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  1. #1
    has-been... another view's Avatar
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    TSA is at it again, Lithium batteries and luggage

    I came across this on another website, but here's the TSA announcement. I haven't really tried to figure out what is and isn't allowed, but since I get to fly on Friday I'm sure it'll be fun...

    What they say is true - a shorted battery can cause a fire, and safety is most important. But I'm surprised they only talk about lithium batteries (hold a piece of wire across both terminals of a D cell alkaline and you'll get a surprising amount of heat - no, don't try this at home, and anyone hear urban legend stories of wrenches laying across terminals of a car battery when it was started {hint, "kaboom"}?). I guess my main gripe is enforcement - rules always seem to be enforced differently, and what do you do if you're at the airport with an expensive battery they decide you can't take with? Guess I'm just pro-road trip.

  2. #2
    Carpe Diem I_Fly's Avatar
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    Re: TSA is at it again, Lithium batteries and luggage

    Well, I haven't tried a D cell but I know you don't want to mess with car/truck batteries. I worked as a mechanic in the military and have worked on my own vehicles and I've seen melted sheet metal when both terminals of a battery were allowed to touch the fender. I've seen partially melted wrenches after some smart-alec touched both terminals with a wrench, and the scar left after a dog-tag chain fell across both terminals. There can be lots of heat and sparks.

    And as a pilot, one of my greatest fears is fire during flight. Why? You've got nowhere to go and it takes time to get an airplane SAFELY on the ground. During that time a fire is generating smoke and heat. Bad, bad stuff in an enclosed space!

    Any loose battery should have the same potential. I wonder why they are concentrating on Lithium batteries.
    Troy

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    When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. -Leonardo da Vinci

  3. #3
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    Re: TSA is at it again, Lithium batteries and luggage

    Lithium batteries will burst and burn, alkaline and so forth just burst, big difference in the dangers involved. I'd think at worst they'ed make you put the lithiums in the cargo area and not carry on.

    JS
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  4. #4
    Senior Member freygr's Avatar
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    Re: TSA is at it again, Lithium batteries and luggage

    The short answer it the current is greater so it starts a fire very fast. The lithiums can melt a paper clip like the gates lead acid D size cell. And the fact that some lithium batteries were recalled for catching on fire during use.
    GRF

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  5. #5
    Carpe Diem I_Fly's Avatar
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    Re: TSA is at it again, Lithium batteries and luggage

    Ah, that explains it then. I'd actually prefer them up in the cabin rather than in cargo. You'd be dependent on automated fire detection and suppression in cargo, which might let a fire get too big before it was detected. At least in the cabin it would be noticed quicker. Better to follow their suggestions and try to eliminate the risk. It doesn't say you can't carry them, just that they need to be properly packaged/protected.

    Of course, with the "consistent" enforcement, who knows how this will pan out for air travelers.
    Troy

    www.troybates.com
    When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. -Leonardo da Vinci

  6. #6
    News & Rum-or-ator opus's Avatar
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    Re: TSA is at it again, Lithium batteries and luggage

    well, after skimming the announcement, it sounds like it's not a huge deal.

    1) don't pack loose batteries in your checked luggage. Bring it in your carry-on baggage. As photographers, we do that anyway (well at least I do, I keep all my camera equipment in my camera bag, which doesn't leave my side.)

    2) As a precaution, keep the protective cover on the loose batteries in your bag. I think all mine have that little cover/plate, except perhaps one, which is always stored in the camera.

    That's all. It doesn't sound like anything is really changing much.
    Drink Coffee. Do stupid things faster with more energy.


  7. #7
    News & Rum-or-ator opus's Avatar
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    Re: TSA is at it again, Lithium batteries and luggage

    oh, but speaking of inconsistent policies: I was traveling home from London with a girlfriend. They pulled me aside and randomly checked my carry-on bag. They asked if I had any "gels", which I thought I had taken out already, but they made me remove lip glosses (like Carmex, SoftLips, etc.) AND they made me remove the little toothbrush/toothpaste combo that THEY GAVE ME ON THE FLIGHT OVER, even though I hadn't even unwrapped it, because toothpaste is a "gel".

    I got through, and my girlfriend told me she was able to fly with all her lip glosses and everything.
    Drink Coffee. Do stupid things faster with more energy.


  8. #8
    Panarus biarmicus Moderator (Sports) SmartWombat's Avatar
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    Re: TSA is at it again, Lithium batteries and luggage

    Lithium you can't put out, very special extinguishers are needed.


    As long as the checkers know what they're doing ... ah right, I see your point.
    PAul

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  9. #9
    shake it like a polaroid picture berrywise's Avatar
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    Re: TSA is at it again, Lithium batteries and luggage

    Quote Originally Posted by opus
    well, after skimming the announcement, it sounds like it's not a huge deal.

    1) don't pack loose batteries in your checked luggage. Bring it in your carry-on baggage. As photographers, we do that anyway (well at least I do, I keep all my camera equipment in my camera bag, which doesn't leave my side.)

    2) As a precaution, keep the protective cover on the loose batteries in your bag. I think all mine have that little cover/plate, except perhaps one, which is always stored in the camera.

    That's all. It doesn't sound like anything is really changing much.
    Not a big deal to the casual traveler but this could turn into a real pain for professional photographers carrying a lot gear.
    Feel free to make my photos look better than I can

  10. #10
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    Re: TSA is at it again, Lithium batteries and luggage

    The biggest pain would be spare laptop batteries. And spare portable DVD player batteries. My XT batteries, if I wanted 3, I could put one in the camera and 2 in the battery grip and do fine. My S5 uses AAs and my K2 uses lithiums, but I rarely carry spares. Good for about 15 rolls anyway and i'll be shooting mostly digital. But on the plane I like to watch movies which means a spare battery for the laptop or 2 spare batteries for the Panny DVD player. I guess I could do one movie on the lappy and another on the DVD then music on the Vision:M. Of course, I can always watch 2 or 3 movies on the Vision:M but that 2 1/4 inch screen gets real tiny real quick.
    The world is full of people who can hear a loud bang, feel a sharp pain in their foot, notice smoke trickling from their holster........ And never put it all together.

    Canon EOS Rebel XT DSLR; Canon EOS Rebel K2 35 mm SLR, Canon Powershot S5IS Compact; Canon Photura 35 mm P&S (Definitely not compact. Probably the best 35 P&S ever)

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