sorry for this...reptilebasics.com VE-T-stat Q

[mommanessy247]

so...i was lookin' at reptilebasic's thermostats, particularly the VE-100, 200 & 300.
nowhere on there however does it specify if any of them can be used with more then 1 device & no picture of it shows that.
so i'm askin' ya'll here,
1) can any 1 of them be used to control more then 1 heat pad & if so, which one(s)?
2) whats the difference between the 100 & 200 other then price? their specs are the same & they look identical & they both have the same max wattage...in fact all 3 have the same max wattage but the 300 i notice has the built in night drop feature & the 200 has a temp dimming thing with it whereas the 100 & 300 have on/off pulse settings...
3) what the heck IS that pulse thing & how does that work with the on/off feature? isnt it still just on/off regardless?
i'm totally confused here. i am considering my options for a better T-stat for when my girl goes into her adult set up (which will be soon if she keeps growing the way she is) but i still have time to figure this all out & also for when i'm finally able to expand my collection someday.
i see the ranco & johnson can be set up with more then 1 device via the power strip...i'm not sure about a helix cuz they're more geared towards large rack set ups running high hundreds - low thousand of wattage, am i right?
at most (with the small collection i want) i'd only be running maybe a few hundred watts...definitely less then 700 total so i wouldnt need something too high end.
with price range in mind (when considering total cost of set ups) the VE-100 & 200 are really where my budget range is but i just really wanted all my info straightened out before making a decision.
thx to anyone who can answer some of these Q's...

[TheWinWizard]

Right from the website.

Proportional verses On/Off

The Vivarium Electronics Ve-200 and VE-300 are what is called a "proportional" thermostats. "Proportional" refers to the gradual adjustment (up and down) of power output until the set temperature is maintained. Other, non proportional thermostats use an "on/off" approach and usually have a 1 or 2 degree (or more in cheaper ones) "slop". They turn on 100% when the temperature falls a degree or two below the set point and they stay on until the temperature gets to the set point, and often have momentum and go 1 or more degrees beyond the set point. This means that if you set your thermostat at 80 degrees your actual temps can vary between as low as 76-78 degrees and as high as 82-84 degrees. A roller coaster ride for your animals. You can think of the proportional thermostat more like a light dimmer with a brain constantly adjusting itself to maintain a much more precise temperature. The "slop" in proportional thermostats is usually measured in 1/10 degrees. The Vivarium Electronics models also offer a very easy to use "Night Drop" capability. It is built in to the VE-300 and can be added later to the VE-100 and VE-200 models. This makes it super easy to cycle your animals during breeding season without controlling the temperature of the whole room or manually changing the settings twice a day.

Proportional thermostats are just about required if you are using it for an incubator. The "slop" in on/off models can be a real problem. Especially in cheaper, less accurate models and in small incubators which are more susceptible to temperature variations. We prefer them for all of our animals though the on/off models will work well if used for supplemental basking areas or in situations where economy is key. The VE-100 is an on off style thermostat that feature silent operation- no relay "click". Just remember, like with anything else, you get what you pay for. DON'T make the mistake of keeping your multi thousand dollar high end herp collection on heat controlled by a cheap thermostat. Just about any "old timer" in the reptile business can tell you a story about "cooking" some prized animals. We are also strong advocates of "back up" thermostats used in line with your primary unit set just a few degrees higher in higher risk situations. This can be very very critical in smaller tub rack systems with belly heat. An important note in that application: You can't use a proportional thermostat to back up a proportional thermostat. Set up your proportional unit as the primary thermostat and use the on/off model to back it up. See more below!

What is the difference between the Ranco or Johnson Controls and the VE-100 other than the cost- All are on/off thermostats?

The Ranco, Johnson Controls and VE-100 are on/off style thermostats, so what is the difference?

First, all three have a digital readout rather than a "tweak and find out" setting that some pet store models have. This can be helpful in getting your temps set a lot quicker and more conveniently. The Ranco, Johnson and VE-100 probes also double as a thermometer wherever you place it. The VE-100 also offers the convenience of a clock, set point and actula probe temp on the main display. The VE-100 is the only one of the three that is a table top mount so no bracket is required. It is easy to view sitting on top of your racks or cages.

Another big difference is the power capacity. The Ranco/Johnson is good for about 1500 watts and the VE-100 for 700 watts. For most users this does not make a lot of difference. The one big exception to this is if you are using a thermostat to control a room heater. Generally oil filled space heaters work well in reptile rooms but use about 1200 watts of power. For this application the Ranco or Johnson is the obvious choice. For rack or cage use the VE-100 offers good looks, silent operation and more than enough power capacity to get the job done!

