Can GPS memory get wiped by Airport X-Rays?

"David" wrote in message
...
| I have just returned from USA and find my Flightmate Pro GPS has lost
| all User Defined Waypoints. I thought it would be safest to carry in
| hand luggage, which I've done in the past without a problem. The GPS
| must have gone through the X-rays about 9 times.
|

It could in theory be wiped by X-rays, but it is unlikely. More likely your
memory was wiped by magnetic interference from the electric motor on the
conveyer belt taking your GPS through the X-ray machine. These motors are
notorious for erasing the memories of all kinds of electronic equipment.
Metal detectors will damage your electronic equipment, too.

The problem is easily solved, though. The motor is located at the front end
of the belt. Just put your bag as close to the opening as possible and it
should be far enough from the motor to be safe.

On Sun, 1 Feb 2004 16:31:42 -0800, "C J Campbell"
wrote:


"David" wrote in message
.. .
| I have just returned from USA and find my Flightmate Pro GPS has lost
| all User Defined Waypoints. I thought it would be safest to carry in
| hand luggage, which I've done in the past without a problem. The GPS
| must have gone through the X-rays about 9 times.
|

It could in theory be wiped by X-rays, but it is unlikely. More likely your
memory was wiped by magnetic interference from the electric motor on the
conveyer belt taking your GPS through the X-ray machine. These motors are
notorious for erasing the memories of all kinds of electronic equipment.
Metal detectors will damage your electronic equipment, too.
I would doubt the motor would cause much problem as the memory in the
GPS is not magnetic like a Hard drive.

X-Rays are rarely a problem unless the memory is extremely dense and
some systems actually do have enough memory for the occasional cosmic
ray to change a bit. OTOH it is unlikely a system that massive is
going to go through an X-Ray machine any time soon.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

The problem is easily solved, though. The motor is located at the front end
of the belt. Just put your bag as close to the opening as possible and it
should be far enough from the motor to be safe.

"Roger Halstead" wrote in message
...
| On Sun, 1 Feb 2004 16:31:42 -0800, "C J Campbell"
| wrote:
|
|
| "David" wrote in message
| .. .
| | I have just returned from USA and find my Flightmate Pro GPS has lost
| | all User Defined Waypoints. I thought it would be safest to carry in
| | hand luggage, which I've done in the past without a problem. The GPS
| | must have gone through the X-rays about 9 times.
| |
|
| It could in theory be wiped by X-rays, but it is unlikely. More likely
your
| memory was wiped by magnetic interference from the electric motor on the
| conveyer belt taking your GPS through the X-ray machine. These motors are
| notorious for erasing the memories of all kinds of electronic equipment.
| Metal detectors will damage your electronic equipment, too.
| I would doubt the motor would cause much problem as the memory in the
| GPS is not magnetic like a Hard drive.

Really? I thought that it was like the memory in a PDA -- and those do get
erased by metal detectors and electric motors.

On Mon, 2 Feb 2004 22:09:04 -0800, "C J Campbell"
wrote:


"Roger Halstead" wrote in message
.. .
| On Sun, 1 Feb 2004 16:31:42 -0800, "C J Campbell"
| wrote:
|
|
| "David" wrote in message
| .. .
| | I have just returned from USA and find my Flightmate Pro GPS has lost
| | all User Defined Waypoints. I thought it would be safest to carry in
| | hand luggage, which I've done in the past without a problem. The GPS
| | must have gone through the X-rays about 9 times.
| |
|
| It could in theory be wiped by X-rays, but it is unlikely. More likely
your
| memory was wiped by magnetic interference from the electric motor on the
| conveyer belt taking your GPS through the X-ray machine. These motors are
| notorious for erasing the memories of all kinds of electronic equipment.
| Metal detectors will damage your electronic equipment, too.
| I would doubt the motor would cause much problem as the memory in the
| GPS is not magnetic like a Hard drive.

Really? I thought that it was like the memory in a PDA -- and those do get
erased by metal detectors and electric motors.


Thanks for the replies, I'm not sure how far forward I am!
My Psion 3a handheld computer seems to have survived despite being in
the same hand luggage. It's beginning to look like the battery pack
could have become disconnected for more than 30 minutes which I really
did not think had happened.




E-mail (Remove Space after pilot): pilot