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MillimeterShoot Expertise: Heart of a Li-ion
Mar 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Barry Braverman
Understanding the new air-travel regulations for your Lithium-ion batteries.
I still love my Li-ion
Where air-travel safety is concerned, we owe it to ourselves and others to take proper precautions and perhaps investigate other non-Li-ion options. Anton Bauer and PAG now offer NiMH battery packs of about the same physical size as their lithium units. These NiMH packs are heavier and only produce about 60 percent as much power, but it is a solution — albeit less than an ideal.
Perhaps this will change soon, as the latest iteration of NiMH batteries promise a shorter recharge time and longer run capacity. This improvement in performance should make it easier for us to adopt safer, non-explosive NiMH battery packs in the future, especially when air travel is involved.
With respect to complying with the latest FAA/DOT/TSA regulations, there are a few new products that specifically address the air-travel issue. VariZoom has recently introduced a split-style 160Wh Li-ion battery with an unusual design that allows it to be divided in two to meet the latest domestic and international transport restrictions.
Please note that the airline and/or TSA have the right to refuse carriage of Li-ion batteries of any size or quantity for any reason. If you do decide to eschew Lithium-ion batteries in favor of NiMH, you might do well to affix an advisory label for the TSA screeners that states these particular batteries composed of NiMH are safe for travel and mean no harm.
Battery Specifics
What about specific camera batteries such as the Anton Bauer Dionic 90s and 160s that many of us use every day? What restrictions apply to them?
According to Anton Bauer, the former 2008 rules allowed for two Dionic 160s and as many Dionic 90s as space allowed in our carry-on. This allowance now appears to be more restrictive in 2009. Anton Bauer has an explanation of the air-transport regulations for its Dionic 90/160 batteries at www.antonbauer.com/battery_trans_info.htm.
In 2009, with the rules evolving for the carriage of Li-ion batteries, shooters should check with the appropriate agencies and airlines to verify the latest regulations. By April or May, the DOT intends to publish a unified set of rules synchronizing the terms from various agencies including the FAA, TSA, DOT, and International Air Transport Association (IATA).
— B.B.
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