Deep Heat Projector problems?

[WrongPython]

Another DHP user here. Hopefully I can be of some assistance.

Personally, I've found that DHPs are only good for heating surfaces directly underneath them and providing pointed heat/basking areas in smaller enclosures. They're not the efficient choice for raising ambients overall in larger enclosures -- that would be RHPs.

The 50w DHP I'm currently using is sitting on a screen top and pointed directly over a small Reptile Basics hide ~9" below. The inside of the hide is probably around 83F during the day, which is sufficient for a warm hide. Basking temps definitely don't penetrate inside, though, and the hide wouldn't be so warm if it wasn't sitting directly under the DHP's beam.

CHEs are good for throwing off loose heat (ie. raising ambients), but that's about it. In your case, switching over to a CHE or otherwise adding one in will only be the best choice if you find you need to raise overall ambient temperatures more. A humid hide at 83F should be good enough for your BP to get by, assuming they have another (hotter) dedicated basking spot. If you need to warm that hide up more, try moving said hide directly under the DHP if it isn't already. Otherwise, you may just have to to raise your ambients a tad more overall. Remember that CHEs will zap your humidity, though, and that evaporating water (read: damp moss) will cool things off a little (this could be part of the reason why your hides read so cool, if you're primarily measuring them with your temp gun).

The top of the enclosure is a wire mesh, with a hood on top. The DHP's are set up on top of the mesh projecting down into the enclosure, and the hood goes over the top of the DHP's to keep them contained. DHP's.

You wouldn't happen to be talking about a Custom Reptile Habitats/Maximum Reptile or similarly all-screen topped enclosure with a canopy here, would you? I have one myself (sans canopy) and have also found it to be unable to hold tropical ambient temperatures and humidity in the winter when using light-based heating. Like you, I also see cool and very dry conditions in my house during the winter. In its current configuration with a Jungle Dawn LED bar, halogen basking lamp, and back-up-heat CHE, the only part of the cage that is properly up-to-temperature is the warm half under the CHE. Minimal ambient humidity has been a struggle to maintain, even with most of the screen blocked off and extra damp moss being worked into the Reptichip I use.

After dealing with these conditions for a few months and trying every trick in the book to resolve them, I've personally come to the conclusion that these all-screen-top enclosures are not suited for the true tropical species (think: ball pythons and Papuan carpet pythons) in places with cool and dry winters. There's just too much ventilation with these enclosures -- air cycles through the enclosure so quickly that the ambient heat and humidity they need can't hold. These sorts of cags are better suited to temperate species (think: corn snakes, kingsnakes, Bredl's pythons) that can tolerate cooler and less humid conditions. If you live in a place that's cool and dry, a true tropical snake would be more comfortably housed in a cage with an RHP and -- if you're so inclined -- a smaller screen cutout just large enough for an external basking bulb.

Personally, I'm going to be moving my Papuan carpet currently living in the aforementioned cage out and into a new one. Thankfully I have another snake who is tolerant of more temperate conditions and in need of new digs. Worst case scenario... let's just say I have a few IRL friends with hardy snakes that could use a cage this size.