CO and Fire alarms for liveaboards (was Fire on safari boat Suzana in Egypt)

[PhilC]

I am thinking a smoke alarm would be a cheap & easy device for all travel as well. Found this battery powered combo unit on sale for $17, easy & lightweight in packed bag: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sale-War...1-manufacture-2-Detector-Alarm-Gas-/828081217

.

Logged into scubaboard for the first time in years to respond that my understanding is that smoke detectors are actually on the list of banned items from both carry on AND checked luggage by the TSA without a hazardous materials declaration because most of them work using a minuscule amount of radioactive material. Will it get through? Almost certainly since the amount of radiation is so small that it is unlikely to be detected but you aren't supposed to bring one. I know for myself at least going through the TSA theater is painful enough with my cameras, lenses, batteries, strobes etc that I don't have much desire to throw radiation into the mix of my bag which gets hand searched every single flight. There are types of smoke detectors that work without radioactive elements which would presumably be OK, I don't actually know how to tell the difference and I think they tend to be much more expensive.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Logged into scubaboard for the first time in years to respond that my understanding is that smoke detectors are actually on the list of banned items from both carry on AND checked luggage by the TSA without a hazardous materials declaration because most of them work using a minuscule amount of radioactive material. Will it get through? Almost certainly since the amount of radiation is so small that it is unlikely to be detected but you aren't supposed to bring one. I know for myself at least going through the TSA theater is painful enough with my cameras, lenses, batteries, strobes etc that I don't have much desire to throw radiation into the mix of my bag which gets hand searched every single flight. There are types of smoke detectors that work without radioactive elements which would presumably be OK, I don't actually know how to tell the difference and I think they tend to be much more expensive.

Ionization alarms use a small amount of radioactive material but not photoelectric so if you get a photoelectric one, that will remove the hassle. Please see here for differences:

U.S. Fire Administration position on home smoke alarms

 

[ReefHound]

Logged into scubaboard for the first time in years to respond that my understanding is that smoke detectors are actually on the list of banned items from both carry on AND checked luggage by the TSA without a hazardous materials declaration because most of them work using a minuscule amount of radioactive material.

From where does this understanding come? Neither smoke or CO detectors are mentioned on TSA website. Provide a link to this banned list.

 

[PhilC]

From where does this understanding come? Neither smoke or CO detectors are mentioned on TSA website. Provide a link to this banned list.

http://www.airsafe.com/paxinfo/advice.pdf

 

[Mike Walker]

I said something along those lines after Malaysia Airlines 370. Oops.

Well... MH17 was hardly an accident.... Hopefully it is a few more years yet before we have to worry about Russian artillery on Red Sea dive boats...

 

[ReefHound]

http://www.airsafe.com/paxinfo/advice.pdf

That's not TSA, that's some guy's interpretation of TSA. Show me on TSA site or anything coming from TSA that smoke detectors are banned.

 

[rsingler]

Photoelectric. No radioactive component.
Includes CO detection.
10- yr lithium battery. Nothing to replace.
$50

 

[DandyDon]

10- yr lithium battery. Nothing to replace.

I prefer one with removable batteries, and I will remove them for flights.

 

[rsingler]

I prefer one with removable batteries, and I will remove them for flights.

Yep. Probably would need user mod to turn off for airplane. But the long battery life caught my eye...

 

[DavidFL]

Yep. Probably would need user mod to turn off for airplane. But the long battery life caught my eye...

Hmmm....35% 1-star reviews on Amazon;