# Installed my Hotronics today:



## wa-loaf (Dec 7, 2010)




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## RootDKJ (Dec 7, 2010)

Nice.  That's about as easy as it gets.


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## roark (Dec 7, 2010)

Any worries about messing with the instaprints by applying heat directly to them? I'm always wary of drying my my boots with any sort of heat, much less heating them directly.


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## wa-loaf (Dec 7, 2010)

I don't think they put out that much heat and it's all located at the toes, so the arch and heel won't have any contact with it. I also just plan on keeping it as low as possible. I've been having cold toe problems for the last couple years, but I want my feet to be too hot about as much as I want the cold toes.

I'll be testing them out Thursday night.


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## mlctvt (Dec 7, 2010)

My wife and I have Hotronics and Instaprint insoles. Her's have been in for 3 years and 1 year for mine. No problems whatsoever.


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## Glenn (Dec 8, 2010)

The bootfiter we use at Mt Snow re-installed our boot heaters on our footbeds. As mentioned, since the heat is in the toe area, it shouldn't be a factor.


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## SKIQUATTRO (Dec 8, 2010)

i get really cold feet and hands...had hottronics installed...brought em back cause i couldnt feel any heat...he put a temp gun in the boot and it was over 100 degrees...yet i couldnt feel a thing...


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## wa-loaf (Dec 8, 2010)

SKIQUATTRO said:


> i get really cold feet and hands...had hottronics installed...brought em back cause i couldnt feel any heat...he put a temp gun in the boot and it was over 100 degrees...yet i couldnt feel a thing...



Have you tried them in combo with boot gloves? Might help trap the heat better for you. 

My hands are usually fine, just my toes. I think I've gotten frostbite on them a couple times and once that happens it makes them really sensitive.


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## Hawkshot99 (Dec 8, 2010)

SKIQUATTRO said:


> i get really cold feet and hands...had hottronics installed...brought em back cause i couldnt feel any heat...he put a temp gun in the boot and it was over 100 degrees...yet i couldnt feel a thing...



With Hotronics you don't want to feel warmth.  If you can feel the warmth they are turned up to high.  What you want is for your toes not to get cold.  This is what the rep tells us.  I have never actually worn them though as my feet are already to warm.


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## tree_skier (Dec 8, 2010)

The Great Outdoors in West Dover Installed mine for free when I purchased them for 50% off this fall.


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## Skimaine (Dec 9, 2010)

As other have said, the Hotronics will not feel warm (unless you put them on high which is not recommend for more than short periods) but rather keep your feet from getting cold.  I use them in combination with boot gloves and it makes a huge difference on very cold days.


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## deadheadskier (Dec 9, 2010)

I have the occasional cold feet problem as well.  I think I may try the boot glove option first.  A lot of it depends on the type of skiing I'm doing.  If I'm skiing bumps or trees I don't seem to have an issue.  But, if I just spending the day ripping groomers at high speed, like the Sugarloaf summit, then I seem to have much more of a problem.


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## Skimaine (Dec 9, 2010)

deadheadskier said:


> I have the occasional cold feet problem as well.  I think I may try the boot glove option first.  A lot of it depends on the type of skiing I'm doing.  If I'm skiing bumps or trees I don't seem to have an issue.  But, if I just spending the day ripping groomers at high speed, like the Sugarloaf summit, then I seem to have much more of a problem.



Boot glove is the place to start. They are way less expensive than Hotronics. Depending on how much abuse they take you may have to replace every 2-3 years.  They are good product and they give some great advice on keeping your feet warm.


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## bvibert (Dec 9, 2010)

deadheadskier said:


> I have the occasional cold feet problem as well.  I think I may try the boot glove option first.  A lot of it depends on the type of skiing I'm doing.  If I'm skiing bumps or trees I don't seem to have an issue.  But, if I just spending the day ripping groomers at high speed, like the Sugarloaf summit, then I seem to have much more of a problem.



My biggest issue with boot gloves is that they make buckle adjustments a PITA.  I usually need to loosen my boots the first few chair rides of the day, so they don't really work out for me.  Plus they look kinda dumb.


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## wa-loaf (Dec 9, 2010)

Skimaine said:


> Boot glove is the place to start. They are way less expensive than Hotronics. Depending on how much abuse they take you may have to replace every 2-3 years.  They are good product and they give some great advice on keeping your feet warm.





bvibert said:


> My biggest issue with boot gloves is that they make buckle adjustments a PITA.  I usually need to loosen my boots the first few chair rides of the day, so they don't really work out for me.  Plus they look kinda dumb.



I've used the boot gloves and they work pretty good. But i usually found them a struggle to get on and then there are the buckling issues. Bought the heaters on sale last spring. I'm just going to have to remember to recharge the batteries between uses. Going to be in the teens tonight at Wachusett so I'll be giving them a good test.


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## deadheadskier (Dec 9, 2010)

hmmmm

I wonder if a boot glove could be modified to allow access to the bottom buckle.  I typically undo that one on the lifts as well.


