[time-nuts] US Shipping Was huntron tracker advice

[Hal Murray]

> Hmmm... International Traffic in Arms Regulations, well I don't like
> to poke holes in that excuse but unless the US customs are REALLY
> paranoid, I can't see how most of the items I have tried to purchase
> would be covered under this. But, I suppose you could poke someone in
> the eye with a ball-point pen therefore it could be labled an an arm
> but I'm sure there are other reasons for most of refusals to ship
> outside the 48 States. It's not just a couple of dealers who take this
> position, it seems to be the case with a number of sellers sadly. 

I'm far from an expert on this area, but I can easily sympathize with anybody 
trying to avoid that layer of paperwork.

I used to work for a small company that occasionally shipped equipment to our 
office in OZ.  The paperwork was a pain in the ass.  I like to think that I 
have a reasonable IQ, but I had troubles finding one of their code numbers 
that matched the gear we were shipping.

I suspect anything a time-nut would be interested is likely to be suspicious.


> I got a couple of Austron 2000 LORAN-C timing receivers from
> Government  Liquidation and they required an End Use Certification.
> One was sold to  someone on this list.  Later a couple of
> investigators showed up at my house  (that required a long trip from
> Sacramento and an overnight stay at a hotel,  two agents = two rooms,
> food, etc.).  They wanted to see the two receivers or  get the name
> and address where they were.  The cost to make this audit far
> exceeded what I paid for the two receivers.  Note these are commercial
> items,  not military specific, but I suspect they were purchased for
> use on a military  program and so have been tagged with that program's
> restraints.  Not the  brightest thing to do, but something that does
> not require anyone in the  government to think.

It may be like classified information.  An individual piece of equipment 
isn't critical, but a collection of them is useful for something nasty.

I could also imagine that they were checking you out to see if it was worth 
keeping an eye on you.



-- 
These are my opinions, not necessarily my employer's.  I hate spam.