This may be a silly question...

[Crowfingers]

So, since switching to the AP cage, I've been monitoring all my temps (except the two CHE's on thermostats) with the IR gun- everything has been perfect. But the past few weeks the humidity has been so abysmally low that every time I open the cage to check temps (usually once a day) it plummets down to 20-30% then takes a while to climb back up into the upper 50's. I got tired of that, so I re-installed two digital thermometers, one wireless and one a regular digital thermometer with a probe.

Now here's the real question, the wired thermometer the is hanging in the center of the cage with the probe maybe a 1/2 an inch above the surface of the substrate and reads between 77-78.5*F, the wireless on the "cool side" reads 79.5-81*F and is sitting in the substrate. ****the one in the middle of the cage is directly between the two CHE's, so the furthest point from any heat source***. When I use the IR gun on the actual sensors of each the temps read 80-81*f and 82-82.5*f respectively.

So, which device is giving me the more accurate ambient temperature? I assume the digital ones are measuring the "air" and the IR is reading the "surface". And if my ambient air temperature is actually that low (77-78*F) should I try and remedy that seeing how the hides are about perfect?

I check the temps inside my hides with the IR gun. For set up, there is a thermostat controlled hot hide that's internal temp reaches 88.5*F, the top of the hide with the IR gun usually measures 90-91.5*F due to it being heated from above. The middle area where it is the coolest has a hide where the internal temperature with the IR gun reaches the ambient temp that the probe is, usually about 80-81*F. The thermostat controlled "cool hide - more of a medium hide) internal temp is usually 82-83*F. And the moist hide that is between the ambient and medium hides is about 80 as well. He uses each hide regularly - the hot hide mostly after eating. Just trying to figure out how off my ambient temps have been all along - but also if I raise them thermostat temps, both hides will also get hotter.
Also the medium hide has a digital thermometer that he usually cover, but when it is on the surface is about 1 - 2 degrees less that what the IR gun says it is.

[Godzilla78]

my brain just exploded

[CALM Pythons]

So, which device is giving me the more accurate ambient temperature? I assume the digital ones are measuring the "air" and the IR is reading the "surface". And if my ambient air temperature is actually that low (77-78*F) should I try and remedy that seeing how the hides are about perfect?

Wow.. A lot of people as a question and don't give any info to come to a conclusion.. Cant say that for this thread hahahaha.
Your looking into this way to much.
I use my Laser Temp gun in the same place 5 times and get 3 different temps. I can also open both slider doors and all my thermometers will change temps at different times and take different amounts of time to regulate again..then still be 2-3 degrees from each other.
Keep your Cool side 76-82 and your good.. Keep your Hot 86-92 and your good. Other than that you will drive yourself crazy as I sometimes do to hahahahaa

[Crowfingers]

Thanks, yeah - I want everything - and I mean everything - to be perfect. I've had him 2.5 years and never had an issue, so I must be doing something right. I was just thinking way to early this morning for common sense to be awake "I wonder if that thermometer is right and he's colder than I like..." then had to ask.

Lol- I will always over-inform before a question, how else can it be answered?? Can't stand the "why isn't my snake eating" questions when nothing else is stated. Then everyone wastes time asking for the pertinent info. thanks for the response, makes me feel better at least that even if they are lower that the IR, it's not too low.

You should have seen my first tank - a glass aquarium with 5 hides each with their own thermometer, a thermometer on each heat source (connected to the thermostat), one in the middle for ambient temps, and the wireless to be a redundancy to the ambient one. Also three hygrometers - one for each side and middle.

Yep I drive myself crazy sometimes. But I'm not sure I would do it differently.

[c0r3yr0s3]

That is one lucky snake.