Battery Ban - Very Important
 

I've seen it posted twice in the forums so I'm putting it here.
The US has put a "ban" or limitation on carrying on and packing spareLithium batteries on airlines.
http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html

This is for SPARE LITHIUM batteries, not NiMH, Alkaline, Lead-Acid, or any other type.

If you don't know the types you shouldn't be carrying batteries.

But as a very frequent flier this would greatly affect me if it was all spare batteries.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

Every time you don't want your battery to die and be screwed without an extra, the terrorists win.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

funny how the reports on these batteries exploding have been installed in a device, e.g. laptops, phones. I dont think i ever saw one of a spare battery exploding. :D

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

WTF? That is so ******ed. It is a frickin' spare battery. They don't just combust whenever they feel like it.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

This is for CHECKED baggage only. You are allowed to carry spare batteries in your carry-on bags. Very clearly stated.

R.
==

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

The news articles say that there was an actual incident in which firefighting teams couldn't put a blaze out because it was fueled by exploding batteries.

There is a limit on how many grams or something you can carry on. How do I know how many whatevers my batteries have? Does it say on the battery?

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

That includes N800 batteries. What is not clear to me is what is the limit on the actual number of ‘up to 8gm equivalent’ batteries you can carry.

The phrasing of the rules is ambiguous, the GUIDE TO RULES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2008 states “Spare Lithium-Ion Battery” i.e. singular

I take 5 spare N800 batteries with me on long journeys. Do I need to aggregate the “equivalent lithium content" of each battery and stop if 8gm is reached? Or am I only permitted to take 1?

The bozo at the check-in certainly won't know and will make an arbitrary decision to confiscate all of your batteries bar one just to be safe and keep their job.

Also don't forget the packing requirements, tape over the terminals and each battery to be in its own plastic bag.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

The facts can be found here.

For camera, PDA and cell phone batteries, and most laptop batteries, the only restriction is that spare batteries (not installed in a device) must be in your carry-on.

Details: Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries installed in devices - permitted, up to 300 watt-hours.

Spare lithium-ion rechargeable batteries up to 300 watt-hours: Must be in carry-on baggage. Batteries over 100 watt-hours limited to 2.

All camera, PDA and cell phone batteries, and most laptop batteries, are under 100 watt-hours, so you can take any number of spares but they must be in your carry-on.

The BP-4L battery in the N810 is a big 5.55 watt-hours. It is a lithium polymer battery, which is a type of lithium-ion battery, not a lithium metal battery.

To compute the watt-hours of a battery, multiply the voltage by the mA-hours and divide by 1000.

There are more stringent restrictions on lithium metal batteries (coin batteries, and lithium AA batteries, for example). Spares of these would have to be carry-on, up to 25 watt hours.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

Lithium metal batteries are a bit more dangerous, as the lithium can (will) burn if it gets in touch with humidity (even air humidity). For the more common lithium-ion batteries the main concern is that it's very easy to short the contacts (as they are usually on the same side of the battery) if the spare battery is loose in your luggage. The short can create a fire. This is much worse if it happens in the storage bay than if it happens in your pocket inside the cabin.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

The press has completely blown this out of proportion because they didn't do their homework before announcing it.

This applies mainly to Lithium Metal batteries (the non-rechargeable type, such as CR123) and not to the more common Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer batteries commonly found in cameras, cell phones, and laptops. As mentioned before, it also only applies to checked baggage. Lithium Metal batteries are considered dangerous because the lithium is not chemically bonded to another material, so if the battery were cut open raw lithium would become exposed to air and react violently. Lithium Ion and Lithium Polymer batteries can be cut open without having this reaction (although I still wouldn't recommend it). Explosions due to shorting are only of secondary concern.

Unfortunately, most people are clueless to the difference and take the press at their word. Just wanted to set the record straight, for all the difference it will make.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

In defense of "the press," I saw EXACTLY these points made in "the press". So, "the press" isn't uniformly bad.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

I admit that the press and people who do not know much about batteries have tended to get this wrong. However with the numerous devices I carry/pack I usually have at least a dozen spare AA's and AAA's for quick recharges, swap outs, etc.

I can see this slowing down my passage as the TSA checks to ensure that all my batteries do not contain lithium.

Note however the link specifically mentions:
spare Lithium-Ion and lithium metal batteries are forbidden in checked luggage
Lithium Metal Battery w/ over 2 grams of lithium, (this would be like the size of two of the 160 watt hour lithium ion camera packs they picture on the TSA link) are totally forbidden - even for carry on.

Now please, someone do the math - at moderate usage how long could I operate my N810 on 300 watt hours of battery?

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

gemniii42: your BP4-L is a 5.5 watt-hour battery. Assuming you can run your N810 for 6 hours of heavy use on it, the answer is roughly 325 hours of solid use -- or around two weeks of continuous heavy use. Standby time? Years, probably :)

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

Strange, I checked my copy of the US Constitution and can find no powers granted to the Federal Government to tell me what i can and can not carry and or possess.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

The federal govenrnment is granted the right to regulate interstate commerce. Airlines sell interstate transportation.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

Yeah, while I agree in principle with ArnimS when it comes to the Constitution, it's easy to look at these issues as constitutionalist-vs-constructionist but in the end it's really not much of a stretch to extrapolate most of the federal government's regulations from original canon. Using the strict constitutionalist arguments, one could claim we should be able to carry bombs on airplanes, too. After all, where is the restriction enumerated? :rolleyes:

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

The constitution is your biggest asset and your biggest danger. Wish we had it here in the UK. It might stop the UK government turning us into the worlds biggest nanny state, and stop them poking their noses into and trying to regulate our private life's.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

Because the U.K. has an unwritten constitution so to speak, IMHO, that can be both a good and a bad thing.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

We should keep in mind that these rules are made with some good intention, as annoying as they are. That being said, I am still not clear on the 3oz of liquid rule. If anything over that limit is dangerous, then what is to stop 2 people from getting together and making 6oz? Logic defies me here.

Cheers

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

Or drinking 3oz before you get on the plane and then peeing it into the half full 6oz bottle when you reach your seat?

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

You sir, are a mad genius. Remember, if you pee, you are letting the terrorists win.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

I'm going to assume you're not serious..............

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

That plan would work as well as whatever the authorities had in mind when they introduced that regulation.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.p...articleId=3005

That was my favourite article during the whole fear mongering.

Re: Battery Ban - Very Important
 

Yep, I read several articles by chemists back then.. couldn't find any of the links. Thanks for providing one!