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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Red Batteries taken by airport security

Wow, it's great to know that some airlines have no idea what the published rules are. It's pretty straightforward.

Lithium Ion batteries of any capacity may NOT be carried as checked luggage (or as freight) on as commercial passenger airliner.

No restriction on the number of Lithium Ion batteries of under 100Wh that may be carried on a cabin luggage (airlines may charge you of course)

Max of 3 Lithium Ion batteries of between 100Wh - 299Wh may be carried on as cabin luggage - 2 as spares and one on camera / device.

Lithium Ion batteries of 300Wh or greater capacity may NOT be carried at all.


http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html

http://safetravel.dot.gov/larger_batt.html
Actually, it's even more complicated. If you look at that page :
http://safetravel.dot.gov/quick_chart.html
they say you can also have one battery in your checked luggage, as long as it's "installed in a device". Now, does that mean 1 battery per checked luggage, or 1 battery per person (even if you have more than one checked baggage).
And what exactly do they mean by "installed in a device" ? Can you just put one on a charger or a battery plate ?

Also, are these instructions valid for the whole world, or just for the US ?
 
never had a problem either check or carried on...and been in and out of these cities some over 100 times (LAX)...and this is on every major airline. and some minor ones too.

if there is one thing that is consistent with air travel security and baggage policies, is that it is inconsistent.

dino

reno
dallas
new york
houston
frankfurt
dubai
hong kong
heathrow
schipol
orlando
tampa
maimi
fort lauderdale
boston
chicago
atlanta
caracas
aruba
Tanzania
peru
vancouver
detroit
memphis
knoxville
paris
los angeles
burbank
ontario, ca
austin, tx
san diego
Brisbane, AU
 
Hi John,

We actually took 8 of your splits to Afghanistan. They worked fine. It's great to hear positive responses regarding long term uses. You mention service in Canada - who sells and services them in Canada?

Peter Crevier ---- if you need the number give me a shout at the office...416-979-9958
 
Hello, I own 4 of the switch split batteries. They are great. They last for a while. Only down side is that the remaining battery doesn't show in the monitor. Aside from that I think they are great. I bought them exactly because of travel issues, also they were cheaper than REdones :-), but since I travel to Europe, I didn't want to run into problems.

I have never use Red bricks so I can't really compare.

If you have the origo, it can warn you how much is left. I did some testing and I think when the red light in the origo starts blinking you have something like 5 minutes or so to change it.

Also I would really advise to buy a p-tap to p-tap cable. They sell them at Able Cine, and eventhough expensive, it is my favourite cable ever. It allows you to switch batteries without powering down the camera. You can even link few batteries so both batteries will give juice!

Hope it helps.

P tap to P tap is great. I got Pro Sound Services in NYC to make a couple for 42.00 bucks each. Alot cheaper. Same thing. They make alot of custom cables so that's why they're probably a bargain.
 
Actually, it's even more complicated. If you look at that page :
http://safetravel.dot.gov/quick_chart.html
they say you can also have one battery in your checked luggage, as long as it's "installed in a device". Now, does that mean 1 battery per checked luggage, or 1 battery per person (even if you have more than one checked baggage).
And what exactly do they mean by "installed in a device" ? Can you just put one on a charger or a battery plate ?

Also, are these instructions valid for the whole world, or just for the US ?
Wouldn't the "2 gram" limit eliminate pretty much all camera batteries for pro cameras?
 
Batteries

Batteries

Actually, it's even more complicated. If you look at that page :
http://safetravel.dot.gov/quick_chart.html
they say you can also have one battery in your checked luggage, as long as it's "installed in a device".

What that covers presumably is your i-pod, or flashlight etc you may have checked... but as to why "installed" matters, presumably the idea is that you can't accidentally short the battery pins when it's installed and that would not be true for spare batteries, which are clearly prohibited.

It would be safest to assume "installed" does not mean "attached" i.e. a battery attached to a battery V plate does not qualify as "installed" ....

Also, are these instructions valid for the whole world, or just for the US ?

