Air Travel with Lithium Batteries 2024

[@TheJeroenl]

Good video Ray! I remember how stressful it was traveling with lipo's the first time. Especial since the airline policy at that time was "a reasonable amount" In my mind 12 was , but thats not always the case. Pro tip: have the FAA and Airline policy as a hard copy with the lipo's or on your phone. Not all employees are aware of their own latest policy at al times.

[@Ultimatebubs]

So, if you're traveling with a bag full of 100 watt hour lithium batteries, United Airlines is probably not your first choice. Gotcha.

[@MKeuning01]

Excellent overview, Ray. Thanks for sharing this.

[@Kevin_Milczewski]

6S 4500 mah is 99.9 WH. I've been running my heavy off that since the start. It's a fun story to tell that some internal dimensions of the bot are designed around what is allowed in carry-on.

[@ray9368]

Most people don't realize how many design decisions are based off the parts you have to use, rather than how you might want to engineer the robot. Flying with robots turns into a weird game of tetris, but with the tetris police looking over your shoulder to see if you make any illegal moves!

[@roberthiggins1142]

I just had a look at the Requerments for Australia & it look like you can carry up to 20 batteries under 100Wh's, so there is some restrictions but not too bad. But like yiu were saying Do your home work before flying.

[@Gunstick]

TSA and Airlines should watch battlebots and NHRL to learn what a battery fire looks like. 😊

[@extec101]

dont forget us that is running our RC stuff on lipos. had accured some lipo fires during races with rc cars.

[@extec101]

also lipo bags i assume is also a positive way of storing the batteries in the take on luggage?

[@ray9368]

Lipo safe bags are at best a brief (very brief) way to keep a battery contained until you can get it outside. But yeah, if you kept them in the original box and then put the box in a bag, you'd be golden.

[@extec101]

@@ray9368 that is what we in tht RC community is recomending to use lipo safety bags for transportation and it is mandatory to use during competitions as it already had been incidents with burning lipos in the pits during charging.

[@BotvacProductions469]

i just ordered a hardcore classic t-shirt and it should arive in a few days!

[@ray9368]

Awesome! Still one of my favorite shirts! I love our new one but the classic is, well.... classic!

[@BotvacProductions469]

@@ray9368 its hardcore!

[@roberttrains]

There is a special pelican box now that has a cool foam that will contain the lithium fire and not let it escape the product is called cellblock FCS i had them make me a case for transport lithium cells for my model trains.

[@ray9368]

Not surprised - pelican just makes the best travel cases. I haven’t seen that particular one before but I will check them out!

[@fireball_robotics]

what is in store for 2025 for tombstone (what upgrades will be made?)

[@ray9368]

There may in fact be some work done there, which of course we will document here. Eventually :)

[@cheese.161]

Is last rites ever returning?

[@ray9368]

There are currently no plans for that. It would take an unusual set of circumstances for that to happen, so although I don't want to say never, I'd say it's unlikely. It had its day, and if I decided to build an upper tier level heavy for Robogames, I would explore one of the many other ideas in my head.

[@gorak9000]

A single layer of bubble wrap and a single ply chinese cardboard box makes a battery safer?? Typical TSA bs

[@ray9368]

I didn't say it had to make sense, only that it has worked for me :)