by CO_Steve » Tue Jan 06, 2015 6:10 am
I did the same thing when I got my Hot Gear bag, I even sent them an email asking why the bag didn't get as hot as the controller said it would. No reply.
I had heard rumors that the first generation HG got so warm they could cause issues. I took apart the controller and found that there was a diode in series with the line voltage coming into the control section. This will cut the power in half to the heater. I'm guessing this was a redesign in response to getting too hot. (I'm a EE by trade).
My current method is to turn it on the lowest setting overnight, then high when I wake up in the morning. Boots are just right by 8:30 when it's time to ski.