The link below would also be a worthwhile set of pages to select from and bring with you - note, for example, that "spillable batteries" are prohibited. Since they are not prohibited, normal batteries *should* be no problem. This might even work better with TSA than the previously-referenced page, since it deals specifically with "prohibited" items, which is the sort of thing that TSA agents focus on, rather than advisory "tips on safe travel."
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#9 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com, spots at telnet.reversebeacon.net, port 7000 On 7/23/2010 5:10 PM, Doug Turnbull wrote: > John, > This is an interesting piece. I note that at the start of the TSA > notice that it specifically mentions Lithium Ion batteries. Does this mean > that a package of Alkaline batteries with which the battery terminals are > covered with plastic or pasteboard as originally purchased would be okay? > I use to like bringing back a brick/box of forty 1.5 V AA batteries from > CostCo. These are Kirkland Alkaline batteries. Battery prices are much > better in the USA than in EI land. > > Thank you for the information and any answer to my question would be > welcome. > > 73 Doug EI2CN > > -----Original Message----- > From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net > [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of John Shadle > Sent: 23 July 2010 19:20 > To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Subject: [Elecraft] air travel with SLA batteries (was Re: OT Carryingradios > on commercial flight) > > Here is a relevant post I recently submitted to the QRP-L lists which > may be of interest to folks here. > > For the record, no one asked me to turn anything on. > > -john W4PAH > > Hi all, > I recently made a trip to Anchorage, AK for work and decided to carry > on two 17Ah SLA (sealed lead-acid) batteries to support my operations. > Some folks on the list said "don't risk it" and "ship them ahead of > time". Others said, "tape the terminals and pack them in your > carry-on". > > Since I had done this in the past (with 7Ah batteries) I decided to > risk it again. > > I found a web page on the TSA's site which was helpful and printed it > out to carry with me. > > http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/batteries.shtm > > This ultimately proved helpful during my departure from RDU (Raleigh > Durham Airport) on Saturday morning. The TSA agent (who had 1 stripe > on his shoulder-boards) told me that "unless I had an electric > wheelchair, I wasn't allowed to carry on these batteries". I explained > to him that I had taped the terminals and packed them in bubble-wrap > to protect them from damage. I showed him the web page which I had > printed out which stated that you must "Place each battery in its own > protective case, plastic bag, or package, or place tape across the > battery's contacts to isolate terminals. Isolating terminals prevents > short-circuiting." > > I had followed all of the rules. He brought over his supervisor who > had three stripes on her shoulder boards (I have no idea how many you > can have, but I saw folks with one, two, and three). She read my > printout and looked in a manual she had. After reading it a few > minutes she let me pass. I thanked the one-striper for his patience > (and tried not to do so in a sarcastic or snarky way), and re-packed > my bag. Success! > > On the way back from my trip, I was again pulled aside and another > one-striper unpacked my carry-on and ran everything through again. He > said, "Oh, you must be an amateur radio operator". We had a short > conversation. He was impressed with the radios and stuff I had. ;-) No > questions at all, he just wanted to make sure the SLA batteries > weren't concealing something in the x-ray image that could've been > below or above them in the bag. > > So, I think in the future the lesson learned is to be prepared by > following the rules for protecting your batteries from the TSA's web > site (tape over terminals to prevent a short, pack the batteries in > bubble wrap or a bubble-wrap envelope), printing out the page from the > TSA's web site, and be patient as you go through all levels of TSA > employees until you reach someone who actually knows the rules. > > 73 > -john W4PAH > > P.S. I wasn't able to do much operating at all while in Alaska, > unfortunately. My free day ended up being very rainy and I wasn't able > to find a covered picnic table at the city park where I visited. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
