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Thread: Fresh film in luggage scanner

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  1. #1
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    Fresh film in luggage scanner

    Unthinkingly I checked my carry-on bag with a fresh box of Adox Art 50 inside. I know it would be toast normally, but in this case I had the film, and several loaded film holders, in a Filmsafe bag (one of those lead lined bags). Does anyone have any idea if the film might be okay, or if it is toast anyway. I don't want top shoot it if it is ruined, and my only other option at this point is to try to find chemicals locally (Tucson) and test it. I might be able to do that today, but with all the holidday stuff going on that might be difficult.

    I continue to discover new ways to screw up...

    Tim

  2. #2

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    Re: Fresh film in luggage scanner

    The conventional wisdom is that if the bag was scanned, the lead might attract extra attention and dosage. I'd find a local lab and give them a sheet out of the box. If the holders were not positioned right on top of the box that doesn't mean they'd be OK. There is a significant chance the film is ruined, do you want to take that chance and shoot it? They don't x ray every bag so things may be OK and maybe the bag was enough protection if they did. Or just buy some new film in Tucson and use that and test the rest when you get home.

  3. #3
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    Re: Fresh film in luggage scanner

    Not all checked luggage is scanned. Only some percentage (less than 50%) is actually xray scanned. So your film might be ok. I would test a sheet from the top and bottom of the stack and if they are clear I would assume the film is good.
    Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is everything else we do.
    --A=B by Petkovšek et. al.

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    Re: Fresh film in luggage scanner

    Quote Originally Posted by BetterSense View Post
    Not all checked luggage is scanned. Only some percentage (less than 50%) is actually xray scanned.
    How do you know this? I am just curious.

  5. #5
    IanG's Avatar
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    Re: Fresh film in luggage scanner

    Quote Originally Posted by Rayt View Post
    How do you know this? I am just curious.
    All luggage is scanned but usually using the same type of scanners as carry on baggage which are film safe, then some is scanned again using deep more intrusive X-rays when an object can't be identified.

    This film definitely need to be tested.

    Ian

  6. #6
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    Re: Fresh film in luggage scanner

    How do you know this? I am just curious.
    The TSA documents that were leaked earlier this year say so. It makes sense, because it would take a lot of time and manpower to xray everything. There is no point in xraying it if someone isn't sitting there inspecting the contents by eye.
    Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is everything else we do.
    --A=B by Petkovšek et. al.

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    Re: Fresh film in luggage scanner

    Quote Originally Posted by BetterSense View Post
    The TSA documents that were leaked earlier this year say so. It makes sense, because it would take a lot of time and manpower to xray everything. There is no point in xraying it if someone isn't sitting there inspecting the contents by eye.
    I haven't seen those documents, but the manufacturers make their specifications and "recommended usage" information quite available on the internet.

  8. #8
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    Re: Fresh film in luggage scanner

    Quote Originally Posted by Rayt View Post
    How do you know this? I am just curious.
    It certainly is not true in the airports I frequent (particularly Dulles, but also many others), where I put the bag down right at the big scanning machine that they use. I've never yet seen them carry a bag around that machine. Maybe when they get all the machines in the back room, that will be the case.

    Rick "no stranger to airports" Denney

  9. #9
    ARS KC2UU
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    Re: Fresh film in luggage scanner

    Quote Originally Posted by rdenney View Post
    It certainly is not true in the airports I frequent (particularly Dulles, but also many others), where I put the bag down right at the big scanning machine that they use. I've never yet seen them carry a bag around that machine. Maybe when they get all the machines in the back room, that will be the case.

    Rick "no stranger to airports" Denney
    I travel frequently for business and often put my laptop inside my suitcase... because it is old and (essentially) valueless so I'm not worried about it being damaged.

    And I am sick and tired of the hassle of carrying it through and having to pull it out and send it separately through the carry-on scanner.

    So far, over the course of several years, and dozens of trips, every time I do this my suitcase is opened and torn apart so they can hand-inspect the old bugger. How do I know this?... they always leave their little love-note inside my disheveled suitcase informing me that my suitcase was "selected at random" for a thorough search.

    To me this suggests (at least through the airports that I'm travelling) that significantly more than 50% of bags are heavily x-rayed. Perhaps all of them.

    Bob (who is also no stranger to airports) G.
    All natural images are analog. But the retina converts them to digital on their way to the brain.

  10. #10
    Tim Meisburger's Avatar
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    Re: Fresh film in luggage scanner

    Okay. Thanks guys. I think I will try to pick up some chemicals and do some tests. Otherwise, maybe I'll just buy some film now and test when I get home.

    Cheers, Tim

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