Pocket PC and Airports

[PotPie]

I am going to the airport on Monday and of course will have to go through the security checkpoints. Am I correct to not let my Dell Axim go through the X ray machines? What is the procedure for laptops and PDA's? It's been a while since I've been to the airport.

Thanks.

[Janak Parekh]

I'm pretty sure you can x-ray them. That's what I've done... or did I carry it in my pocket? In either case, it shouldn't matter. :)

Laptops can definitely be x-rayed - I have always put my bag through and never had a problem.

--janak

[Chris Hendriks]

I have always had to remove my laptop in the US - never had to do so in the UK, Europe, or far East.

My Pocket PC and other supporting items have always remained in my bag - removed only in the US if security wants to check them out.

All run through the xray machine.

[vincentsiaw]

anybody know for sure if the x-ray save for flash memory? like sd card for example, very disapointed if lost my 512 mb sd card because of the x-ray beam...

[hollis_f]

I put all my electronic gear (PPC, phone, camera, memory cards) in my jacket and put that through the X-ray machine. No problem at all.

[dean_shan]

The airport x-ray machines will do no harm. I've put mine threw with an SD card in it and it had no effect. I don't know about the checked baggage x-rays (the workers say not to have film in your checked bag, not sure if rays harmful to film can hurt electronics). Just remember to turn off you WiFi (if you are blessed enough to have it) when you are on the plane.

[jimski]

I travel at least once a week and have never had a problem losing or corrupting data on my laptop, Pocket PC, camera, flash cards, etc.

Most U.S. airports will ask you to remove a laptop from you bag and pass it through the X-Ray check separately. Having your laptop slip out of your hands is a much greater risk than anything the X-ray machine might do.

Prior to 9/11 I was asked to turn on my PDA during random bag checks, but no one has asked me to do that in more than a year. I carry chargers, sleeves, portable keyboard, etc. and no one has ever asked about them while scanning my bag.

[Tora]

Haven't traveled through the U.S. in a while, but the last time I was going through Australia (November) they wanted me to take my laptop out of it's bag, and then take the battery out of the laptop, and then both bits had to be sent through the x-ray machine. In the current security climate it is probably fair to assume that you will be asked to x-ray the PPC. As others have said, it shouldn't hurt it.