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Individual Review Review: 2017 Thermic Impulse Control Systems

Yo Momma

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My problem has always been the batteries popping off the power straps and sitting loosely in the cuff of my pants. I was hoping that the smaller battery size would solve this problem, but it did not (for me). I never liked the idea of permanently mounting to the back of the boot, because I seem to get whacked in this area an awful lot when I am getting on the chair. I know -- user error, but I don't think this will ever change... So, I may have to play with one of the accessories that Thermic sells to minimize the chance of losing a battery. Any suggestions in this area are welcome.

Pop them on the front of the boot........."Shin mount"....... I just clip mine to the front layer of my booster or conventional strap and then wrap it around and never had an issue............nothing ever hits my shins in skiing.......... Heaters mounted on either side are subject to crashes, edges...... on the back, chairlift......nah.......
 

bbinder

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You have conventional straps? Or boosters?
They are the stock Nordica straps that came with the boots, but they are elasticized so that they function like a booster strap
 
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Philpug

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So, I decided to buy the Thermic ic1200. The size of the battery was a deciding factor for me; the amount of time that one gets with a single recharge is a plus as well. I installed the heater elements using the Shaffner technique with the Philpug modification of leaving the elements themselves uncovered. (I opted to leave the previously installed chambrelle covering on my footbeds behind the elements, mainly because I did not feel like trying to clean off the residual sticky glue from the footbeds themselves.)

The heaters performed great. The temperature was in the teens and my feet never got really cold. On level "2", my toes started to get chilly, but turning the heaters up to level "3" got me comfortable quickly. I still had some charge left at the end of the day.

My problem has always been the batteries popping off the power straps and sitting loosely in the cuff of my pants. I was hoping that the smaller battery size would solve this problem, but it did not (for me). I never liked the idea of permanently mounting to the back of the boot, because I seem to get whacked in this area an awful lot when I am getting on the chair. I know -- user error, but I don't think this will ever change... So, I may have to play with one of the accessories that Thermic sells to minimize the chance of losing a battery. Any suggestions in this area are welcome.

Apparently, I also have a leak in my shell that allows snow to get in event when buckled securely. Even with my liner being fairly wet at the end of the day, my feet stayed comfortable. However, I do plan on tackling this leakage issue. I will probably start with duct tape and go from there. Again, suggestions welcome.

Overall, I am happy with the purchase so far. We will see how things go over the course of the season.
Normally with the Hotronics, I do the clips on the straps but I decided to try the @Jed Peters method here and while it works, I think the heaters on the side do work better.
 

DanoT

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I bought Sidas boot heaters in part because they use Lithium-Ion batteries and also because of a very sturdy clip on the battery that attaches it to the power strap and it has thickly coated wires. I mostly use the middle heat setting.

Heated socks are gaining popularity partly because they can be used in other footwear. but if you ski several days in a row and need to wash your socks, then you need an extra pair of heater element socks, so spend another $70-$100.

Also for my current ski boots I started out with ultra lightweight wool socks and then as the liner compressed I went to lightweight socks and then medium weight socks, so heated socks don't address this fitment issue.
 

drewski

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hotronic sells cable extensions, you can wear your batteries at back waist belt height. batteries are covered by your coat and stay warmer and you don't have to worry about loosing them or getting hit by the chair. my wife has used these for years .
 

coskigirl

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@bbinder Are you still liking your Thermics? My Hotronics are dying so considering options as I'm tired of the cables breaking.
 

RuleMiHa

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OK, I see where you were going. So:

power (rate of energy discharge) = voltage x current (amperage)

energy = heat + work = power x time

[I.e., using SI units, power is measured in watts, and work and heat are forms of energy, i.e., of power x time, so work is actually watts x seconds = joules, which can be converted to BTU or any other unit of energy.]

Heat and work are both flows of energy from a system to the surroundings (what we define as the system is arbitrary, and here it makes sense to initially define it as the battery). Now here it gets a bit tricky with the thermodynamics and the strict definitions of heat and work flow and system vs. surroundings (heat and work are only defined when there is a flow of energy across a system boundary), but I'm going to ignore the rigor for the purposes of simplicity.

So in this case, we can say that the battery does work on the surroundings by making electrons move through a resistive element, and that this work is entirely converted to heat:

energy = electrochemical work done by battery = (via 'resistive conversion') heat flow into foot & boot = power x time

power = rate at which work flows out of the system = rate of heat flow into foot & boot

[I'm ignoring the possibility that something in the heating element is converted to a higher potential energy state by the flow of electrons, and that it remains at this higher state, since that would be work that was not converted to heat.]

So let's first consider work: If we assume both batteries can discharge all of their capacity during a ski day (set on high), the 2000 mAh battery can do 2/3 more work (creating 2/3 more heat flow into the surroundings, i.e., the foot & boot) than the 1200 mAh battery. This would be independent of voltage (unless voltage has some effect on %discharge).

Now let's consider maximum power (= max rate of work flow = max rate at which heat can flow into the foot & boot). That's max. (voltage x current). Here the voltage would of course be relevant, but not by itself; what counts is the maximum of (voltage x current). This is probably dictated by the battery technology along with whatever regulation circuitry is used.

Hope there are no typos, since in a few minutes I won't be able to edit this!
OMG, my eyes, my eyes, Blinded by Physics!:eek:
 

bbinder

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@bbinder Are you still liking your Thermics? My Hotronics are dying so considering options as I'm tired of the cables breaking.
I am still liking them - the smaller battery size is a big plus for me. I don’t know if the cables will be any sturdier than the Hotronics, but they heat my toes well and the batteries seem to last longer than my Hotronics used to last.
 

E221b

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“Jed Peters” upside-down mount method

Hey @Philpug, I just got/installed the therm-ic insoles. Can you describe this “Jed Peters” upside-down mount method? Should I be worried about the battery pack/cable getting damaged? I did install the black universal brackets and they seem pretty solid.
 

DanoT

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@bbinder Are you still liking your Thermics? My Hotronics are dying so considering options as I'm tired of the cables breaking.

I have Siddas heated footbeds. The battery is more compact than the Hotronics battery. One of my Siddas batteries stopped taking a charge after about 1.5 years of use and was replaced at n/c.
 
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Philpug

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Hey @Philpug, I just got/installed the therm-ic insoles. Can you describe this “Jed Peters” upside-down mount method? Should I be worried about the battery pack/cable getting damaged? I did install the black universal brackets and they seem pretty solid.
The @Jed Peters method is to install the batteries on the clips upside down. This method does make thebattery pack/cable less (note I didn't say not) prone to damage from the lift. You still need to keep aware of it when getting on the lift
 

DanoT

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The @Jed Peters method is to install the batteries on the clips upside down. This method does make thebattery pack/cable less (note I didn't say not) prone to damage from the lift. You still need to keep aware of it when getting on the lift

@Philpug, are you saying the Therm-ic battery (whether upside down or right side up) is installed on the power strap at the rear of the boot?

I clip my Siddas battery to the power strap toward the inside (medial side) of the boot, away from buckles. No problems with chairlifts.
 
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Philpug

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@Philpug, are you saying the Therm-ic battery (whether upside down or right side up) is installed on the power strap at the rear of the boot?

I clip my Siddas battery to the power strap toward the inside (medial side) of the boot, away from buckles. No problems with chairlifts.
I am not saying that that it MUST be installed on the back of the boot. The Jed Peters method does put in on the back though.
 

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