New Rules re Flying with Lithium Batteries

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CompuDude

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SEE: SafeTravel.dot.gov

Important updates to what is allowed when flying with Lithium-Ion batteries. Important for photographers and those with high-powered Lithium-based light batteries. Read up!

Effective January 1, 2008, the following rules apply to the spare lithium batteries you carry with you in case the battery in a device runs low:

* Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.
* You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage
* You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage – see our spare battery tips and how-to sections to find out how to pack spare batteries safely!
* Even though we recommend carrying your devices with you in carry-on baggage as well, if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed.

The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of “equivalent lithium content.” 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours:

* Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram equivalent lithium content. All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold.
* You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25 are shown below.
* For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal per battery.
* Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams of lithium metal. But if you are unsure, contact the manufacturer!
 
Wow, thats pretty absurd. I always have 3 spare batteries for my dSLR when I travel, which is quite regularly...so this restriction sucks big time. Its ridiculous enough that I can't carry a sealed bottle of water through security, let alone a 5-oz tube of toothpaste...now I can't carry more than 1 spare battery total for all of my electronic devices, period.

I can understand the issue, you take a Li-ion pack for, lets say, a power drill and short it out and the results are far from pretty. Its too bad battery makers couldn't have been more safety oriented in their design and made it such that no electrical connections were exposed when the battery wasn't connected to a device. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to have developed recessed and concealed connectors on all of the batteries.

I guess we just have to carry more stuff if you want to check batteries, any "spare" battery requires a "spare" device that it would power. Now I wonder if I can explain that to the air carrier when my bag tips in at 70# and not have to pay the fee.
 
Actually, I think you'll be able to carry more than one spare. You can have one in your device, then easily up to two in your carry on AND your personal device each. Likely, after the shake-out period, when the TSA folks get this sorted out, they'll understand the smaller batteries such as in most consumer electronics, are permitted without restriction (though it'll still be a good idea to package them in plastic and have them easily accessible, as I have a feeling some airports will ask for them to be screened separately like a laptop). It's the huge batteries in the huge video and such which are being targeted. If you go to the DOT web site, they talk about gram weights - and most batteries, even from laptops, are below the threshhold weight to be questioned. However, for the first few weeks, there are likely to be various interpretations of the rule depending on the airport. So be conservative, pack your batteries in individual baggies in your carry ons, try to have no more than 2 per carry on (and if you run out of carry ons, there is no official prohibition about carrying on your person - just run them through security separately with your coat when you go through :wink: ) and hope you get someone who can read.
 
However, for the first few weeks, there are likely to be various interpretations of the rule depending on the airport. So be conservative, pack your batteries in individual baggies in your carry ons, try to have no more than 2 per carry on (and if you run out of carry ons, there is no official prohibition about carrying on your person - just run them through security separately with your coat when you go through :wink: ) and hope you get someone who can read.

My, you're awfully optimistic about TSA personnel aren't you? I can see people being forced to throw batteries in a big bucket for years after the restriction is lifted (if ever) due to TSA personnel telling the passenger that they're free to not throw it away but there's no way they're getting past the checkpoint with that extra battery.
 
mkutyna, you seem to have the same "TSA types" as I do. They are all horrible and under educated on policy and perhaps a bit to greedy for power...oh, wait...that applies to a lot of individuals that are granted a form of power over others.

TSA is a joke. They can't even make consistent since of their own rules about 3.4oz, 1-quart and what "liquid" or "gel" actually means...how are they going to comprehend what is or isn't lithium chemistry and how many grams of lithium are actually in it. I can see all of the arguments over any rechargeable battery. "It says NiMh right on it" "I'm sorry sir, you are only allowed 2 grams of batteries!"
 
BurBunny: TSA cant do the job it was originally assigned to do, let alone the other lunacy that they do every day that adds nothing but add to the security theater show. Ill stop there because the mods would whack my true opinion in a second.

Safe Travel - this is most helpful you might want to keep a copy of this with your stuff going through security:wink: to assist TSA in doing there job since they are consistant in application of the rules :wink:


Also be aware these new restirctions are based on 2 incidents that werent not on a commercial passenger plane and where due to improper handling by ground personal and the incidents are atleast 8 years old. those incidents where with non rechargable lithium batteries (lithium metal) then also these incidents where back in the day when lithium batteries where a newer technology and there have been lots of advancements since then to make them better.

plus the testing that was done was putting the battery in a alchaol solution then lighting it on fire. Using common sense and logic might say that any battery would do that. just something to think about.

why is the public suffers because of someone elses failures (TSA) and because of the remote possibility something might happen.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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