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iPod on a plane

B

Butler Trumpet

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 26, 2004
525
421
Dekalb IL
So my College Orchestra is going to Russia in march.... of course I want to take my iPod on that 18 hour flight... how can I keep it charged? Are the plugs or anything on a plane?
I dont really want to spend the $99 for the battery thing that gives 8-10 hours of extra use. Any ideas?
Thanks
 
18 hours?? cripes! are you sure your not taking any stops?? the longest flight i've been on was 13 1/2 hours and i thought that was one of the longest.

anyway, do you plan on listening to your ipod the entire time? I would imagine many hours would be spent sleeping. Also they have movies to watch, or bring a book. I'd make those suggestions before i would make a suggestion about ways to keep your ipod charged for the full 18 hours. chances are that you won't use it for that long. As far as plugs on the plane, i guess that depends on what class your taking, and the type of plane but i wouldn't know.

despite all that, if you really do need some way to keep your battery charged there is the ipod battery, which will keep it charged 40+ hours. (it was tested and got 90 hours) but its $100. look it up at batterytech.com also its kinda big, like a little bit bigger than the ipod itself.
 
Find out if the plane has an outlet at your seat and you could use a car charger. I've done that before on American Airlines flights. Or you could buy an adapter (which are quite expensive) and use your regular iPod charger.
 
Answer: Take your iBook! ;)

I'm new to iPods myself, but isn't it true that you can charge your iPod via a computer's Firewire or USB connection?

If you don't want to take your iBook, ask around and see if someone's bringing a laptop they don't plan to use much on the plane. Maybe they'll let you pull a charge off that.
 
dotnina said:
Answer: Take your iBook! ;)

I'm new to iPods myself, but isn't it true that you can charge your iPod via a computer's Firewire or USB connection?

If you don't want to take your iBook, ask around and see if someone's bringing a laptop they don't plan to use much on the plane. Maybe they'll let you pull a charge off that.
Click to expand...

The charge on the laptop will not last too long with an iPod plugged in...maybe 2 hours.
 
in that 2 hours iBook will be able to charge iPod to almost full capacity -> another 10/8 hours, depending on your model.

but personally, i wouldn't take a laptop abroad on a trip.

as others suggested, find other things to do. talk to your friends. it's a good opportunity to get to know your friends in the orchestra even better, don't be sitting there listening to music the entire time...
 
Tricky if you don't want to buy the backup battery pack.

It may be an 18 hour flight but you won't be able to listen to your iPod for the first or last 30 minutes in any case thanks to the 'no electronic devices announcement' (I did once hear a 'that includes iPods' :D )

You will get movies - of which you'd like to hope that at least one will be decent - and you'll have fellow orchestra members to talk to. So you might not need it for the entire trip.

To maximise battery, set up your playlist before you leave, turn off shuffle, turn off backlight and you should get further out of it.

Does anyone else have an iPod? Could you get a headphone splitter and listen to each other's iPods for half the time?
 
Do what I do. DOn't sleep for 24hrs, then once you get on the plane, take some sleeping pills, and enjoy. It will seem like the flight took 30 mins.
 
jsupetran said:
Do what I do. DOn't sleep for 24hrs, then once you get on the plane, take some sleeping pills, and enjoy. It will seem like the flight took 30 mins.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea.

Some airlines dont allow iPods (Aer lingus being the only one i've heard of, :rolleyes: ) What airline are you flying with?
 
jsupetran said:
Do what I do. DOn't sleep for 24hrs, then once you get on the plane, take some sleeping pills, and enjoy. It will seem like the flight took 30 mins.
Click to expand...

i do that but instead of the sleeping pills just down a few beers at the terminal and then one on the plane then just pass out.

i only do this for flights 4hrs +
 
EGT said:
That's a good idea.

Some airlines dont allow iPods (Aer lingus being the only one i've heard of, :rolleyes: ) What airline are you flying with?
Click to expand...

don't allow ipods?? why on earth?? what is the reasoning. is there a difference between ipod and cdplayer??
 
Charge your iPod, and do not forget to get the adapter if you want to plug any device (I guess you need in Russia, No idea), sleep, talk to your friends, take your digicam, enjoy your time... but 18 hours only for the iPod?... I thought the College Orchestra is traveling, not you alone ;).
 
howard said:
don't allow ipods?? why on earth?? what is the reasoning. is there a difference between ipod and cdplayer??
Click to expand...

