Foxpro Shockwave freezing batteries

MatthewKoelling

MatthewKoelling

New member
Hey fellas,
Has anyone else had problems with batteries in the call freezing up at 5°F or lower? My Shockwave will run for a 5-10 minutes and shut off. Once it warms back up in the truck it will run a while longer, but gets worse as the night goes on. I was going to try putting a hand warmer packet in with the batteries, but has anyone else had similar issues?
 
I have a bunch of hand warmers because 10 years ago I would put one under a sleeve on my thermal scope. Good idea, I will try putting one on the batteries when it's cold.
 
I read this several hours ago and didn't comment. After thinking about it a while I came up with an idea. It might work,might not.

I fish in some pretty cold temperatures and last year I did a lot of research on keeping from freezing my butt off. I looked at heated every thing from socks,jackets,coats,hats. My thought is this,depending on the size,shape of the caller,you could place it in one of these items,set it on high and it should keep it warm. They use a power bank so a good one should last all night I would think.

I found these items to be pretty cheap. I live on a lake in upstate SC and it's mild here so I'm spoiled. I didn't get anything and opted to stay on the couch and wait for a better day LOL. I admire you hardy souls that brave the cold. I worked outside for over 50 years with winters in Chicago Il,Sandusky Oh and Louisville Ky. I am retired now and I mean really Retired from all of that, Good luck to all and Merry Christmas.
 
Kwarw1 said:
I read this several hours ago and didn't comment. After thinking about it a while I came up with an idea. It might work,might not.

I fish in some pretty cold temperatures and last year I did a lot of research on keeping from freezing my butt off. I looked at heated every thing from socks,jackets,coats,hats. My thought is this,depending on the size,shape of the caller,you could place it in one of these items,set it on high and it should keep it warm. They use a power bank so a good one should last all night I would think.

I found these items to be pretty cheap. I live on a lake in upstate SC and it's mild here so I'm spoiled. I didn't get anything and opted to stay on the couch and wait for a better day LOL. I admire you hardy souls that brave the cold. I worked outside for over 50 years with winters in Chicago Il,Sandusky Oh and Louisville Ky. I am retired now and I mean really Retired from all of that, Good luck to all and Merry Christmas.
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I like your idea! Im envisioning taking a soft cooler and cutting an opening for the speaker, could even use foam around the gap there. Then electric hand warmers in the cooler to keep it warm.

Its for someone else to design though, im not going coyote hunting at 0 degrees.
 
I've run my x24 at -20F (ambient temp, not windchill) with the included lithium battery pack, no issues.
Battery type matters. Alkaline are junk at any temp. NiMH are decent in the cold, but you'll have reduced capacity. Both Grok and Copilot agree:

Why Lithium?​

  • Lithium AA batteries (specifically lithium iron disulfide chemistry) use a non-aqueous electrolyte, which doesn't freeze or slow down significantly in cold conditions. They are rated to perform effectively down to -40°F (-40°C), with minimal capacity loss even at extreme lows.
  • In contrast, standard alkaline batteries (like Duracell or Energizer Max) rely on a water-based electrolyte that slows chemical reactions below freezing, often losing 75% or more of their capacity at 0°F. Their official operating range is typically down to 0°F, but real-world performance drops sharply.
  • Rechargeable NiMH batteries (like Panasonic Eneloop) perform better than alkalines in mild cold but are generally rated only down to around -4°F to 32°F for discharge, with reduced capacity and voltage below freezing. They are not ideal for sustained use at 0°F or colder.

The handwarmer idea isn't bad, but I think you're just 'pissing in the wind' unless you can also insulate it somehow.
So bite the bullet (yes, the price sucks) and throw some Energizer Ultimate Lithium in that thing.
 
