Railfan Technology > Railroad Scanner on Plane

I am taking a vacation soon and will be doing some railfanning. Has anyone taken a radio scanner on a plane? If so, how did you pack it?

I pack mine right in my camera bag or carry on luggage. Never had a problem

just don't turn it on in flight. It's a VHF band radio which will interfere with the airplane communications radios.

stevelv Wrote:
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> I pack mine right in my camera bag or carry on
> luggage. Never had a problem


Ditto here, never had an issue.

I took mine to Alaska and back. In camera bag. No problems.

I routinely (every couple weeks) fly with all manner of electronics, including portable two way radios and heavily shielded test equipment that's far scarier looking on any Xray than any scanner.

No problem at all.

Thanks for your help guys. I will stick it in my camera bag.

altoonafn Wrote:
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> Thanks for your help guys. I will stick it in my
> camera bag.


Make sure your battery is charged in case security wants you to power it on...

John R -- CP Spring
Carlisle, PA

After Xray the TSA pulled my carryon aside and took out my scanner/ham radio and asked me what it was. Told them it was my Ham radio and they said ok and sent me along. It was packed packed inside me socks so that may have been the issue.

Posted from iPhone

Flown many many times from the UK to USA, and always packed scanner in checked baggage. Never been an issue. Usually the Yanks seem to enjoy searching checked bags from the States, but never been pulled regarding the scanner. Never done my laundry either!! Chris uk.

altoonafn Wrote:
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> I am taking a vacation soon and will be doing some
> railfanning. Has anyone taken a radio scanner on
> a plane? If so, how did you pack it?

I pack mine with the Diamond RH77CA antenna still attached in my backpack's side pocket, along with the magnetic attach 1/4 wave antenna in the other side pocket. So the antennas are conspicuous, sticking out about foot above the backpack for all to see.

This usually prompts the curious TSA agents to ask what they are before they go in the X-ray machine - it helps, since they become easier to identify in the X-ray. Many of them don't even ask, and the X-ray attendant seems to have no problem with my equipment.

One TSA guy could have been a closet foamer, because when I told him I use the scanner to chase trains, he mentioned "Union Pacific trains?" right away. :-)

There's a product to reduce the desire of the TSA to go through your bags. Google "brief safe" and you should find it. Not the prettiest picture so I won't copy and paste it here. Looks pretty effective to me. If I ran into it, I wouldn't want to go any further. Ha Ha.

BTW, I've taken ham radios and FRS radios on aircraft and have not had a problem. As far as turning them on in flight, generally the tell you not to but some airlines will permit it after the reach the cruising altitude an when the start the decent. I heard of one guy (this was before 9/11) taht ask the pilot about using his radio on the plane. Pilot told him to wait until the reached altitude. As the reached altitude the pilot made the normal announcement that you could remove the seat belt, walk around in the cabin, they were cruising at 33,000 feet, etc... and he ended with "and to the ham on board, QRV." (Meaning "I'm ready.")

An aircraft is a great place to have an antenna. At 35,000 feet the horizon is only 230 miles. If you "pi R Sq" that you get lots of square mile.

John