Need help choosing a thermostat

Next week I'm going to build my 6 tub 41 qt rack to house BPs. I've already purchased everything but the thermostat. It'll be heated by 6 individual pieces of THG heat tape wired together for a total of about 150 watts. I was first going to buy another hydrofarm tstat but I decided I'm not in a terrible hurry and I can afford a Vivarium Electronics model. I like the low profile table top style and I've only heard good reviews on it. What I need to find out is what model is right for me. What is the difference between proportional(pulse), On/Off, and dimmer style. I was thinking the VE-200D model but I'm not sure. I will be breeding my ball pythons hopefully next fall. I don't yet know if I'll be dropping temps at night. Any help is appreciated. THX

Proportional powers your heat tape at all times only decreasing and increasing the amount of power to the tape as opoosed to on full blast until desired heat then off and on again.

Depends what is worth to you. If your want to breed etc, id say spend the $100 and get a Herpstat, digitl proportional. I have 2 and glad I bought them.

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The o ly brand i can vouche for is Spyder Robotics Herpstats. I have 4 and have never had an issue. They are definitly worth the extra couple bucks


Http://www.BCBallPythons.com
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Yep I have a herpstat 1 and that thing is awesome. Go ahead and drop the extra cash cause it's one that won't ever fail on you and will work forever.

I personally have the VE-200D and I love it.

I'm sure the the other popular brands work just as well though.

In the end, it is definitely better to wait and grab a proportional thermostat ;)

I've never used the ve series but I've heard they are good.

However I love all of my herpstats. The new model has a nice new display and is a table top design very similar to the ve200.

I'm sure you will be happy with either

I'm in a very similar position to you and after watching and reading many reviews and comparisons I've decided to go with the HerpStat 1. Basically it comes down to the pure volume of recommendations. No one's necessarily had anything bad to say about the VE (I was looking at the VE300), but more often than not they've pointed out that the HerpStat 1 has more safety features for not that much more money. To me that insurance that my animals will remain alive and well is worth the few extra $$$, and if you read my posts you'll see that I try to save as much money as possible. LoL.

Sold on the Herpstat 1. It's the same price as the VE-300 and it has more features. I don't think I need the humidity feature in it though so I might go with the Herpstat 1 Basic. Since I'm using it on a rack I don't see how it could read/control humidity. Or am I missing something?

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Originally Posted by TheSnakeGuy

Sold on the Herpstat 1. It's the same price as the VE-300 and it has more features. I don't think I need the humidity feature in it though so I might go with the Herpstat 1 Basic. Since I'm using it on a rack I don't see how it could read/control humidity. Or am I missing something?

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From what I've seen people very rarely use the humidity feature.

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Originally Posted by ChaosAffect

From what I've seen people very rarely use the humidity feature.

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Yeah I'm thinkin' I'll go with the Herpstat Basic. It still has the night drop capability and the only loss I see is the humidity monitoring feature. I don't need to spend that extra 30$ on something I don't need. I might get it if I was using it on a nice display terrarium, but not for my rack. Ok payday, get here faster.

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Originally Posted by TheSnakeGuy

Yeah I'm thinkin' I'll go with the Herpstat Basic. It still has the night drop capability and the only loss I see is the humidity monitoring feature. I don't need to spend that extra 30$ on something I don't need. I might get it if I was using it on a nice display terrarium, but not for my rack. Ok payday, get here faster.

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Personally, I'd spring for the full HerpStat 1. The cutoff feature will help me sleep better at night, and I like the fact that it's got a battery backup on the night drop.

With the Herpstat 2 then can you control two enclosures with the same thermostat as long as both fall under the 500w requirments?

I thought about the Herpstat 2 even though I only have one rack to monitor. I'm getting a Herpstat 1 as a gift for house sitting 4 dogs, 4 cats, and a bunny for 4 days. Pretty nice way to get paid huh?

if i place the termostat probe between the tank and the glass do i alum-tape the uth to the bottom so i can can get to the probe inthe future? thanks

I mean between the heater and the glass .sorry

I would suggest the one or the intro+ they have the relay (added safety) and both dimming. However racks sometimes buzz with dimming, the one offers both dimming and pulse as well as on/off. For 140$ for 20$ the relay and option of dimming or pulse. (or you could get a ve200 and a ve 200d and have the same choices) add a long track record they are hard to beat. To my mind the only other one to look at is the ecozone. The net interface and the email/text alerts make it very interesting. The VE never enter into the equation. They hit the ground playing catch up and are still playing catch up.

