Bob-
Interesting input older x-ray machines, specifically the user's ability
to "adjust" them. Can you be more specific?
I've worked on a number of early 80's vintage PerkinElmer x-ray machines in
airports, but have never seen one that was adjustable
"on-the-fly".
And I suppose you can say they are "pulsed", in that items are x-rayed in
"slices" and the images are assembled by
video boards ( or nowadays, the computer inside ), and the image moves
across the monitor to coincide with the movement of the belt.
Cheers.
LH

"JRF" wrote in message
news:OLlTb.16511$tP1.7787@fed1read07...
"nobody" wrote in message
...
Craig wrote:

It is best to arrive at the inspection point with all rolls out of the
boxes
and canisters in a ziplok bag. Make it easy for them to do a very fast
hand inspection.

Absolutely the most important point - do all you can to make it easier for
them to do what you want them to do. Taking the film out of the boxes and
out of the cans and placing them in clear plastic bags to pretty much
mandatory if you hope to have hand inspection outside the US.

For those cases where they refuse, you cfan then take the ziplok and put
in it
a lead bag and allow it through the x-ray. (Some say that they will just
increase the power to see through it, but I am not sure if this is true
or
just urban myth).

Urban myth. It used to be true, but the technology has change while the
story hasn't. The gate security x-ray machines IN THE US are pulsed -
they
work like an electronic flash that uses x-rays instead of visible light.
It
captures a snapshot to the video display on the system. These machines
use
this method to reduce the amount of x-rays required to get a useful image
so
as to minimize the weight of the machines. Now that they are needed in
large numbers, the old continuous beam types would place more weight in a
limited area (because of the shielding required) than most structures can
support. It was those older types that allowed the operator to raised the
intensity of the x-ray beam, something that was counter to the shielding
designed to minimize exposure of the security staff.

Exit trivia mode.

But, having raised the subject - it is more important to do your best to
get
hand inspection outside the US. We pushed countries around the world to
increase airport security and helped them do it by giving them the old,
continuous beam x-ray machines we replaced with our new flash-types. So
you
can expect to encounter stronger x-rays if you travel outside the US,
western Europe, and Japan. This puts more importance on arranging your
film
in an easy-to-inspect configuration and asking very nicely (outside the US
you have no rights), and letting them know your are concerned about the
cumulative effect of all the x-rays on your ROUND TRIP.

And be sure to allow yourself enough time. You have a right under FAA
rules
to request hand inspection, but there are no specifications about how fast
it has to get done. So irritating the security staff isn't in your best
ineterst, nor is hiding the film in canisters or boxes. Getting hand
inspection, avoiding the x-ray exposure, and missing your plane won't make
for memorable trip. Actually, it will, but not the kind most folks try
for.

It will also help to mention that you are taking a large number flights
and
that while just one x-ray exposure may be ok, in your case, you need to
reduce
the cumulative effects.

And, if you haven't heard or read, NEVER NEVER NEVER put your film into a
checked-in bag. All checked luggage gets a CT scan in all US airports
now -
there's no escaping it, and it will fog your film, even the slower stuff.

Bob in Las Vegas