My personal conclusion was that IATA and TSA rules are essentially the same, but it is best to do your own checks on this. Rules can and do change.
 
Wouldn't the "2 gram" limit eliminate pretty much all camera batteries for pro cameras?
I actually meant the last line, not the first one :
"One Lithium-Ion installed in a device (between 8 and 25 grams equivalent Lithium-Ion content)"
That's between 100Wh and 300Wh, which qualifies for our pro cameras...
 
What that covers presumably is your i-pod, or flashlight etc you may have checked... but as to why "installed" matters, presumably the idea is that you can't accidentally short the battery pins when it's installed and that would not be true for spare batteries, which are clearly prohibited.

It would be safest to assume "installed" does not mean "attached" i.e. a battery attached to a battery V plate does not qualify as "installed" ....
So in your opinion, "installed" means that it's included in the device and can't be removed. Maybe you're right, but their explanation isn't very clear...
And an ipod or a flashlight definately doesn't have an 8-25 grams equivalent Lithium-Ion content like specified on the last line of that link...

But thanks for your answer Stuart.
 
So in your opinion, "installed" means that it's included in the device and can't be removed. Maybe you're right, but their explanation isn't very clear...

I think "installed" can be taken to mean "fully enclosed with the device" whether or not it's removable.

That would make the most sense if the regulations are there for safety reasons, but I think we all know that air travel regulations these days have little to do with actual real-world safety.
 
TSA and IATA rules

TSA and IATA rules

So in your opinion, "installed" means that it's included in the device and can't be removed. Maybe you're right, but their explanation isn't very clear...

In my opinion, yes. But it certainly would be better if they explained their definition of "installed", as it's an apparent regulatory loophole that may lead to unfortunate consequences - even if that is just a large fine.

So that's why I say it would be safest to assume "installed" does not mean "attached" i.e. a battery attached to a V plate - or any other type of battery plate - does not qualify as "installed", but instead qualifies as a "spare".
 
I think "installed" can be taken to mean "fully enclosed with the device" whether or not it's removable.

That would make the most sense if the regulations are there for safety reasons, but I think we all know that air travel regulations these days have little to do with actual real-world safety.

I would take the plain-English meaning; if the device turns on when you hit the switch, the battery is installed correctly.

Mike
 
Stuart is exactly right about the intent probably being they don't want the terminals shorted out, and it could also be considered helpful to have it fully enclosed in a device, where it is less likely to suffer physical damage or exposure to liquids.
 
My super thorough AC Brent Craig went one step further and printed them in different languages.

Thanks, D [blushing]

Since airport security is all about the bureaucracy, I found that having the printouts of the regulations laminated and included in each battery bag made all the difference.
 
So let me get this straight.

(3) batteries no bigger than 300 whrs or 100 whrs (not sure which)
(2) batts with carry on
(1) batt carry on installed on device

Could the device be as simple as a LED mini running off a Dtap?
 
Battery value and performance

Battery value and performance

I would take the plain-English meaning; if the device turns on when you hit the switch, the battery is installed correctly.

This is a good example of why the language needs tightening up, but personally I'd not rely on that as a definition. What if your battery is dislodged from the plate - either by turbulence or someone dropping the camera bag?
 
Swits are good just purchased the 4 and the quad charger (bundle package saved some cash). Worth the money as they last longer then the Red and do really well in the Canadian cold :)
 
Wow, it's great to know that some airlines have no idea what the published rules are. It's pretty straightforward.

The airlines can make their own rules, even though they mightn't make sense, and are a PITA.
Qantas will not allow any batteries of over 160wh, period. They are not alone on that.

A couple of years ago, on one airline, I was told I must hand-carry lithium batteries. On the next leg, in the next airport, I was told, just before boarding, they must be checked in!!!

It seems to me that more staff have become aware of their company policies in the last 12 months or so, and are more likely to pull out a laminated copy of them at check-in.

The SWIT 80+80s are great for travel. The only smart way to go.
I got them on a great deal. They last quite a few minutes more than a RED Brick in a RED One camera.
 
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