packing

salima

hi-i'm salima, just joined after reading your forum for a few months.

i am going to india september 30, pretty much have plans made, but wondered about packing things like batteries, cassettes, cd's, and my floppy drive which says stay away from magnets etc etc.
i will have a laptop and one carryon, in which i thought i would carry the floppy and ac cords, cables, adapter plugs, personal cd player and batteries. i will have one checked bag which will have a printer and scanner with their cables, 5 steel cases of cd's , and a few pieces of clothes scattered through all for padding.

which electronic items should go where and will i have any trouble going through customs when i get to bombay?

i like your stuff on laptops-i wont be backpacking or anything rough, strictly a hotel trip, but the monsoon mention was a little disturbing. will i have to worry about that in a hotel with a/c?

i got one phone adapter from r15 to what was suggested i might find in india-and two adapters for electrical outlet, both round pins but one is for grounded. i hope that is all i need for the laptop and printer. i am still wondering if i should invest in the item that allows any phone to attach to the modem, the coupler i think it is called-will attach to the handset, but probably will wait til i get there and buy if i must at a better price.

i will go to bhopal from bombay and will travel usually in city areas for an extended visit, northern and central india.

wonderwomanusa

Welcome to India Mike, Salima. I don't carry much in the way of electronics to India, so can't give you any answers to your questions .. hopefully someone can.

A digital camera and a radio is enough for me...

__________________
The map is not the territory. --Alfred Korzybski

rab

Same here. I took a wireless and a camera last time. Is this a business trip? Perhaps you should clarify so members can advise. Do not underestimate the availability of computers in India. There are loads of cheap places to log on to the Internet or for off-line computing.

cyberhippie

I'm going to be a bit brutal in my suggestions!! leave the printer at home, also the scanner, if you are mainly in bigger cities these facilities are readily available!!
Take the notebook and a good supply of say 5 rewritables and a few floppys, do all your work on the note book (scanning will of course have to be done at a internet place, hence the floppys) and simply find an internet cafe and upload the stuff from the rewritables or floppy!!print it out, or publish to the web as is your wont!!
Getting this stuff into India will present I fear a whole lot of explaining if you happen to get a "pull' from the immigration wallahs! Add to this the fact that most of the stuff is just added baggage, if you have CD writer on the note book I would suggest the phone coupler etc is just a extra gadget to carry save your work to disc or your scans to floppy then take it from there, most internet places in India are pretty easy about you installing software if you ask them first!!
lastly one important gadget you've missed that is a must for India is a voltage stabilizer, the current in India is often subject to massive spikes, not good for electronics, buy this in India, they're heavy though about 2 Kg, unless anybody knows of a travel version available in India!!
Oh and if your thinking of publishing to the web be aware that connections are varied in India uploading can be a wearisome business!!
Really leave the hardware at home!!!

salima

it is true that at first i had planned on not taking a printer or scanner-but i had to have the scanner to put all my documents on the pc, and thought since i have it i might as well take it with me since it will be an extended stay. then the printer-what can i say, it was the canon i70, and i had the hots for it, and couldnt wait, so now feel compelled to take it.

this trip is the third part of my life shall we say? part one housewife-part two career woman-part three gypsy. while in india i plan to have a home base in one city, maybe a hotel for the rest of my life. i have literally given away my house and all belongings to travel and live a hotel life from now on, which is why i had to scan all my legal papers and photos and records.

i could have bought the printer after i got to india and paid less, but what's done is done. i am still considering selling or giving it away and not taking it, and the scanner was cheap, can always choose to leave it behind for my son.

but my question is what do i have to worry about going through different detectors and getting damaged?

the voltage regulator, is that the same thing as a surge protector? i have a notebook portable surge protector...and the notebook itself is rated for 120-240 volts.

like i said i am not a backpacker, too old and broken down for that. but i want to be able to pack up everything i own and move on if i choose to without having someone else carry my bags. even though i know in india there are always people who will carry your bags...sort of an independence issue i suppose.

so once in india let's say i have taken a room in a hotel in bhopal i will leave the printer and scanner there for my trips to other cities. i hope to have an isp service that i can use in different hotels and cities where i travel so i have a minimum of running around to cybercafes-

ok, so im not going to be a true gypsy-i really need a wagon. first thing i wanted to do when i get to india is buy a harmonium, which i would always have to leave behind.

does it sound like i dont think im going to come back? stranger things have happened.....

i just realized i must sound like a flake, but i am serious-no joking!
salima

Colin

Yes, you do sound like a flake, but I think this is the most wonderful post I have ever seen on India Mike, a pure no-nonsense genuine India Virgin asking really important questions, not 'how do I get a taxi at Mumbai aiprort' but 'I am still wondering if i should invest in the item that allows any phone to attach to the modem, the coupler i think it is called-will attach to the handset...', this is genuine stuff being asked by someone who is really going to love India and will be loved by India in return...
Look after this lady fellow posters!!

Samsara

I don't think you sound like a flake at all, Salima. It all sounds very interesting, what you plan to do!

salima

thanks everybody!

ive been planning the trip for two years now-it was supposed to happen early 2002 but the stock market unco-operated and it got put off. that was fortunate really because i am much better prepared now than before.

this forum has been a great help learning about both technical and practical things, i have been reading for some time. i am leaving nothing to chance as far as details, but of course i am flexible because in india one would have to be in order to survive. i am prepared to carry through my plans and go it alone even if my friends are not there to receive me. it's nice to know that you guys are here!

cyberhippie

Hi salima a surge protector is'nt exactly the same, this will simply trip if you have a power surge, a voltage regulater maintains a steady current whatever the supply is doing (upto a point anyway) enabling to use your equipment with very high or low voltage spikes!!
They are easy to find and buy in India and cost around 300rps if my memory serves me well!!
As far as I'm aware the x-rays used in detector machines at airports will not damage any electronic circuitry so it will be safe enough to put your hardware through these machines same goes for floppys and CDrom/rw.
I mentioned this in my first post but I think traveling with so much electronic hardware you can expect a few questions as to why you are bringing this on holiday to India (don't for gods sake tell the customs your planning to live in India that will only open another can of worms!)
You may even have to register the various bits of gear with the customs, (to prevent you from selling it on) which means if or when you leave you will have to have the stuff with you!! something to bear in mind!!

Oh and I found this link for you it may be the answer to you portable ISP I could'nt find anything similar being offered by an India company, if you can do this you would cut your costs considerably!! somebody offering blue tooth would be your best bet!!
Anyway here is the link!!


http://www.net2roam.com/howItWorks.html#what

I wish you all the best with your new life in India and please get back to us if there is anything else you are doubtful on

salima

voltage regulator...wonder how i missed that? i will certainly pick one up when i get there then...and thanks for the isp info, which i havent even had a minute to check out yet.

i had thought about being careful and not violating my tourist visa but i didnt realize i would look suspicious with peripherals-but it certainly is a valid point.

if someone would like to play the part of the customs or illegal immigrant police, how do any of these explanations sound?

a. supposing i say i am researching my history which is true because i intend to-i have documents from shimla and my mother's parents were from goa and calcutta. might i need a scanner and printer for these things? or i should say might i have thought i would need them?

b. i could feign ignorance-doesnt everybody travel with these?
(my printer is about 3/4 the size of my notebook)

c. i could say that i prefer not to have to go to a cybercafe unescorted and want to be able to have access to these conveniences without waiting for someone to accompany me

d. i would like to be able to conduct my financial affairs in private