Does anyone know if the TSA has an official policy for flying with HID batteries? I've heard that some people have had trouble. It would be ashame to have one taken away by security before a trip.
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Does anyone know if the TSA has an official policy for flying with HID batteries? I've heard that some people have had trouble. It would be ashame to have one taken away by security before a trip.
I put mine in my checked baggage with a printout from the manufacturer's website wrapped and rubberbanded around it. I've been going to Akumal for 9 years now with it and have not had any problems.
I carry mine as carry-on between here and TN with no problems. My mom did get busted over the holidays for having pickle relish in her carry-on, though! :smt081
I flew out of TIA and Oakland in July w/ my light, regs, & computers in my carry-on. I mentioned to the X-ray guys at both locations that I had dive gear in the bag, at neither place did they question it or even do a visual inspection of the inside.
Of course, it all depends on the individual screener and their mood that day.
What do you package the light in? Do you have a hard case?Quote:
Originally Posted by Me
Phil
I had carry mine a few times in my carry on from Montreal Canada to Cancun airport. In montreal, never a question asked. In cancun, the first time, just a few arguments with the guy, but the second time, they said the light was too powerful and that I could use it to blind another pilot... It took me 1 hour of discussion with 4 different person to be able to bring the lights (mine and my whife) with me in the plane (bagages were already in the plane at that moment, so no way to put the lights in my registered bagages).Quote:
Originally Posted by sskasser
I think next time I will carry them in my checked bagages but I am a little scared of thelfs or the light to be broken.
Phil
Quote:
Originally Posted by Me
Thanks,
Do you have a link to the website where the information is? Is it just a discription of the product or a statement that it is safe to bring on an airplane?
The lights I carry on, the batteries go in checked baggage sealed in a plastic bag. The only place to ever hassle me was Cancun - they wanted all batteries in checked bags for some nonsense reason. TSA here in the States are pretty reasonable although they may swab the heck out of your carryon looking for explosives residue.
I carry mine all the time, most TSA wont harass you about it if you just say its for a dive light. They just don't like lithium battieries much but you can still fly with them. http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/con...id=7-9206-9211
Have a good trip
I print out the description of the batteries and light from the Sartek website, to explain what the items are. Given my batteries look like a stick of dynamite......Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Jackson
The beds at Villa DeRosa are extremely hard and very unforgiving to my hip bursitis.... sooo, I take a piece of egg crate mattress foam that is cut to the size of my torso only....I wrap my light in the foam, in addition to having my lighthead in a beer bottle koozie. My wetsuit in turn gets wedged around the foam and I've not had any problems yet.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil
Knock on wood. ::joy
I was watching my bags go through the Xray in Cancun, and they were staring at the battery pack. I said "it's a dive light", and they looked at me for a second, and let it go on through. What was funny is that their Xray machine assigns colors to various shades of gray (like weather radar). My battery pack had yellow tape on it, and on the Xray it was also yellow. What are the odds for that to happen?
Ed: Jackie and I just returned from two weeks in Mexico. I will be glad to share with you what happened to us, but understand that there isn't much common ground with either the TSA or the Mexican TSA Boys as much is left to open interpretation by the individual Screeners, so you can't assume the following as gospel, OK?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Jackson
Here are the basic rules on batteries as far as TSA is concerned: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...batteries.shtm First off, note that you cannot put loose Lithium Bats in checked luggage anymore. We went ahead and took numerous AAA AA, CR123, and other loose lithium batteries with us in our carry-ons, taped each end and put 2 per small plastic bag, based the TSA advice. In each case, these carry-ons were physically inspected (including going in to Mexico as we got the infamous Cancun "Red Light") and no one had any issues with the smaller loose lithium batteries in the bags. We also put 3 Salvo lights in the same carry-ons. Two lights are running on nickel metal bats and one on lithium (I also like to run on lithium...man is that stuff GREAT). I placed each battery in their canister and did not connect them. In the 4 times we were inspected (the Hotlanta airport requires a full inspection coming back after clearing Customs as the exit dumps you onto a "clean" terminal), no one ever opened the canisters.
However, I also put in a spare 9 Amp Nickel Metal battery that was loose. This is where the fun started. On the departure leg, the US TSA spent about 2 minutes ruminating over it. The Screener finally callled his boss who I chatted with explaining that their own current guidance allowed for its transport. Showing him a copy of the above linked document helped. On the entry inspection in to Mexico, no issue. But when departing, it was like Santa Anna calling up the troops for a general ass-kicking. I finally was able to convince the head Airport Mexican TSA guy that the battery was safe. They never once looked (or cared) about the bats in the canisters. The other interesting thing is that this same inspector (and his buddy) must have never seen Primary or Jump Reels in carry-ons. They spent time on that too, but finally let them pass. Lessons Learned:
1. Never put your Nickel Metal spare bats (or you primary lights for that matter) in Checked Luggage, as you won't be there to either explain or defend possible challenges about them...they will just not send the luggage on.
2. If you want to take a spare primary light battery, buy an extra canister and lid and put it in that. I'm sure Barry will LOVE hearing this recommendation.
3. Put your freeking reels in Checked. :smt013
So there you have it....GOOD LUCK!....but the diving is worth it! :clapper
Some combinations of carry-on will instantly trigger a search. One of those combinations is a battery, some paper and metal.
However, I still carry my batteries and heads in carry-on. It isn't much good if you carry the head and not the battery as it makes it somewhat difficult to explain.
Yes, good point, Walter. Any electronic device in carry-on should be able to be powered up during inspection.
i've seen an official looking 'this is a battery' sort of sticker you can download and print on sticker paper & put around the battery - somewhere...maybe airspeed press?
Yes ma'am: http://airspeedpress.com/batterylabel.html
damn, you're good, shirley!!
i never had an issue flying to FL from pittsburgh and back.
I put them in a hard case with my light along with MFR spec sheets and a MSDS sheet for the batteries and put the hard case in my checked bag and never had any issues.
The problem is not domestic flights as TSA is usually aware of sporting good equipment. I just got back from Roatan last month. I took my HID with me and had no problems getting there taking it as carry on. The problem was getting home. Seems that the Honduras airport security had never seen a dive light with Nmhi batteries and cannister. Or at least the inspector that was working that day didn't. Took me 20 minutes to explain and show him that it was a harmless dive light. And after that, as my packing was disturbed, the HID bulb broke in flight....there goes $135 for a new bulb. There is a battery at Bill's in Luraville that a Central America security person took it out on the tarmac and shot it, not knowing what it was. safe diving...Ken
No real offense intended, but this thread has been up for a day and a half and no one has asked, so I will.
What is an HID battery? :smt102
Now Sludge, I have ben doing so much research trying to find out what a HID battery is also. I thought I would try to be edjumacated about stuff bye reading this and reserching it but nope still have not found anything about a HID battery yet. If I ever do, I will post and let you know.
SLIM
A HID battery is a battery that you can't find or remember where you put it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slüdge
That sort of thing seems to be happening to me more and more frequently.
Mike
As they say on family fued "GOOD ANSWER MORGAN"