Lithium batteries on planes

[+Mopar]

Effective January 1, 2008, the DOT and TSA now have the following rules that apply to lithium batteries on airlines:

• 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!
  

 

How may this relate to geocaching?

Many cachers travel by airline either for business or pleasure, and we bring all our caching gear with us.

Many of the electronic gadgets we tend to carry may use lithium batteries. Examples:

• laptop
  
• camera
  
• MP3 player
  
• cell phone
  
• pda
  
• flashlight
  
• sometimes even the GPSr itself
  

The rules are not really confusing, but hard to follow. How many people know how many grams of lithium are contained in their laptop battery? In your PDA battery? Your iPod? I sure don't.

Chances are if you aren't sure, neither will all the TSA people at airport security. Especially for the first few months you might get to security and be told you can't bring your laptop, camera or flashlight on the plane because of it's batteries. Even worse, getting to your destination only to find they've confiscated something from your checked baggage because of the batteries.

 

Funny that I've heard no mention of this on tv or in the newspapers. When they banned bottles of water and shampoo they were all over it.

 

TSA: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/a**.../batteries.shtm

DOT: http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html

[+JohnTee]

Effective January 1, 2008, the DOT and TSA now have the following rules that apply to lithium batteries on

 

Thanks MOPAR! Something of a timely notice for me as my family is traveling to England this summer. And I DO plan on taking my GPS (Alk or Li), laptop (NiCad), Palm (Internal ?) and camera (Li).

 

Cache On!

 

JohnTee

[+Team Cotati]

There is nothing new about this info as it has been reported in several news sources for over a week. As usual, in today's complex travel and high security environment, it is always advisable to inform one's self prior to airline travel, domestic or international.

 

Or choose to not do that and suffer the consequences.

[+wimseyguy]

edit to add-Thanks for the report Mopar. I haven't been as tuned into the news as I usually am this week, but haven't seen this posted anywhere else yet.

 

Great-some cave dweller with a 4th grade education has figured out how to combine lithium with shampoo and bottled water to bring down the next jetliner.

 

I never did by into the rechargible battery craze, preferring to use decent disposible AA's in all of my devices. One of the criteria for my last digital camera purchase was the ability to use AA's. So at least for now I'm OK once I print out the lithium specs for this laptop.

 

I had a short and direct 7:05 AM flight the morning the liquid fit hit the shan. As we always do, we printed our boarding passes the day before, and packed a single carry on each for the 90 minute flight. Upon arrival at the airport, the security lines were backed up all the way into the ticketing halls, and there were already overflowing piles of lotions and potions around the single trash can at each station. No PA announcements were being made, no signage was posted, and yet when we got to the screening tables we were rudely yelled at for trying to pack too many liquids. So I tossed my contraband on the pile and then got yelled at for it falling on the floor. I just kept my mouth shut so I could get on the plane and get to my family reunion.

 

So I'm not surprised at the poor dissemination of this new travel restriction. It's much more important for the media to keep us informed of the details of Brittany and Lindsay's latest activities.

Edited January 5, 2008 by wimseyguy

[+mtn-man]

Cool, thanks Mopar. I too have been very busy lately and don't watch much TV. Having satellite radio in my truck tends to cut me off from news for periods of time every now and then. Being busy means travel for me, which ramps up again next week.

[+egami]

Thanks, I've read this, but I am sure most are unaware of the change...unfortunate, but necessary I am sure.

[+trainlove]

Want to see a paperclip melt? Just short out a lithium battery, be it a 2500mAh rechargable or a 1 time use AA or a laptop battery...

Don't do this to batteries you want to keep.

Don't hold the clip in your fingers.

Try to get it to initially weld itself to the terminals and you can then stand back and watch the fun.

[+joranda]

It's new to me, thanks for the heads up. It will come in handy on a trip that is coming up.

[magellan315]

The TSA couldn't have made the explanation any more confusing. I keep expecting to see a weird addendum that reads "if this is the third Wednesday, with a month that ends with the letter Y, and you are eating chocolate pudding...."

[+CSpenceFLY]

The rules change almost weekly and there is no sence what so ever to most of them.

[+FireRef]

I agree - and this is just getting insane (kinda like gas prices ) - Next, we won't be able to wear certain kinds of clothes, or have eaten certain kinds of foods (never know - you might be able to regurgitate certain kinds of things which, when combined with some thing regurgitated by a fellow traveler, might bring down a plane by something other than the smell!) before flying.

 

I have no problem with flying - I actually enjoy the experience. But I think I'll stick to ground travel, where our "free" country still remains relatively free in terms of what I can travel with. Or at least they don't change the rules every few days or weeks.

