Heated Undersuit batteries

[rjack321]

OP needs to fly, contrary to what LM claims, those big batteries can't fly. The packs themselves have been individually UN certified, the packs together in that canister have not been.

The UWLD is MUCH more versatile IMO because of the stack caps. With the LM you always have the cords sticking out if you get multiple cords but don't use them all the time, and if you only have one but want to add multiple devices you have to send it back for retrofit.
Add in SECS charging with latchless canister, don't have constant heat output, and the UWLD has more heat settings so less flicking on and off.
It's expensive sure, but I think it's a much better design and certainly much more versatile.

the OP from 3 years ago? lol
The larger LM packs are UN certified. They are actually independent batteries in one canister.
eg. http://www.lightmonkey.us/25-ah-pitkin

I prefer having separate light and heat cans. And for me, 160wh using both light and heat is seriously skimpy on overall juice. I have 160wh for light alone plus 200wh for heat - more than double the total Wh

 

[tbone1004]

@rjack321 sorry, the OP from today.

and I am well aware of how they are built, but that does not remove them from not qualifying for UN rules. Light Monkey considers those batteries under the "spare" rule where you are allowed to take up to 2 spare batteries on board. The problem is they are not removable from the canister, so they are considered "in equipment" and there is nothing that allows for that unless it is a mobility scooter where there is a 300wh allowance.
Risk of a failure and of you getting caught? Pretty small. Has it happened? Yes, but not to my knowledge in the US *this applies to all UN countries fwiw*. If you choose to break the law, that's on you, and the FAA is quite clear that you are liable, not Light Monkey for telling you it's OK.
I'll choose to not break the law.
I do agree on separate light and heat cans, and have a battery dedicated for that reason, but it is nice if you know you're doing shorter dives to only have to deal with 1, especially when sidemounting.

 

[rjack321]

I do agree on separate light and heat cans, and have a battery dedicated for that reason, but it is nice if you know you're doing shorter dives to only have to deal with 1, especially when sidemounting.

You're telling me... my sidewinder rig has light battery can, suit battery can, scrubber battery can, and suit inflation on it. Plus the actual scrubbers and BO. Plus 18lbs of lead.

 

[tbone1004]

You're telling me... my sidewinder rig has light battery can, suit battery can, scrubber battery can, and suit inflation on it. Plus the actual scrubbers and BO. Plus 18lbs of lead.

and this is why I dive in warm water.....

actually, that's why for cold water I'd probably use my rack where that is much less annoying to deal with. I hate sidemount diving when you have to add all of that stuff on there, but when you need to get in a space, by god you need to get in that space and backmount just doesn't cut it....

 

[rjack321]

and this is why I dive in warm water.....

actually, that's why for cold water I'd probably use my rack where that is much less annoying to deal with. I hate sidemount diving when you have to add all of that stuff on there, but when you need to get in a space, by god you need to get in that space and backmount just doesn't cut it....

The diving is the easy part. Racked BO is too heavy for anything I'm doing.

The trail for the stuff in June was 250m long. 40m elevation drop from truck to entrance (you have to huff up that)
The trail for the dives last month was 750m Plus you have to get out and walk and scramble in the cave intermittently. The terminal dive is sump 6.

 

[BFRedrocks]

the OP from 3 years ago? lol

@rjack321 sorry, the OP from today.

That would be me. Thanks for the added discussion on this. Yes, I need to fly with whatever battery setup I end up with, so that is critical to the decision. I have a 24ah battery already, but unfortunately there is no way TSA is letting that on-board with me. I will be diving in Antarctica with temps around 28-30F and dive times presumably between 35-45 mins each, so while 230wh would be better, perhaps 160wh should be enough, maybe even for 2 dives. I am hopeful that you are correct that I will "cook myself" at full power and can be sufficiently warm with my Santi heated undersuit (~400g thinsulate) and merino baselayer at 50% power.

 

[tbone1004]

@rjack321 have you seen the "sideish"mount systems that some guys are using? dual 3l's on a backplate for inflation/O2/places to mount canisters? That may be something to look at for sump diving. Keep the big bottles off of you, but a ss plate with sidewinder, pair of 3l's, and the canisters wouldn't be that bad.

@BFRedrocks what is the SIT? With the UWLD you can at least pop it on the charger for the duration of the SIT without having to disconnect anything and get what you can back. Obviously charging rates aren't linear, but say you have a 2-hour sit after a 1hr dive, you would at least be back to about 70% power for Dive 2 which would give you another 50 ish minutes on full power.

 

[rjack321]

@rjack321 have you seen the "sideish"mount systems that some guys are using? dual 3l's on a backplate for inflation/O2/places to mount canisters? That may be something to look at for sump diving. Keep the big bottles off of you, but a ss plate with sidewinder, pair of 3l's, and the canisters wouldn't be that bad.

I'm using a basically stock sidewinder on an sms75 with a diverite 16lb weight plate and 2lb on a shoulder strap.

2L O2 on/under the butt(plate), UWLD 160wh light can on top of the butt, 300wh custom scrubber heater on top of the butt
1L 300bar carbon fiber (~10cf @ 4000psi) suit gas on the left hip
17Ah 11.1V custom suit heater battery in an old LM canister with new LM pitkin lid on the right hip

I drop a (also homemade/custom) 14.4V 15ah battery with remote pitkin for extra deco heat (in case of a flood especially)

 

[rjack321]

That would be me. Thanks for the added discussion on this. Yes, I need to fly with whatever battery setup I end up with, so that is critical to the decision. I have a 24ah battery already, but unfortunately there is no way TSA is letting that on-board with me. I will be diving in Antarctica with temps around 28-30F and dive times presumably between 35-45 mins each, so while 230wh would be better, perhaps 160wh should be enough, maybe even for 2 dives. I am hopeful that you are correct that I will "cook myself" at full power and can be sufficiently warm with my Santi heated undersuit (~400g thinsulate) and merino baselayer at 50% power.

Your dives wont be that long or consume that much power. 160wh will be fine for ~90mins of diving IMO and I am very cold sensitive. Alternatively you could bring 2x 90wh batteries.

 

[BFRedrocks]

@BFRedrocks what is the SIT? With the UWLD you can at least pop it on the charger for the duration of the SIT without having to disconnect anything and get what you can back. Obviously charging rates aren't linear, but say you have a 2-hour sit after a 1hr dive, you would at least be back to about 70% power for Dive 2 which would give you another 50 ish minutes on full power.

I'm not exactly sure, but I figured I'd be charging in between dives as much as possible to get that second dive in with a possibility of full heat. Someone who did the trip recently said it's usually hours (one in the AM and one in the PM), so there's definitely an opportunity to perhaps even get a full recharge between dives.