Probe in Incubator

I have been asking around about possible incubation ideas. Now I have pretty much got everything covered except for the probe situation for Temp and Humidity. I will have a mini fridge as my incubator. With 2 feet 18-24 watt flex watt heat tape. I will have it hooked up to a proportional thermostat (not sure of brand just yet), and then I will have a computer fan running to circulate the temp. I will be using a shoe box size tub for any clutches. Now I am confused as to where to put the probes. I know for a fact that one probe would go directly on the heat tape, but how about putting a temp and humidity probe in the box where the clutch is? Wouldn't I want to do something like that?

I have a mini fridge bator also, I place my temp probe inside the egg container

I put my thermostat probe in the egg box and also put a accurite thermometer in the egg box and checked it 1 - 2 times a week as well as letting the eggs breathe one time a week. So all in all I opened the incubator 3 times a week and my eggs were fine

Hey Cincy Ball,
Most people just hang the probe in the middle of the incubator. That way the probe reads the ambient temp. witch is what you want. If you put it on the Flexwatt, the ambient temp. will be lower than the Flexwatt. You would have to increase the Flexwatt temp. to get the ambient temp. where it should be.

hmm... i was thinking of moving mine to the inside too...

if you put inside the box do you set the temp the same or is it different than when you put the probe outside of the box.. :) ?..

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Originally Posted by shaunwithbite

hmm... i was thinking of moving mine to the inside too...

if you put inside the box do you set the temp the same or is it different than when you put the probe outside of the box.. :) ?..

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good question. Thats the main thing I want know. Cause don't you need the temp inside the box to be 88-90, and not the outside of the box?

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Originally Posted by CINCYBall

good question. Thats the main thing I want know. Cause don't you need the temp inside the box to be 88-90, and not the outside of the box?

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As long as your incubator is well insulated and the heat is evenly distrubuted, there should be little or no variance between the ambient temps inside the incubator and within the egg box.

That being said, if you need reassurance, use multiple thermometers.

You can have a dummy box where the probe goes in and set the thermistat to the degree you want it to stay at.

Or if your incubator is good insolated put it in the middle of the incubator and read the ambient of it. If built right you should have a solid temp through out the entire thing.

I have 2 seperate digital gauges that test the INSIDE of the box so I know that the temp there is right. But seems that inside the box and the ambiet are realy close to eachother on my setup. but I only have a small wine cooler incubator.

@subdriven:
That such a good idea I will try that out ;)

Do you have to drill holes on egg box for air circulation or not ?

I've placed my thermostat probe behind the flexwatt for 2 seasons now and will again since it works just fine there.
The thermostat will run a few degrees hotter than the actual temp inside of the tub but who cares as long as the temperature in the tub stays stable, which it does.
I place a thermometer probe inside a tub on the top shelf and inside a tub on the bottom shelf.

This thread title seems highly inappropriate. :O

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Originally Posted by Slyther83

This thread title seems highly inappropriate. :O

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:confused:

This is an awesome thread, a lot of questions I had have been answered reading through this. I'd also like to know how many of you use the Brian Gundy's method and drill small holes in the egg box? And those of you who put a thermometer probe in an egg box with eggs in it, how exactly do you let the probe hang in the middle of the box to get the ambient temps? Is it just easier to have a dummy box and put the thermometer and probe in that one?

I just put the probe in the box with eggs in it by placing the probe in just enough that the lid holds it in place dangling in the air.
I do use 3 tiny holes in my tubs, no sealed tubs for me, done that and had nothing but problems.

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

:confused:

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Haha

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Originally Posted by Slyther83

This thread title seems highly inappropriate. :O

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Umm ok