SupressYourself said:
I've run my x24 at -20F (ambient temp, not windchill) with the included lithium battery pack, no issues.
Battery type matters. Alkaline are junk at any temp. NiMH are decent in the cold, but you'll have reduced capacity. Both Grok and Copilot agree:

Why Lithium?​

  • Lithium AA batteries (specifically lithium iron disulfide chemistry) use a non-aqueous electrolyte, which doesn't freeze or slow down significantly in cold conditions. They are rated to perform effectively down to -40°F (-40°C), with minimal capacity loss even at extreme lows.
  • In contrast, standard alkaline batteries (like Duracell or Energizer Max) rely on a water-based electrolyte that slows chemical reactions below freezing, often losing 75% or more of their capacity at 0°F. Their official operating range is typically down to 0°F, but real-world performance drops sharply.
  • Rechargeable NiMH batteries (like Panasonic Eneloop) perform better than alkalines in mild cold but are generally rated only down to around -4°F to 32°F for discharge, with reduced capacity and voltage below freezing. They are not ideal for sustained use at 0°F or colder.

The handwarmer idea isn't bad, but I think you're just 'pissing in the wind' unless you can also insulate it somehow.
So bite the bullet (yes, the price sucks) and throw some Energizer Ultimate Lithium in that thing.
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Note the energizer are NOT RECHARGEABLE. they last a lot longer than alkaline AA but still at $3 a battery you are looking at $12-24 every time you change batteries.

I use LiFeP04 batteries that are rechargeable in almost everything AA and AAA that i own.
 
OMG! I Googled this before I posted, it has a lithium rechargeable battery!

Which has a lot the issues associated with temperature extremes. A simple 30-40 increase in temp solves all of these issues. I don't understand why folks make this complicated. You go out in a Polar Vortex for how long? All night? I run both of my thermal devices on power cells for 12 hours with no problem. The temperatures here are not that cold but this is a simple problem to overcome IMO!
This not like calculating rocket trajectories.
 
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Kwarw1 said:
OMG! I Googled this before I posted, it has a lithium rechargeable battery!

Which has a lot the issues associated with temperature extremes. A simple 30-40 increase in temp solves all of these issues. I don't understand why folks make this complicated. You go out in a Polar Vortex for how long? All night? I run both of my thermal devices on power cells for 12 hours with no problem. The temperatures here are not that cold but this is a simple problem to overcome IMO!
This not like calculating rocket trajectories.
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Well, for one thing, we haven't heard back from the OP, so we don't actually know what kind of batteries he's using.
The Shockwave does not necessarily use a Lithium pack. It can use a bank of AAs of any kind.

And considering you're from SC, you'd probably call the 10-ish degrees F I was out in last night a "polar vortex", and yet my caller, headlamp, radio, scope, and scanner all worked flawlessly on lithium. Yes, for sure, warmer temps help, but you don't have to go crazy wrapping everything in a heated blanket. Just use the right batteries and have spares.
 
SupressYourself said:
Well, for one thing, we haven't heard back from the OP, so we don't actually know what kind of batteries he's using.
The Shockwave does not necessarily use a Lithium pack. It can use a bank of AAs of any kind.

And considering you're from SC, you'd probably call the 10-ish degrees F I was out in last night a "polar vortex", and yet my caller, headlamp, radio, scope, and scanner all worked flawlessly on lithium. Yes, for sure, warmer temps help, but you don't have to go crazy wrapping everything in a heated blanket. Just use the right batteries and have spares.
Click to expand...
I'm not from SC I live here now (30 years). And yes I consider a below freezing temperature a "Polar Vortex" LOL. I am from northern KY and would regularly get shipped further north in the winter for work,much to my dismay. I have worked in sub zero temps a lot.
I relocated down south over 40 years ago and seldom put on a jacket back then,now I'm the world's worst about the cold.
As to the Shockwave. When I googled it it said it takes a Lithium rechargeable that the extent of my knowledge on that point. Someone else above other than the OP had a similar problem.
My point is/was keeping the caller warmer would extend the battery life and keep them in the game longer. Even keeping it warmed up between sets would help with battery life regardless of type, don't you think? With as expensive as disposable batteries are I try to squeak all I can out of each one of them. I run all my stuff on rechargeable lithium power banks,this only cost me the power to recharge everything which ain't much.
Good luck to all and stay warm out there!
 
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