Leeds Bradford Airport has now got the new security scanners installed (Like Newcastle). The result is that if you are flying from here, laptops, phones, transceivers, batteries and other electronic items do not have to be removed from your carry on bag. My 38 litre Berghaus rucksack containing all the above went through unhindered last Friday.
No idea when I will undertake my two planned activations. The strong winds are now receding day by day so I will decide on which days to hire a car to get me out of the resort later this week. The sun is shining and the resorts private beach near Elounda is very nice.
You are probably well worth waiting for a WX improvement as there was another X class flare yesterday and Kp is back up to 6 again. Sun, sand and beer for now I think Phil!
TNX info on proagation Andy, sorry I wasn’t home to experience some exciting auroral QSOs on 10/6/4/2 over recent days… I did set up my KX3 and 10m antenna on the hotel low level balcony (one storey up) on Saturday, (it’s a stone box type of open plan apartment with balcony on top of a hillock with others), but the local QRM was S8 and I couldn’t hear a single station on 20m to 10m through the noise. I think it is either the nearby power line or the air conditioning units below the appartments.
Not today as we are having a complementary lunch at the beachside fish restaurant, so we will have to leave our sunbeds and family stuff for that, but one day, I plan to take my gear down to the beach and set up at the seawater edge and see if I can hear any amateur radio stations from down there as an experiment. I haven’t ever tried to test reception right by seawater before, but I know that low angle signals are enhanced significantly in that situation.
I’ve just undertaken a short city break to Barcelona, flying from Luton. At both ends the new scanners were in use with no need to remove anything from my backpack. Absolutely brilliant. It’s hard enough having to take your belt off and put all your other stuff in the tray without having to unpack your bag. At Luton there was a new foot scanner in use which was an interesting development.
Enjoy your time in SV9 Phil. The mountains looked good when I was there, but I didn’t have any radio kit with me on that holiday. We may be looking at another trip to Kefalonia in SV8 later this year. I think the 817 will have to make the backpack. Have only packed the handie before.
That’s a promising development. I guess it’ll be a while before Nairobi airport is similarly equipped, but I look forward to the day. Last time we flew out of NBO we had to extract laptops and tablets at three points, and take our shoes off at two…
(It could be worse; at NBO a few years back I was summoned from within the plane to go out and open my hold bag for a security officer on the tarmac…)
Manchester T2 has them. T3 doesn’t, and the legacy ones were rejecting loads of bags, including mine 3 times. Manually searched and they shrugged and said it was fine.