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## Skimaine (Dec 9, 2010)

Might be difficult to modify as they sort of stretch over toe and mid section of the boot.


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## Glenn (Dec 9, 2010)

I bought my boot heaters off Tramdock....$75, installed them myself initially; before I got the custom foodbeds.


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## wa-loaf (Dec 9, 2010)

Used them tonight with temps at 10 degrees at the top, mid teens at the base with a good breeze. Had them set to 2 for the night. My toes were a little cool, but not cold and not at all uncomfortable. So I'm pretty happy with them.


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## darent (Dec 18, 2010)

deadheadskier said:


> hmmmm
> 
> I wonder if a boot glove could be modified to allow access to the bottom buckle.  I typically undo that one on the lifts as well.



i would think that would be easy, put the boot glove on,take a xacto knive and cut the material out above the buckle. you can make your own bootgloves out of heavier neoprene for more warmth, use a old 3mm wet suite, alittle neoprene clue, thread and needle .


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## darent (Dec 18, 2010)

wa-loaf said:


>



wife hates those big battery packs hanging off her boot, she got the cord extensions from hottronics and wears her batteries on her waist,small of back, they are covered by her coat so they stay warmer and she swears the batteries last longer that way


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## bvibert (Dec 18, 2010)

deadheadskier said:


> hmmmm
> 
> I wonder if a boot glove could be modified to allow access to the bottom buckle.  I typically undo that one on the lifts as well.





darent said:


> i would think that would be easy, put the boot glove on,take a xacto knive and cut the material out above the buckle.



Exactly.  IIRC the directions that came with my boot gloves actually recommended cutting access holes for the buckles.  I never did it because I didn't want to limit them to only being able to be used on one pair of boots.


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## wa-loaf (Dec 28, 2010)

Put the mounting brackets onto my boots this weekend:


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## deadheadskier (Jan 2, 2011)

thanks for posting the install 'trip report'.  certainly made installing mine today a lot easier than just going off of the basic directions.  Not that it was difficult, but the pictures helped .  Just need to wait for the brackets to arrive and I'll be good to go.


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## Madroch (Jan 5, 2011)

bvibert said:


> My biggest issue with boot gloves is that they make buckle adjustments a PITA.  I usually need to loosen my boots the first few chair rides of the day, so they don't really work out for me.  Plus they look kinda dumb.



I use boot gloves when the temp is below 20 or so, and yes they look dumb.  My kids make fun of me.  But my feet get cold easy.  I have no buckling issues so they are no hassle.  I buckle up at a usual setting in the lodge, and maybe have to micro tighten once if it is really cold and my feet shrink???.  Hotronics appear to be too much of a PITA-and the battery pack seems like it would annoy me.  Do Hotronics affect fit at all?


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## billski (Jan 5, 2011)

I'd like to know when we are going to get a deep freeze so you can really try those things out!


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## billski (Jan 5, 2011)

darent said:


> wife hates those big battery packs hanging off her boot, she got the cord extensions from hottronics and wears her batteries on her waist,small of back, they are covered by her coat so they stay warmer and she swears the batteries last longer that way



I think she's right if my ipod and cell phone are any testament.  Cold is brutal on batteries.


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## wa-loaf (Jan 5, 2011)

Madroch said:


> Do Hotronics affect fit at all?



It's very thin and I haven't noticed it. I'm picky about fit too.


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## wa-loaf (Jan 5, 2011)

billski said:


> I'd like to know when we are going to get a deep freeze so you can really try those things out!



I've had 2 outings when I needed them.


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## Madroch (Jan 6, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> It's very thin and I haven't noticed it. I'm picky about fit too.



Quite intrigued at the prospect of not having frozen feet when it gets really cold...  looks like, from the pictures, they would not pose a problem for lace up liners (which are already enough of a PITA to put on)... hmmmm


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## billski (Jan 6, 2011)

Madroch said:


> Quite intrigued at the prospect of not having frozen feet when it gets really cold...  looks like, from the pictures, they would not pose a problem for lace up liners (which are already enough of a PITA to put on)... hmmmm



How well do those heat pads work for you?  For cheap little me, it's pretty economical.  I buy a box for $15 and it lasts me three years.  At that cost, I don't feel bad about swapping them mid-day, or even putting them in my inner jacket fleece, near my torso.

I am also wondering if the wiring has improved.  Early models used to have wires break and they were not readily repairable.


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## deadheadskier (Jan 7, 2011)

1st day out on the Hotronics today.  Not much of a temperature test as it was in the mid-20s, but feet were comfortable all day on setting 2.   Zero fit issues after the installation.


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## deadheadskier (Jan 9, 2011)

well, two more days with the Hotronics; Saturday at Pico, today at Okemo.  Still haven't put them to the test in bitter cold, but yesterday they saw a lot of 6 inch deep snow to cruise through and today it was probably only about 15 up top of Okemo with some serious wind.

