Flight prep: lithium polymer battery disassembly

[northernone]

---- Mandatory warning. Without the know how DO NOT mess LiPo battery packs. They are violent. ------

A bit of report and a first chapter of this project. Tips for negotiating batteries past security personnel welcome.

With the new tightened airline rules regarding flying with lipos my (new to me!) scooter battery pack was way over the unrestricted limit of 100 WH lipos within carry on.

I've disassembled the pack into it's individual sealed tabbed cells. Taped the terminals and individually bagged them. They are professionally labeled with capacity and voltage. Nestled in my carry-on lens bag tomorrow I'll see what the airline's personnel feel about them. Scooter and tools for reassembly in my checked bag.

I'll follow up in the next couple days if I land and successfully reassemble the pack without any cells being seized.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[northernone]

I'm about to board the plane to Cozumel. The scooter's lithium polymer battery pack cells safely by my side.

Security process:
'batteries and electronics out of your bags'
I lay out the 7 1s2p packs.
'are those home made?'
No, they are factory labeled.
'we have to check with the airline's representative'
They check capacity (need help with the math for the labeled amps times volts)
'what are they for'
Underwater photography propulsion accessories. They are tabbed LiPo batteries.
'ok, have a good flight, sorry we have to be more careful now with batteries'

Results may vary but I'm through and have the official OK.

Cheers,
Cameron

 

[northernone]

Disassembled pack:

 

[JohnnyC]

Update us for your trip back. I never have a problem flying with can lights FROM the US to Mexico, but I often have issues returning to the States. Interestingly enough, they confiscated my UWLD charger once. No clue why, they didn't have any issue with the pack....

 

[guruboy]

So even though you're carrying the same total amount, they let you through because you split it up?

 

[northernone]

Update us for your trip back. I never have a problem flying with can lights FROM the US to Mexico, but I often have issues returning to the States. Interestingly enough, they confiscated my UWLD charger once. No clue why, they didn't have any issue with the pack....

...Sounds like someone needed a charger.

So even though you're carrying the same total amount, they let you through because you split it up?

So it seems, they dislike large LiPo battery packs. For my particular airline/country below 100WH packs there is no restriction. 100-160wh could have two... none over 160WH.


Now the frustrating part.

Canadian border security seized the scooter out of my checked bag... nice little note and a file number for 'dangerous goods'... appeal process wait time is 193 days according to the website... I'm not thrilled though the LiPo pack is here along with the nose cone.

Didn't see that coming.
Cameron

P.s. Anyone with a salvo mojo 25 with a dead battery for a remarkable price... I'm unexpectedly back in the market.

 

[fmerkel]

Mmmm, I thought carrying photography equipment was a pain......

 

[RayfromTX]

boooooo

 

[northernone]

boooooo

Today's scooterless shaked down dive of 101 minutes bottom time has my finned out legs barely able to stagger to Otates for cheese quesadilla.... Ok, come to think of it... I can't complain. Will be calling them Monday to negotiate the release of the scooter body. Frustrating it was the Canadian side that seized it too!

I was so focused on the batteries it didn't cross my mind they might take offense to the scooter itself. I didn't even put the standard lovely "please call me with any questions, this is harmless...." note in my checked bag this time for security screening.

So it goes,
Cameron

 

[sunnyboy]

No sense to be made of that one. What's the deal with a motor and an AL tube?

Having said that I almost missed a flight from Toronto to Vancouver due to two empty AL19 scuba tanks with valves removed and store in ziplock bags in checked luggage. I was hauied into secondary and the front-line person refused to budge from "this is a SCUBA tank. Regs don't allow them on planes as they are pressure cylinders". Finally after some time of negotiation, the supervisor was called. Supervisor took one look at the open, empty cylinders and the valves in bags and said "it looks like a thermos to me. Seal it up and let him go".

So I guess I eventually won the common sense lottery, but if my phone # hadn't been masking taped to the cylinders I would have been missing them when I landed.