Flying with hardware ?

[dpm]

After a few months stay in the US, i'm going back to britain at the weekend with a carry-on full of hardware - a motherboard, CPU, PS, GF2, DDR and a couple of fans. (i've been just loving the cheap prices over here.. and Hot Deals )

I assembled it all for testing, and now as i take it apart i'm wondering how i should be carrying it on the plane - i assume i should carry most of it with me (i've seen how checked baggage is treated) but i'm wondering whether its safer to leave the CPU locked in its socket on the motherboard or not . This would make it a fair bit easier to pack, as i've only got the little plastic thing it came in from twco, and i don't want to carry a box full of packing chips.

But would carrying it around like that strain the pins or something? it seems like the best idea overall, but i thought it'd be worth checking out here.... (of course, all this is dependant on me ever getting the damn HSF off it, but that's something to try tomorrow...)

thanks

 

[kursplat]

i think i would just ship it.ups or usps. the way they handle carry-on isn't much better. good luck and thanks lfor spending all your $$$ here

 

[dpm]

Ah. I used to work for fedex when I was a student, and I've seen how they treat parcels... There's no way i'd pay the shipping to england knowing how the boxes get kicked around and stuff. I'd rather take my chances carrying the parts myself...

 

[ElDonAntonio]

Won't you get into trouble at the security check with all these electronics??

 

[Zugzwang152]

The biggest concern I would have would be getting past security. As far as the actual risks, they are slight if you put everything in static-proof bags and pad them heavily with good packing materials (the original stuff they came in would be the best I think, if not the cheapest route). If I were in your place, I'd ship it FedEx, and insure it to 3 times its value in Britain, and then pray to God that they break it so you can cash in

 

[mrlayance]

Just from what I know in Canada. If you board a plane with electronics it has to work, Laptop. PDA, CD Player etc. SO if you where boarding with all the gear in your bag it is going to be tuff to convince the security guard what it is if he has no idea about computers. I would pack it up really good and ship UPS or Fedex.

 

[kursplat]

Ah. I used to work for fedex when I was a student, and I've seen how they treat parcels... There's no way i'd pay the shipping to england knowing how the boxes get kicked around and stuff. I'd rather take my chances carrying the parts myself...

left out fedX on purpose... but thanks for confirming my suspisions