Need a quick question answered...

[String]

It has been said that checking your computer into an un-pressurized compartment for a long period of time can damage the accuracy of the depth gauge?

Where would you find anywhere unpressurised ? Certainly no modern aircraft runs like that unless its broken in which case the health of your computer will be the last thing on your mind.

Short of sticking your depth gauge in a vacuum chamber for the hell of it i cant see a problem.

 

[String]

Airlines regularly exclude electronics from coverage if they are in checked baggage. I learned this the hard way, after about 2500 worth of electronics was "misplaced" from my checked baggage. I would suspect that if these computers disappear, the airline won't cover them. I would check w/ the airline to be sure.

John

Surely that's why everyone carries travel insurance?

 

[dive_lover88]

i dont see a problem...cabin and cargo pressure are the same or else the plane aint going anywhere...

 

[Notso_Ken]

My wife and I are leaving for Cozumel in the AM and we just got dive computers, Dacor Darwin Airs...I was unable to contact Dacor today to ask them, so I'm hoping you guys can help...is there any reason we can't put our computers in checked luggage on the plane? I thought I heard someone say that it could pose a problem with the pressure in the checked baggage compartment, my LDS said they have never heard of that. I just don't want to go through the hassle of carrying them on if I don't need to.

TIA,

Mike

Do you REALLY want to put high value items in checked baggage that is subject to search by who knows whom??????

Ken

 

[Notso_Ken]

i dont see a problem...cabin and cargo pressure are the same or else the plane aint going anywhere...

Oh NO they aren't! At least not all the time. Depends on the plane design. Some cargo holds are at ambient pressure. ie, LOW!

Ken

 

[Notso_Ken]

Where would you find anywhere unpressurised ? Certainly no modern aircraft runs like that unless its broken in which case the health of your computer will be the last thing on your mind.

Short of sticking your depth gauge in a vacuum chamber for the hell of it i cant see a problem.

Some aircraft DO indeed have unpressurized cargo compartments.

Don't put your speculations on here asd valid advise when you apparently don't know what you're talking about.

 

[dive_lover88]

Oh NO they aren't! At least not all the time. Depends on the plane design. Some cargo holds are at ambient pressure. ie, LOW!

Ken

My mistake, it slipped my mind...thanks for the reminder.

 

[kidsdream]

First off, while I appreciate the concern about checking valuables, as an UW photographer with a DSLR I am"over that".

As it is not prictical or in most cases possible, I have checked $5k of housing, ports and strobes (I do carry-on my cameras and lenses) all over the world - there is no choice. Just get insurance, get a sturdy case and enjoy your trip.

If possible I do carry-on my regs/computer but that depends on what else I need to carry and the restrictions of the airlines.

As far a truly loosing luggage, it is in fact quite rare. Mis-placed or on the wrong flight is another thing. I would guess it happens to me less that once a year and I typically log about 100K of actual flight miles a year. As a member or NW's million mile club lost luggage is not the problem, late or cancelled flights are.

 

[Gombessa]

As it is not prictical or in most cases possible, I have checked $5k of housing, ports and strobes (I do carry-on my cameras and lenses) all over the world - there is no choice. Just get insurance, get a sturdy case and enjoy your trip.

Insurance takes care of the cost of lost luggage, but unfortunately, not the lost opportunities when you get to your destination. Of course, if you've got so much equipment you can't physically meet the carry-on requirements, then checked baggage really is your only option.

Advice I've heard from a photo forum: declare a weapon along with your expensive equipment. Buy a small starter pistol, which only fires blanks but is still considered a firearm, and place it in your camera case along with everything else of value. TSA is super-paranoid about guns, and doesn't want to chance anything happening with them, so what they will do is perform a security screening at the spot when you declare the weapon, then place a large, non-TSA lock on it, and mark the container with stickers/tape indicating the checked firearm. That baggage gets very close scrutiny from beginning of trip to end, and TSA doesn't get to open it or rummage through it at all. So you not only drastically lower the risk of having your stuff stolen, but probably of having it lost/rerouted as well.

I don't know exactly how true the above is, but I'll find out. A family member of mine is a TSA employee who actually performs checked baggage screening in the airport (and has tons of ridiculous stories about wacky and obscene things people bring with them on planes )

 

[String]

Some aircraft DO indeed have unpressurized cargo compartments.

Don't put your speculations on here asd valid advise when you apparently don't know what you're talking about.

So lets list them.

You can forget any of the major airliners out there for starters. Cant imagine someone flying with his whole family to mexico on an american airlines PA-28.