 

STOP THE INSANITY!

[+Team Cotati]

I agree - and this is just getting insane (kinda like gas prices ) - Next, we won't be able to wear certain kinds of clothes, or have eaten certain kinds of foods (never know - you might be able to regurgitate certain kinds of things which, when combined with some thing regurgitated by a fellow traveler, might bring down a plane by something other than the smell!) before flying.

 

I have no problem with flying - I actually enjoy the experience. But I think I'll stick to ground travel, where our "free" country still remains relatively free in terms of what I can travel with. Or at least they don't change the rules every few days or weeks.

 

STOP THE INSANITY!

 

Stop the insanity. What a wonderful idea.

[+Miragee]

Cool, thanks Mopar. I too have been very busy lately and don't watch much TV. Having satellite radio in my truck tends to cut me off from news for periods of time every now and then. Being busy means travel for me, which ramps up again next week.

I appreciate this information, but thought I would mention that I watch Network news nearly every night, either CBS or NBC, the only two I get with my antenna. I also listen to "All Things Considered" nearly every day on NPR radio. I have not heard anything about this . . .

 

I wonder how many batteries are being confiscated at airports now . . . ?

[+Team Cotati]

Cool, thanks Mopar. I too have been very busy lately and don't watch much TV. Having satellite radio in my truck tends to cut me off from news for periods of time every now and then. Being busy means travel for me, which ramps up again next week.

I appreciate this information, but thought I would mention that I watch Network news nearly every night, either CBS or NBC, the only two I get with my antenna. I also listen to "All Things Considered" nearly every day on NPR radio. I have not heard anything about this . . .

 

I wonder how many batteries are being confiscated at airports now . . . ?

 

Hopefully all of the ones that are packaged in a manner so as to constitute a risk of fire.

[+Canadavey]

Thanks MOPAR! Something of a timely notice for me as my family is traveling to England this summer. And I DO plan on taking my GPS (Alk or Li), laptop (NiCad), Palm (Internal ?) and camera (Li).

 

Cache On!

 

JohnTee

 

I just went through the TSA checkpoint at Tampa International yesterday and I had in my carry-on;

 

- GPSr (w/rechargeables installed in it)

- 2 iPods (1 shuffle, 1 nano)

- iPaq (rechargeable)

- Gameboy (battery built in)

- 6 spare fully charged rechargeables (4 AA, 2 AAA)

- digital camara (2 AA rechargeables)

 

All they asked was that every electronic device was out of it's carrying case. Everything went through the scan with no problems at all, they never asked me any questions about anything. My wife on the other hand had to take her sweatshirt off as it was "too baggy" and could be used to conceal "things".

 

All in all, the people doing their job for the TSA were nice and pleasant. Don't give them any problems, and they won't give you any problems. As the saying goes, "what you give is what you get."

[+Team Cotati]

Thanks MOPAR! Something of a timely notice for me as my family is traveling to England this summer. And I DO plan on taking my GPS (Alk or Li), laptop (NiCad), Palm (Internal ?) and camera (Li).

 

Cache On!

 

JohnTee

 

I just went through the TSA checkpoint at Tampa International yesterday and I had in my carry-on;

 

- GPSr (w/rechargeables installed in it)

- 2 iPods (1 shuffle, 1 nano)

- iPaq (rechargeable)

- Gameboy (battery built in)

- 6 spare fully charged rechargeables (4 AA, 2 AAA)

- digital camara (2 AA rechargeables)

 

All they asked was that every electronic device was out of it's carrying case. Everything went through the scan with no problems at all, they never asked me any questions about anything. My wife on the other hand had to take her sweatshirt off as it was "too baggy" and could be used to conceal "things".

 

All in all, the people doing their job for the TSA were nice and pleasant. Don't give them any problems, and they won't give you any problems. As the saying goes, "what you give is what you get."

 

Exacto au Mundo!!! Much ado about nada ado.

 

It can be made complex but needn't be:

 

"Loose lithium batteries are no longer allowed in checked baggage on flights in the U.S.

 

These batteries can short-circuit and create a fire hazard in cargo holds, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

 

Lithium batteries are OK in checked luggage if contained within laptops, cell phones or other electronic devices, and are permitted loose in carry-on luggage - with some restrictions - under new rules that went into affect last week.

 

Each loose cell phone- or laptop-sized lithium battery in carry-on luggage must be in its original packaging or in a separate plastic bag. The rules also limit to two the number of larger lithium batteries for professional and industrial you can bring in carry-on luggage."