One of them produces envy, envy leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering :-(

Besides that, it would be unlawful only if you bring along an iTrip FM transmitter
 
bite the bullet

I suggest getting the external battery pack. You might not be able to charge the iPod once you get to russia and you most likely will be able to find some AA batteries. It may seem expensive at $99, but when you think that you can use it for years to come it is a good idea. I got it and have used it for more situations than I thought I would. Examples include, car trips, airplane trips, using it at a friends party where I couldnt plug it in. Besides all that I like the freedom of being able to use the equilizer, shuffle, backlight, sound check, etc. while on a trip, and the battery pack gives me that freedom. So bite the bullet and take the plunge, you wont regret it.
 
dotnina said:
I'm new to iPods myself, but isn't it true that you can charge your iPod via a computer's Firewire or USB connection?
Click to expand...

not the last time i checked. . . well that is to say when your laptop is NOT plugged in it will not charge your iPod. it WILL charge your iPod if the laptop is plugged in. but then you would need an adapter for your laptop to hook to the airplane. i think it is cheaper to get a car adapter for the iPod. usually look for a little lightning bolt by the seat number on the airplane . . . that indicates an electric outlet (12 V just like in your car)

but i think that altoids tin battery pack looks cool, i might just make one of those. but im not completely sure how that is wired up, it doesnt give a very good description.
 
wPod said:
but i think that altoids tin battery pack looks cool, i might just make one of those. but im not completely sure how that is wired up, it doesnt give a very good description.
Click to expand...
Read the comments section--gives very good tips there -- esp. the one about using a firewire extension cable instead of a port.
 
howard said:
don't allow ipods?? why on earth?? what is the reasoning. is there a difference between ipod and cdplayer??
Click to expand...

i know. its the biggest pile of crap. I'm a pilot myself although not for any major carriers at the minute :( and i can assure you this is balls.

Heres the link
 
When I went on a 14 hour flight, I managed not to even use all of my iPod's battery power during the flight (8 hour battery). I recommend that you do something else for the first few hours, possibly listen to music a little bit. Then, when you should sleep in Russia, go to sleep! After that, watch some movies or listen. Between all of that, you should stay pretty happy. Those flights are really long, but if you break it up into "activities," you should be fine. Oh, btw, I don't know if this works on other iPods (I've only been able to do it on my 3G 40GB), but if you restart the iPod and enter its testing mode, click on the option B. RESET. If your iPod is totally out of battery power, it'll reset, and you'll end up with a couple more hours of power (I got two more hours after the iPod shut itself off because of lack of power). Have fun!
-Chase
 
i have the belkin battery pack for ipod. it takes 4 aa batteries and gets 10ish hours on my 3g. it's at the apple online store for 60 bucks along with the belkin ipod car charger for 20. goin to russia sounds cool. my high school orchestra was maybe going to go there next year (would take a lot of fundraising so planning early) but then that attack at the school happened so all plans got cancelled...
 
I would be more worried about getting robbed in Russia because you are wearing an ipod than how it would work on a plane. that just me though. you can buy adaptor to use in the plane. the plane seats of the standard "lighter" plugs that are in automoblies.

anyways, if you are american i would read the state department websites travelers warning about russia.
 
thanks for the help, We are going to fly american airlines, and i went to there website, and found out that they provide electrical ports like in a car, so all I need is the car charger. Awesome, way cheaper than a battery pack, and it will never run out.
Thanks
 
Butler Trumpet said:
thanks for the help, We are going to fly american airlines, and i went to there website, and found out that they provide electrical ports like in a car, so all I need is the car charger. Awesome, way cheaper than a battery pack, and it will never run out.
Thanks
Click to expand...

I must warn you, many airlines say they offer electrical ports but there may be one per row and it could be 5 seats away, or 1 every 3 rows, or none at all, because all there planes havent been updated yet. In other words unless you were specifically told that, yes, your EXACT seat has a power port, don't expect one.
 
I know your pain. I fly to India all the time, and here are your options:

1. Buy the Belkin pack as pointed out.
2. Get the iPod Photo for the 15 hour battery life. (Just trying to give you an excuse to buy that beauty. ;-)
3. Charge off your laptop
4. Get an empower seat charger if your airplane has them. (this is what you need, not a cigarette lighter as mentioned earlier.)
5. Some airplanes have plugs in the bathroom. I'm not saying it's right, but you could sit in the toilet for an hour while your ipod charges. My buddy did it once, and he was a hated man, but he drowned out the dirty looks and comments with music from his iPod.

Good luck.
 
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