From a purely practical standpoint, in most cases you will have more money (animals) riding on the performance of your thermostat than you will in the thermostat itself. As the value of your collection grows we strongly urge you to invest in the best thermostat available to you.

Safety backups - When and why they are needed

No matter how much you spend or what model/brand you get your thermostat CAN FAIL! A number of things can lead to this happening: power surges, children, overloading, rat chewing on a poorly placed probe, bad luck or karma, etc. BE READY, you can use a simple, less expensive thermostat as a back up. Odds of both failing at the same time are much, much less! In many cases this may not be needed. If careful consideration is given to the maximum heat possible to a given cage or tub you may find it impossible to get to fatal temps. In smaller tubs, like 5-12 quart sizes, you may find that even with low wattage heat tape that your tubs could potentially reach fatal temps easily! With the VE-100 as you backup and either the VE-200 or VE-300 as your primary the units will stack for a very neat, organized appearance.

Most failures we hear about are actually not failures of the thermostat, but failures of the probe. Often a probe can be dislodged with constant moving of tubs in racks or in cages. Some thermostats can not differentiate between normal circumstances and when your heat element is not working properly. The Vivarium Electronics VE-300 model comes with a full set of alarms to de activate the heat ouput and sound a loud buzzer when there is an issue. For example- with most thermostats if the probe is dislodged from the heater the thermostat will simply turn up (or on) the power, never realizing the heat element has surpassed the set point. With the VE-300 if the setpoint is not reached for more than 30 continuous minutes the alarm will let you know- and shut off the power output!

Got more questions?

If you have a question we didn't cover here, just send us an email, we will be glad to help!

[Nick_bp]

The difference between the VE-100 and VE-200 is the 100 is only on/off and the 200 can be either, you can set it to on/off or proportional. i have the VE-200 and i love it. you can plug multiple things in at once. it has a 3 prong plug in the back to plug in outlet strips. the third prong is the ground and strongly recommend if you plug in a outlet strip it has all three prongs. if you plug in more then one heat mat make sure the are the same ones if you plug in a big and a small mat the wattages are different. i would recommend the 200 over the 100. you get what you pay for and it comes with a instruction manual.

[bobbyb]

I have the ve-300 and love it.It has a built in night drop,and i like the pulse thing because with that it keeps the temps right were you set them so say you set it at 89 it will stay right at 89 with the on/off i think if you set it at 89 it will go up to 89 than shut off than when it gets lower it turns on again than bring it back to 89 than if it goes higher it shuts off till its at 89 but the temp can drop a few degrees or get higher by a few degrees with the pulse its always getting electricity just in pulses so it keeps a steady temp.And i have mine hooked up to three different rows of flexwatt each are i think 17 inches long (in a rack system) you can plug a surge protector in the ve's and plug multiple heat "pads" but i would use flexwatt as long as it dont go over 700 watts but make sure the lengths of the flexwatt are the same.I love the ve-300 and it was well worth the price and im probably gonna be buying more.I liked it for the pulse mode and night drop but its all up to you and what you want out of it.

[mommanessy247]

winwizard - thx for that but i read all that on the website yesterday but got more confused afterwards cuz it was just too much of a read for me i guess. i'll try it again though cuz maybe a fresh head will help, lol.

nick_bp -
thx so much for clarifying that for me. i wanted something a little more reliable then a simple on/off cuz that's what i'm using now so i didnt see the need to get another on/off. that'd just be more money for the same thing, ya know?
i like the idea of dimming v.s. flat out on/off cuz at least with the dimming its a gradual change instead of a wild roller coaster ride of sudden changes in temps.

[VEXER19]

The ve300x2 is the only t-stat that is dual by reptile basics.

[mommanessy247]

ok so running different wattage heat pads on the same t-stat = big no-no?
i was thinking of going with the reptile basic's ultratherms for the warm sides & the exo terra rainforests for the cool sides (during winter when the room temp would be lower).
would running the ultratherms & the exo terras on different t-stats be ok?
the ultra therms are 22 watts whereas the exo terras are at 8.

vexer - what is the dual thing about?

[VEXER19]

Some t-stats are singular = runs only 1 thing where I was looking into the dual for mine cause it can run 2 zones. Say in my case I can run my RHP and UTH on the same thermostat.

[mommanessy247]

huh?
do you mean temp zones?

[VEXER19]

Yea sorry, it runs 2 temp zones but Im pretty sure its the only one that can run 2 different heatiing units on the same thermostat. Im looking it up right now.