OK. So after reading a lot off this forum I've done a whole bunch to his tank.

He's got proper digital thermometers, a probe over the UTH aswell.

I got him the same hide for both sides, but moved the old one he was living in before to the cold side because I was concerned about not having a gauge for my UTH and didn't want him to get burned.

Now he hasn't left his cold side hide for three days, so from what I've read here that's either he really likes it, or he's mad at me and wont come out. Is there a point where I should be concerned about him not leaving his hide? (stretching his legs isn't quite the term, but you know what I mean... moving, at all) I fed him Thursday and he is in shed. I have the tank specs up to what is expected. (except I'm sure the heat pad spikes more than I'm aware it does) I'm just really new to what I'm supposed to expect

Also, I am going to have to get a control for the UTH, with every crafty way I could try to figure out how to get it to stay regulated, I give up.
I can't find a thermostat around in any of our reptile stores or pet stores, meaning I'd have to order it. When people say dimmers, what are they doing to make the dimmer work? Am I rigging up a whole new SCR or are there such things as plug in dimmers?