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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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