I "pimped" my incubator! DUW!!!

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Check it out! Got an early clutch today so I had to quickly perform some maintenance on my incubater. My old fans were too small, placed badly, and way too noisy.

I spent 20 bucks at radio shack for bigger, more powerful, quiet, blue LED computer fans. The result looks SO COOL in person. I love the blue lights! They stay lit all the time and it looks really neat. The fans and LED lights are only a total of just under 4 watts so it is nothing energy wise. With a life expectancy off 30,000 hours, I will have to replace them in about 6 years.

You would not believe how cool this looks in person.. And the fans are nice and quiet and provide WAY more air flow then the old ones. They are hot glued with risors so it is actually blowing towards the top of the cooler prividing excellent circulation without blowing directly on the egg tubs.










Now all I need is for my son to do some artwork on the outside with a black marker... I will get him working on that and post some pics when it is done... And I will post a pic with some eggs as soon as it gets up to temperature (takes several hours to get up to temp because bottom is covered in full water bottles to help stabalize the temps)

[dragonboy4578]

Very cool. It looks great.....

[cinderbird]

Wow looks cool. I'd love an update when you start putting eggs in there. I wonder if the color temperature of the lights would effect the eggs in any way.

Your incubator is lit blue, my incubator is blue. Our incubators should be friends lol.

[PghBall]

Looks cool! I like it.

[JAYGEE]

Nice! Looks great.

[qiksilver]

Wow looks cool. I'd love an update when you start putting eggs in there. I wonder if the color temperature of the lights would effect the eggs in any way.

There have been studies that show red light may slow grow in tadpoles (also increase melanin), however I think wavelength plays into this. Maybe blue won't be an issue.

I like the idea. Let us know if the lights cause any strange effect.

[EvergladesExotics]

Wow this is really cool! What are you using to heat it and are the temps pretty stable? I was thinking of building another incubator out of a mini fridge but now you've got me thinking about a cooler!

[Mike Cavanaugh]

It is heated with 11 inch flexwatt taped to the bottom controled by a proportional thermostat. The whole bottom is covered with water bottles, then the light difuser sits on top of the botles. It holds 8 egg tubs at once. And yes, with the combination of the proportional thermostat, constant air movement, and water bottles for temperature stability it holds the temperatures EXACTLY where I want them. Temperature is identical in all tubs regardless of location. This is my third year using this incubator.

Just got done putting the eggs in it.

[EvergladesExotics]

Congrats! Looks like a great clutch. Are the waterbottles directly on top of the heat tape? No melting issues? I'm so making one of these. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Ch^10]

This looks great and is absolutely brilliant!

I know exactly what I'm doing this summer...Where did you get the light diffusers? Are you by chance a ME (mech. eng.)?!

The water bottles for temperature stabilization is ingenious.