Crossing borders with DIY synths

[th0mas]

Hi everyone,

  Anyone have any tips for crossing borders with DIY gear?  I'm specifically flying from Canada(Ottawa) to LA with a relatively simple synth (mostly just an AVR processor) and am wondering if I can do anything ahead of time to ensure a swift customs visit.

Cheers,

Tom

[stryd_one]

Definitely call your local customs and airline, tell them you will have electronic devices which are static and temperature sensitive, fragile, and custom made so look like they might be suspicious, and you want to make sure that you will have a smooth trip through customs without our gear getting busted up or you being mistaken for one of them nasty terrorists ;) They'll give you some tips.

[th0mas]

I'll do that, post whatever they say here..

[stryd_one]

Thanks man!

[MRE]

Als, due to Customs just downright being asses.. it is POSSIBLE that you will be held or refused entry if they suspect that you are a performer and do not have the proper work visa.

I know it sounds crazy, but I know someone who was comming down to do a few performances and had to cancel his mini-tour because he was not allowed into the country. He was told that he and his clothing luggage could enter, but his gear and merch could not unless he got a temporary performer's work visa.

still, its unlikely, but be aware that it IS happening now at some ports of entry.

I you are performing, and plan on merching, mail your merch in.

[DavidBanner]

i wouldn't worry too much.

I travel with lots of strange bits of kit all the time.

Vinyl is the worst possible thing to carry - the xray won't penitrate it, so they will often have a look, but somewhere like Heathrow where they seem DJs all day every day it's all good. The US I get to empty every record out sometimes, in Bahrain I've had the records confiscated so they can go through and check themselves, including LISTENING to asses any potential "unwanted content"....

The Xray machines have atomic number displays which mean they can tell what a potential explosive device and what's a midibox.

one of the madest things I had to do was get a whole load of devices with very strong EM radiation profiles airfreighted.

It got classified as "Dangerous Goods" and I had to clear it through customs 1st - I rang the dept and the first thing the guy asked me was "what is it? guns, explosives, weapons??" lol, it got a lot easier once we established it was a bunch of electronics.

[th0mas]

all mine is, is a little groovebox that isn't more than an atmega32 and an amp.  Just wondering what you guys have done in the past.

I'm not performing, I saw an electro act in mtl last week and after talking to one of the guys, decided to build him one of these grooveboxes and give it to him when we're both at coachella in LA at the end of the month.

[audiocommander]

When I travelled last time to London, I had lots of electronics in my bag and I would have considered myself as really suspicious, but I had no problems at all (although that was before the incident with the ugly liquid stuff some months ago).

I guess, that pure electronics without any explos!ve traces is not that dangerous. But remember that some lightbulbs like fluorescent tubes contain gases that are not allowed on planes... but as these bulbs disturb electric signals anyway, it's no good idea to use them for "cool" lighting fx ;D (had to learn that one by experience, too  ::) )

But I also know, that a museum had troubles getting a rebuilt of Kempelens Chess-Playing Turk from the US to Hungary; it got hold 'cause they didn't know what it was and it must have been hard work getting them understanding... but I guess again, that besides the strange mechanics, the "turkish android" was the most suspicious thing :P  ::)

But I'd say that it's safe to inform the airline before boarding and explain what it's good for. I know that there should be special areas in the plane for sensitive goods (like computers or animals).

Cheers,

Michael