3 days use on setting 2 with the batteries lasting all day and barely any feeling of cold at all.  In fact, today my toes were fine all day and the only real cold I felt was in my heal area just a touch.  I'm thinking if I didn't have them, my feet would've been cold/numb for much of the day.

Mounting brackets arrived today.  I'll take a look at them, but with 3 days of use just over the strap, they feel damn solid to me.  They certainly don't feel like they'd fall off and they don't feel like they bounce around.


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## Terry (Jan 10, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> well, two more days with the Hotronics; Saturday at Pico, today at Okemo.  Still haven't put them to the test in bitter cold, but yesterday they saw a lot of 6 inch deep snow to cruise through and today it was probably only about 15 up top of Okemo with some serious wind.
> 
> 3 days use on setting 2 with the batteries lasting all day and barely any feeling of cold at all.  In fact, today my toes were fine all day and the only real cold I felt was in my heal area just a touch.  I'm thinking if I didn't have them, my feet would've been cold/numb for much of the day.
> 
> Mounting brackets arrived today.  I'll take a look at them, but with 3 days of use just over the strap, they feel damn solid to me.  They certainly don't feel like they'd fall off and they don't feel like they bounce around.



Don't mount them on the back of your boots as they will get hit by the chairs and knocked off. You don't want to lose them as the batteries are quit expensive.  I had brackets that hook over the strap on the outside and work ok but I have broken 3 of these brackets. Now I just hook them over the strap and put a small piece of duct tape across the bottom so that they can't pop off. Works much better. Other than those issues, I love them. Never have cold feet anymore even on the coldest days.


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## Glenn (Jan 10, 2011)

Here's my one gripe with the Thermics: Battery life. Not how long they last on a charge; that depends on the outside temp. The batteries themselves seem to just stop holding a charge after awhile. My wife had another battery start to crap out this weekend. We have a total of 6 batteries.....2 are dead and the third is on it's way out. I wonder if those liions are any better? But I can't pictures dropping $350 to find out. Ouch.


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## mlctvt (Jan 10, 2011)

Glenn said:


> Here's my one gripe with the Thermics: Battery life. Not how long they last on a charge; that depends on the outside temp. The batteries themselves seem to just stop holding a charge after awhile. My wife had another battery start to crap out this weekend. We have a total of 6 batteries.....2 are dead and the third is on it's way out. I wonder if those liions are any better? But I can't pictures dropping $350 to find out. Ouch.



No battery problems with the two sets of Hotronics Power Plus M4 we have.  They're  2- 3years old. Using a setting of 2 out of 4 will allow an entire 7-8 hour day plus. I've even forgotten to charge them one night and I still got another few hours before the battery went dead the second day.
These do sell for about $175.00/set though on Amazon or Ebay.


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## darent (Jan 10, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> well, two more days with the Hotronics; Saturday at Pico, today at Okemo.  Still haven't put them to the test in bitter cold, but yesterday they saw a lot of 6 inch deep snow to cruise through and today it was probably only about 15 up top of Okemo with some serious wind.
> 
> 3 days use on setting 2 with the batteries lasting all day and barely any feeling of cold at all.  In fact, today my toes were fine all day and the only real cold I felt was in my heal area just a touch.  I'm thinking if I didn't have them, my feet would've been cold/numb for much of the day.
> 
> Mounting brackets arrived today.  I'll take a look at them, but with 3 days of use just over the strap, they feel damn solid to me.  They certainly don't feel like they'd fall off and they don't feel like they bounce around.



don't mount them on the back of your boots, they can get hit by the chair and dislodge. also be careful mounting them on your strap with the clip, earlier reply said he uses duct tape to make sure they don't snap off . my wife hasn't lost a battery since she started to mount them on her waist using the cable extensions. also batteries are  more protected from the cold being under her coat and last longer. she has been using them this way for 3 years now and has had no problems. she wants to move up to the M4's . I'm thinking of installing her old ones in my boots.


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## wa-loaf (Jan 10, 2011)

darent said:


> don't mount them on the back of your boots, they can get hit by the chair and dislodge. also be careful mounting them on your strap with the clip, earlier reply said he uses duct tape to make sure they don't snap off . my wife hasn't lost a battery since she started to mount them on her waist using the cable extensions. also batteries are  more protected from the cold being under her coat and last longer. she has been using them this way for 3 years now and has had no problems. she wants to move up to the M4's . I'm thinking of installing her old ones in my boots.



I've got the mount on the back. I guess I can see how they can get knocked off if you're not careful, but I haven't had any issues yet. They just don't fit on my power strap well. I feel they're more secure on the mount. I just need to make sure I don't knock them on the chair.


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## darent (Jan 10, 2011)

wa-loaf said:


> I've got the mount on the back. I guess I can see how they can get knocked off if you're not careful, but I haven't had any issues yet. They just don't fit on my power strap well. I feel they're more secure on the mount. I just need to make sure I don't knock them on the chair.



you just have to be careful on the low chairs or after big dumps, It happens quick, jan lost two batteries and didn't know it till later,I think more people lose batteries mounting them on the power strap, that is from hearing stories of lost batteries


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