Thinking about a new thermstat

All right as the title says im thinking about a new thermostat. I currently have a ranco and im not too sure i like it. I have different temps in each tub which i know is kind of common. However my biggest issue is i have it set to 106 and some of the tubs are barely at 90 on the hot sides. Im thinking about getting a proportional and was wondering what everyone's thoughts were on good ones. Thanks for your time

The only proportional thermostat I use is Herpstat and I love it. I've also heard great things with Helix and the VE (reptilebasics.com) models.

Herpstats are by far the best, I have a few herpstat 4's now and they all are great.

Herpstat intro from spyder robotics

I have a VE200 and it works great. I think any quality proportional will serve you well.

I love my VE300 and will be ordering a VE300X2 when I can Rich at reptile basics is great and the unit was very easy to set up and has worked flawlessly for me :D

VE-200 has worked perfect for me. No complaints whatsoever :)

I have 2 ve-300 and a ve-300x2.
Love the alarms and how they sit on the rack.
Great product and service.

Thanks for the help guys, I will for sure check out the ve300 and helix. I heard the herpstats4 are good but didn't know about the regular herpstats. Thanks agin everyone

every product made by Spyder Robotics (the guys who make Herpstats) are great, defiantly the best choice.

Ill have to look into them, Are the temps pretty constant? and where do you guys place the probe and how?

Vivarium Electronics!!!! :D I have the VE-300X2 model!

I have Helix and VE200s................ the VEs are GREAT:gj::gj:

I have all three thermostats that are mentioned. I really like them all. My only complaint would be with the helix. That is that it doesn't have a down button for temps. This really hasn't been a big issue though, because once I set the temp I don't have to play with it much They all have functioned flawlessly for me, and I would have no problem buy any one of them again...

where do you buy your herpstats and helix from?

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Originally Posted by dragonboy4578

I have all three thermostats that are mentioned. I really like them all. My only complaint would be with the helix. That is that it doesn't have a down button for temps. This really hasn't been a big issue though, because once I set the temp I don't have to play with it much They all have functioned flawlessly for me, and I would have no problem buy any one of them again...

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What do you mean by a down button? Do you have to keep going up in temp tell it reaches 0 again? SOrry for all the questions people just trying to learn as much as possible from people who have used the products

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Originally Posted by Lucky lep

where do you buy your herpstats and helix from?

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herpstats: http://spyderrobotics.com/

Helix: http://www.helixcontrols.com/DBS1000.htm

Both are excellent, the button issue with Helixs is you when you want to change the set temperature you have to go up until it reaches the maximum temperature, then it cycles back to its lowest temperature.

I use herpstats exclusively, they hold temperatures perfectly, they are the best $ for $

I got my herpstat from here. The temps are very consistent, and I secure the probe directly onto the heat source (flexwatt for me).

Thank you very much, are there lower end ones as good?

Next question do i need a dual climate control or no? its just one rack with 8 tubs 4x 2

Lower end Herpstat? I don't think there is such a thing :) I use a basic $118 model grounded, and it works like a charm :)

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Originally Posted by Lucky lep

Thank you very much, are there lower end ones as good?

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yes, excluding the Herpstat intro, they all use the exact same circuitry) the only difference is how many thermostats are in the box (Herpstat 2 has 2 separate thermostats, Herpstat 4 has 4 separate thermostats)

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

every product made by Spyder Robotics (the guys who make Herpstats) are great, defiantly the best choice.

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That is a bold statement... Is there proof that one is better than the other?

I have considered one of the Herpstats for my next rack to give it a try.

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Originally Posted by jinx667

That is a bold statement... Is there proof that one is better than the other?

I have considered one of the Herpstats for my next rack to give it a try.

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I would say the the next best thing to Herpstats are the VE line, but if you look at it from an electrical engineers standpoint Herpstats defiantly come out on top. the VE-100 isn't even proportional, it is an on/off thermostat. The VE-200 is indeed a proportional thermostat but it uses pulses of power to vary the output. it isn't until the VE-300 that you get a thermostat with dimming capabilities that the Herpstat 1 has.

OK so a herpstat 1 would be good then for my setup? now let me ask you this what is dimming and pulsing mean? and grounded mean?

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Originally Posted by Lucky lep

OK so a herpstat 1 would be good then for my setup? now let me ask you this what is dimming and pulsing mean? and grounded mean?

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Dimming vs pulse is how the thermostat controls the heat source, pulse uses rapid bursts of power to rapidly turn on/off the heat source to achieve the desired temperature (like an on/off thermostat on steroids) dimming thermostats actually vary that amount of electricity that the heat source gets to achieve the desired temperature.

Grounded refers to the outlet on the back of the thermostat that the heat source plugs into (2 pronged outlets are ungrounded... 3 pronged outlets are grounded) its just a safety/convience thing... all herpstats except the intro have grounded plugs.

I would go with the Herpstat 1

ok so dimming is what i want then, and my flexwatt only has a 2prong plug will that still work? and is it straight plug and play or do i have to do wiring?
and last question whats the diffenece between the herpstat1 and 1 basic? i cant find it

yes, it's just like any other wall outlet. all you will have to do is place the thermostat probe either on the flexwatt on inside the cage and secure it so it cannot , plug the flexwatt into the thermostat and set the desired temperature.

whats the diffenece between the herpstat1 and 1 basic? i cant find it and how do you secure your probe?

From the spider robotics website

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On a budget? Don't go without a quality controller! The all new for 2012 Herpstat 1 Basic! The Herpstat 1 Basic takes the core features of the Herpstat 1 but leaves out the hardware internal clock, safety relay feature, and humdiity functions to bring the cost down. The device adds a software clock that still provides plenty of configurable night time transition settings.

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Originally Posted by Lucky lep

and how do you secure your probe?

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I use hot glue to secure my probe. do not use aluminum tape as it can alter the probes readings.

It is best to attach the probe directly to the flexwatt for maximum safety.

When using hot glue, only cover the cord of the probe and if needed only put a drop on the probe itself. (you don't want t insulate the probe with hot glue)

Sweet well ill pay the extra for the herpstats 1. Have you yourself used the humidity setting on it? Does it work decently

I have, but you can only use it for the flexwatt OR humidity. I have the Herpstat 4 so I used 1 of the 4 channels for humidity. it works great.

Ah gotcha. Well i dont really have an issue with humidity luckily. Well where would you recommend buying a herpstats from. Directly from spyder or is there a place cheaper

I buy mine direct

Sweet thanks for your help, I'm gonna probably purchase mine this next week