I am about to go on an international flight out of the US and I plan to bring my DFAM. Any recommendations? I was thinking about packing it in my carry-on and making sure I had headphones and the power cable with me in case they ask what it is. Conversely I could also check it but I’m just concerned they would wonder what it was - especially with a bundle of patch cables next to it.
Does anyone have any international flight travel recommendations with a DFAM (or other small semi-modular)?
Make sure that you have the screws removed from the top panel, so that you can lift the DFAM from its housing and customs can inspect the inside.
Really? They’ll want to look inside of it? Have you had this happen? Did you check it or bring it in carry-on? I guess that doesn’t matter for customs though.
Strongly recommend you to put your DFAM in a carry-on bag! A few reasons why:
Airlines urge passengers to carry-on “high-value” or “fragile” items (like electronics) because the airlines are not liable for any damage to items inside your checked bags.
For airport security, I always ask the officer checking IDs if they want to inspect my electronics. (I usually travel with a phone, iPad, and bag full of camera gear.) They’ll let you know what they want pulled out of your bag to x-ray separately.
For customs, you might need to prove that you did not buy the DFAM in the country you’re visiting. I always carry a copy of the sale receipts for my camera gear, just in case.
If you’re traveling in the EU, you -might- be okay with putting your DFAM in a checked bag. But expensive items disappear from bags all the time no matter where you travel. I once worked with some engineers who were going to Mongolia to do an installation. They checked a big Pelican case with a $10k signal analyzer inside—and never saw it again.
Hope this helps. Travel safe and have fun!
Ok, yeah that’s a good point VocoVacca. Thanks.