Gents,
one thing worth considering might be whether the beads came from a fresh bag or an opened one?
Being relatively new to heat beads my experience is limited but I have found once you open a bag & store it for a few days/weeks the humidity seems to affect them a bit.

My biggest problem with them using a flat table (see below) is the bottom ones going out, to the point were I even put a small fan on them & rotate with two sets of beads so I have one set under the oven & another in the chimney to relight them!
Work that one out?????

Mick.

No mine don't Derek, & thats one of the things Iv'e learned through this forum.
We've always had trouble with the coals from the fire going cold when we are in Barrington & we had always blamed the wood but is more than likely air flow being as all our ovens have no legs, although the coals on top go cold aswell

Mick.

Mick.
Can understand what you mean about that wood around the Barrington Tops.
Used to camp and fish up in that area, bit of gem panning also.
But as for getting decent coals to cook a nice slow C/O meal, you needed 3 fires going but. One to top up the one you were using to top up the cooking fire.
At least there was plenty of it, and trout doesn't need much cooking.
Is the area still state forest, or now np?
mikel