True or False...

[reprehensor]

Airport X-ray machines can damage electromagnetic recordings.

i.e. Videotape, audiotape...

[libertypirate]

1. false : electromagnetic signals are not x-rays

An electromagnetic signal is what is needed to mess with electromagnetic devices.

[liberalitch]

3. groovy..... good to know!

[Peregrine]

11. 8th Grade Science -- x-rays are part of the electromagnetic

spectrum, so yes they are electromagnetic signals but at shorter wavelengths than visible light (but longer than gamma rays).

[liberalitch]

2. Dunno, but I'd like to.....

anyone?
anyone?

[pk_du]

4. On-edit no....up too late!

http://www.tapeonline.com/store/airport-security.asp?&link=HPAIR

[Straight Shooter]

5. No problem. Just don't take your camera film through the x-rays.

That's the problem.

[Kalisiin]

6. I Don't Know For A Fact, But...

they DO warn you not to put cameras with "under 400 speed film" on the x-rays. There must be a reason for that.

Mostly, "under 400 speed film" is what you get in those crappy, disposable, one-use-only cameras that your average vacation-goer buys, or someone buys for a wedding or some special occasion...someone who isn't normally a shutterbug.

[RC]

8. That should be OVER 400 speed film.

The higher the number the more sensitive the film. Also as in humans, exposer is cumulative. It's best to let them hand search the film cameras.

[Kalisiin]

10. I Stand Corrected.

you are right. Sorry, I just woke up.

anyways, it is just something I remembered from my last trip to the airport, and my last airplane ride, which happened just about a year ago...back when they still let you carry a lighter.

I distinctly remember that, because they were getting ready to ban them...and I had a butane lighter, the security guys were gonna take away from me...but they let me keep it, after they saw it dispensed a regular, visible, yellow flame, and not a nearly invisible blue one. I swear that is exactly the way they put it, too!

Hell, me, I just wanted something to light my cigarette with the second we touched down in Cincinnati, you know?

Cincinnati is one of those civilized airports that has a smoking lounge within the secured area, so you don't have to go in and out of security every time you want to smoke, while your plane is delayed.

Unlike Austin...which is where I had been flying in from! There, you have to go back and forth thru security. and on my fourth trip through security...THAT was when they finally hassled me about the lighter. And my own thought (which I *didn't* voice) was...shit, if I had bad intentions, would I give you guys FOUR CHANCES to snag me??

Anyways, when I went on that trip...I remembered seeing a sign, over the X-ray machines, warning about, you are right "over 400-speed film" and recommending you have such items hand-checked.

[petronius]

14. And if I remember correctly,

you should never send any unexposed film, regadless of film speed, through in your checked baggage.

[reprehensor]

7. THANK YOU!!

Ignorance is not bliss. Damn rumors.

[leftofthedial]

9. x-rays can't affect magnetic tape BUT

strong electromagnetic fields can

sometimes these machines do produce electromagnetic fields strong enough to affect magnetically sensitive media.

[Greyhound]

13. Zactly...

The X-ray (tube, magnatron, ?) takes a lot of power to generate the X-rays, and that creates an electromagnetic field, which may be stong enough to screw up your tapes.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

12. The Only Real Concern For Erasure Is Camera Film, Higher Speed Higher Risk