[HCDX] DX-ers as potential terrorists......

[ARouw@xxxxxxxxxxx (Aart Rouw)]

Dear DX ers,
The times that shortwave listeners who received mail from R. Moscow and R.
Peking automatically obtained attention of the secret service, are way
behind us. However, in the post 9.11 days other dangers are emerging, as my
experiences show :

During longer international travels I usually take my Grundig Yachtboy
receiver with me and also in most cases a small ferroloop antenna (amplifier
box + separate ferrite rod), to boost local MW reception. To make sure thing
do not get lost, I keep these in my hand luggage.
During the last months I made four trips to the USA. In the increased
security environment, the presence of my hobby gear has produced several
reactions:
1. No reaction at all (not spotted on the X-ray, or ignored)
2. The bag is selected for further inspection and the contents produces
puzzled looks at the faces of the inspection people. So far the explantion
that this was a radio + antenna was accepted.
3. Further chemical analysis for explosives (wiping with tissue). So far
always negative.
4.  General excitement, as below :
Duirng my last trip, in Atlanta security people picked out my bag as
"suspicious" and  created a lot of problems. My SW radio was described as
"funny" and also the satement was made "we do not have such radios in the
USA" (although I bought this radio in the USA some years ago).  After
another security officer stated "I believe it is German",  this argument was
put to rest (so much for German industrial design).
However, the combination with a small black box and ferrite rod prevented a
quick solution.
It did not help that I stated this was just an innocent radio + antenna.
Things were run again and again through the X ray scanner. (Nice pictures!).
The printed circuit boards + electronic components that were clearly visible
only helped to feed the suspicion. After I showed some obvious signs of
irritiation (after explaining to a third person that this was just a radio),
things became a little bit tense and I was afraid I was about to make some
unvoluntary headlines.
In the end things were settled, after someone from the airline came along
and allowed me to take things on board (though stored removed from my place
and with the batteries of the radio removed). It helped that he recognized
the ferrite rod as "something from a radio".

I am not sure if the above should serve to ridicule the efforts of the
security personel, or to praise them beacause of  their stubbornness in
trying to get information.
However, I am sure there are other people on this list who occasionally
travel with radios and/or antenna gear.
I was bit embarassed by the way this went (and the time that it cost me),
and I wondered if there are ways of preventing this confusion. Is it
possible to obtain a kind of document that describes equipment as being
innocent ?
Storing it in the luggage that you check in, is not a solution because
(apart from the risk of loss),  in some cases this luggage is now also
opened and inspected.

Regards,
Aart Rouw
Bühl, Germany




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