US flight authorities tighten rules on gadget battery storage
Regulations cover what you pack and where you pack it
Travelling to the US? Make sure you've packed your gadgets' rechargeable batteries properly, as new rules governing what power cells you can take with you are now in force.
The bottom line is don't keep batteries in luggage you plan to check in, unless they're installed within a device. Spare batteries must be packed in your hand luggage not in checked baggage.
In fact, the US Department of Transportation recommends that all batteries, in and out of their host gadgets, be taken on board aircraft in hand luggage.
Lithium Metal batteries can't be brought on board at all if they contain more than 2g of lithium, while the Lithium Ion batteries of the kind usually found powering laptops are limited to no more than 25g of lithium overall, to allow you can take one 25g lithium battery or two 12g batteries on board, for example.
The DoT reckons all mobile phone batteries contain less than 8g of lithium, as do most laptop batteries. According to the DoT, 25g is approximately 300 Watt-hours (Wh), while 8g is roughly 100Wh.
An 5200mAh Eee PC battery - as we have one handy - delivers 7.4V and so yields 38.48Wh - just multiply the voltage and current values - and that's well within the 300Wh limit imposed by the DoT.
You can see the full rules here.
Spare batteries should be packed to prevent any of their contacts touching metal within your bag, which could lead to a short-circuit and the risk of fire. Basically, keep spare batteries tighty wrapped in a plastic bag secured with a non-metallic take. Only one battery per bag, please.
COMMENTS
And just who are going to enforce these rules?
More rules to be enforced by minimum-wages jobsworths.
The starting point isn't daft, but, apart from defective battery packs which have caught fire while being used, how many incidents have there been?
Another way to boost duty free sales?
I wouldnt worry about this. The security monkeys will take all your batteries at the scanners and strip search section and then you can buy as many replacements as you like once you get into duty free at the otherside.
Pants!
Never mind the shoe bomber, I want to see how the intelligence and security services deal with someone hiding a bomb in thier pants.
Both "Intelligence" and "Security" services are - clearly - oxymorons. Or perhaps just morons...
Presumably....
... if I'm caught with a battery, that is only just under the limits, I'll be allowed on the plane just as long as I <here it comes> don't start anything?
Ranting Old Git - who doesn't need to get on the no-fly list....
This is stupidity almost beyond belief but I believe the Aussies have (had?) a blanket ban on NiCad batteries flying. It is however to be expected of the ignorant, pompous, blithering, bullying, obstructive, pen pushing git-head bureaucrats that are clogging the flow of passengers through USofA's airports - anybody shuffled through through Miami? - my record is 6.5 hours queuing between flights. The Department of Homeland Security and the Airport Security folks are another bunch of delinquent jobsworth bureaucrats hell bent on dreaming up obstructive and intrusive ways of demonstrating their power to passing peons. Ahhh... that feels better .... wouldn't do that in a Yank airport - I'd get tasered or worse - a pal of mine last year had a gun pulled on him by security for smoking in a designated smoking zone ( stood under the smoking sign! ) and daring to argue the toss!