I have a herpstat basic controlling 2 racks and it works fine and has for years. I also have a dual zone ve running a heater for my Herp room and an incubator, it also works fine and has for ages. The difference I see between the 2 brands is price. I will never again spend the extra money for a herpstat over a ve. It was stated earlier in the thread that the herp stat dual sone will run 500 watts. The ve dual zone is not only cheaper but it is rated for 900 Watts. So for me the choice is pretty clear.

From what I'm looking at, the Herpstat 2 is nearly the same price as the VE-300X2... I think that in the past, the Herpstat 2 used to be more expensive though?

Not to my knowledge they were always about the same. I don't know why anyone would choose a Ve they do not have any of safety features of the competitors have save the helix. I have never needed to max on a Herpstat so having more has no value. Helix makes (made?) a 1200w unit if you need the power it is the one to have. I can see an argument for them all but the Ve.

They don't even have written specs so the accuracy is not under warranty. I have always wondered if the Korean manufacturer is spoty and that is the reason for such a glaring omission.


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Originally Posted by jason_ladouceur

I have a herpstat basic controlling 2 racks and it works fine and has for years. I also have a dual zone ve running a heater for my Herp room and an incubator, it also works fine and has for ages. The difference I see between the 2 brands is price. I will never again spend the extra money for a herpstat over a ve. It was stated earlier in the thread that the herp stat dual sone will run 500 watts. The ve dual zone is not only cheaper but it is rated for 900 Watts. So for me the choice is pretty clear.

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The Herpstat Basic was launched Feb 2012. You may have had the original Herpstat or Herpstat ND if your thermostat was working fine for years. There is significant difference between the two brands. The Herpstat 2 (new version was also released Feb 2012) is the same price as a VE-300x2. Both Herpstat 2 and VE-300x2 have a total output of 900 watts. However, you additionally get with the Herpstat 2:

Both pulse and dimming proportional control and either outputs mode can be configured seperately
Safety relay that can work with the high alarms to cut power to output circuit in case of solid state failure (BIG FEATURE)
Adjustable slow ramping time (up to 10 hours) to mimic nature
Automatic slow rampup to keep the heater from going straight to 100% when a incubators door is opened
User settable security passcode to prevent tampering by others
Custom white text on blue background LCD
Ability to use Humidity probe to control misting systems, foggers, ect

Add to that you get a product that has been built by a company that has been designing and building reptile thermostats since 2004 and the Herpstat track record. We build the circuit boards and assemble the product in house in Illinois USA. The comparison to VE are apples to oranges. The features comes down to single output Herpstat 1 units as well. Same price as a VE-300 but again you get all the above extra features with a 700 watt rating (same as VE). Herpstat 1 Basic competes at a price level with VE-200 but includes basically everything above but the safety relay,humidity option, and uses a software clock. The Herpstat 1 Basic does nightdrop out of the box while the VE-200 requires a addon module which adds another $24.99 to their price. The new model line packs a punch and I was able to find ways to bring the cost down while increasing safety compared to our previous generation. Since our tech has taken a healthy lead I have focused a bit on the "cool" factor and we are releasing custom versions of Herpstat 1 Basic, Herpstat 1, and Herpstat 2 with a red led glow system in translucent boxes. They release tomorrow. We continue to push forward for our customers and as always appreciate the support we have received over the years from our friends in the reptile community!

Dion Brewington
Owner, Spyder Robotics

They do advertise their product as stackable. However, heat is one of the main causes of electronic failure. Why one would want to stack thermostats (that by design generate heat internally) and limit the airflow I can't understand. Especially when they are passively cooled without fans. Also I have found that many items on my desk were not advertised as stackable and yet I have found many ways to stack them (or occasionally overstack them). :D

My herpstat one stacks... my pros stack and the 4 even stacks on the pros. I think Dion it is far to say they stack too. I think if you will allow they all stack but the helix and perhaps the intros with are face mounts I keep seeing a rack with one built in...