Edited January 6, 2008 by Team Cotati

[+The Leprechauns]

... new rules that went into affect last week...

Mind your spelling!

[+Team Cotati]

... new rules that went into affect last week...

Mind your spelling!

 

Dude, notice those quotation marks there? I am not in the habit of quoting myself when posting something for the first time. I'd be glad however to provide you with the name and addy of the author of that information........if that would make you happy.

 

And BTW dude, that's usage, not spelling.

Edited January 6, 2008 by Team Cotati

[+sTeamTraen]

Great-some cave dweller with a 4th grade education has figured out how to combine lithium with shampoo and bottled water to bring down the next jetliner.

 

Given that the restrictions are even more draconian for checked baggage than carry-on, I suspect it's more to do with some cave-dweller with a 4th grade education seeing that cool YouTube video of the dude's laptop like bursting into flames? and like, there was fire and stuff everywhere? and like, dude, what would happen if that were to go down on, like, a jet?

 

So I'm not surprised at the poor dissemination of this new travel restriction. It's much more important for the media to keep us informed of the details of Brittany and Lindsay's latest activities.

 

Dude, it's spelt, like, "Britney"? Get with the, you know, program?

[+fizzymagic]

It's going to be interesting to see how they detect the presence of Li-ion batteries in the first place. I think they are relying on people following the rules, since, unlike Cd or even Ni, you can't see Li in x-rays.

[+Sileny Jizda]

I knew about this Dec. 20 when we returned from Europe. I was ticked with having to pay $1.25 per regular standard battery in Czech so I thought well *Satan's Place* I'll just take extra next time. That's when I found the notice on the TSA site. Well *Satan's Place*, just ship emm. Nope, mailing them is illegal as well. *Condemned to live without A/C with Saddam* if you do and *Condemned to live without A/C with Saddam* if you don't. Next thing you know we'll be required to wear government approved one use only spandex body suites to fly.

 

 

 

**Corrected offending text to something more politically correct**

Edited January 7, 2008 by Sileny Jizda

[Keystone]

Please learn to post your views without resorting to gratuitous cussing.

 

That being said, I hope you had a nice trip!

[+sbell111]

Effective January 1, 2008, the DOT and TSA now have the following rules that apply to lithium batteries on airlines...

Thanks for the info. The article that I had previously read only mentioned loose lithium batteries, so you may have saved me a bit of drama.

 

It looks like only cheapo batteries on trip from now on...

[+Sileny Jizda]

Hell is a noun. dadgum is an adjective, ironically enough, both used in the Bible in most Sunday sermons by preachers of all people. Wasn't aware using either would be construed as 'gratuitous cussing'. Have you watched tv lately? Far worse than anything I've said here. Will take note of your offense of it's use though.

 

It seems we've reached a point in this country where TSA officials and the like are watching too much MacGyver and finding ways of making it difficult for the average person to go anywhere without being probed, poked, handled, or violated in some way by a person that makes barely above minimum wage. Even before the batteries they've tossed in 'behavior analysts' at checkout lines to see who might be behaving like a terrorist. Get a little miffed and make the wrong facial expression and pow, you're getting poked and probed. Today the story gets out if you have a laptop and you're coming to the US from another country be prepared to get yanked for the sake of being a potential child pornographer and having your laptop probed as well. Think it's not a big deal? Tell that to the grandmother that was arrested for having naked photo's of her grandchildren. People in this country are too easily conned into giving up their privacy and freedoms for temporary security.

 

Probe your laptop, Sir?

 

Grandmother arrested.

 

Our trip did go off without a hitch with the exception of a few near misses. Near misses that could have resulted in the missed connection of a plane had we had an overzealous Barney-like TSA officer wanting to give us a closer rub. Next trip out we'll most likely have what we need waiting overseas and forgo any potential hassle. Walking through the metal detector trying to hold what up covers what remains of my butt while keeping a steady eye on my belongings was a chore I choose not to repeat anytime soon. All our future in country travel will be by car. Out of country we'll just keep required belongs overseas.

 

The filter woks on the one variation. Perhaps a filter for the other?

Edited January 7, 2008 by Sileny Jizda

[+Team Cotati]

Effective January 1, 2008, the DOT and TSA now have the following rules that apply to lithium batteries on airlines...

Thanks for the info. The article that I had previously read only mentioned loose lithium batteries, so you may have saved me a bit of drama.

 

It looks like only cheapo batteries on trip from now on...

 

For The Team here, it looks like top 'o dee line Energizer lithium batteries on trip.........as usual.