"Seems like an interesting solution, but I'm skeptical about reliability and battery life in extreme cold..."
Yeah, I looked into those heated lockboxes last winter when we had a nasty cold snap. Ended up deciding against it after reading reviews—lots of complaints about batteries draining super fast below freezing. Instead, I rigged up a small insulated cover using some leftover foam insulation and duct tape. Not the prettiest thing, but it kept the lockbox from freezing solid again. Sometimes low-tech is just more reliable...
I get the appeal of low-tech solutions, but honestly, I've had decent luck with heated lockboxes even in pretty harsh winters. The key is choosing the right battery type—lithium batteries handle cold way better than alkaline. I swapped mine out after the first freeze-up fiasco, and it made a noticeable difference. Also, placement matters a lot. If you can mount it somewhere sheltered from direct wind exposure, battery life improves significantly.
That said, your foam insulation hack sounds pretty clever—sometimes simple really is best. But for anyone still considering the heated option, don't completely write it off without trying lithium batteries first. Just my two cents from personal experience...
Good points about lithium batteries—definitely worth the extra cost if you're going heated. I've been sticking with foam insulation myself (budget reasons mostly), and it's held up surprisingly well even in nasty weather. But your tip about placement is spot-on. I moved mine under a small overhang last winter, and it made a huge difference in reliability. Might reconsider the heated option down the road, but for now, foam and smart placement are doing the trick...
"I moved mine under a small overhang last winter, and it made a huge difference in reliability."
Yeah, placement is definitely underrated. I've seen setups fail just because someone didn't think about exposure to wind or dripping water. Foam insulation works fine if you're careful, but honestly, heated lithium batteries are worth every penny if you can swing it. Had foam myself for years—worked okay—but after switching to heated lithium, zero lockouts even during that brutal cold snap last February. Just something to consider down the line...
Yeah, heated lithium batteries sound great, but honestly, I've had solid luck just tweaking placement and adding some basic weatherproofing. Last winter I built a simple wooden enclosure lined with leftover rigid foam insulation from another project—cheap and easy. Survived that same cold snap without a hitch. Heated lithium might be the gold standard, but sometimes a little DIY creativity goes a long way...
