!
I took an oversized, aluminium shelled DAC through from Pearson to Germany via Heathrow last year. I brought needed mini specialty tools along in case they wanted me to open it at Pearson. Passing between one Heathrow terminal and another, my tools were confiscated, even the bits. If the weather is OK, crossing to Buffalo to ship has worked for me before. Always like an opportunity to visit the Lucky Day Whiskey Bar on Pearl Street in Buffalo. |
I travel a lot for work, it would be a total crap shoot on making it through security without issue. Airports and various TSA agents aren’t consistent. Some would understand what the unit actually was and others wouldn’t. Have you thought about checking the bag? There wouldn’t be any issues with doing that. You could check the bag on the way to O’Hare and then fly back with the less full bag as a carry on the way back. Much more scrutiny on carry on bags, I’ve gone on 20 flights with the same carry on, and never been flagged and then on the 21st, same bag, same stuff in the bag it’s flagged, searched. |
@mm1tt77 i think checking is riskier; the X-ray machines they use for checked bags will not be able to determine what the PSU is — just a big, opaque block of metal, and the bag will get flagged, and i wouldn't be there to try to explain. And i would not know where my bag is when i land. At YYZ security for the checked bags, i can take the PSU out and put it in its own bin before it goes into the scanner and explain to the officer as i am doing it. They will presumably stil want to do an explosives swab on it and maybe take other steps, but i will be able to be there with them. I will —FWIW — have the PSU’s manual a well to show them if they ask, to increase the chance they will understand it is entirely benign. So, it is not a really a question of making it through with issue; the goal is to make it through. (And if they say no, then i can take the drive to Niagara Falls.) |
