Heat pad 140 degrees!!!!?

[bsash]

Most people just tape the probe to the under the tank heat mat, but I suppose you could stick it in between the glass and the mat.

[snakesRkewl]

The thermometer probe goes inside the enclosure and sits directly on the hot spot so you know the hottest possible temperature the snake can touch.

Dimmers only work if the room temperature is fairly stable, I hope you were told that before investing in one.
I recommend at least a cheap thermostat, you won't regret it.

[Generationshell]

I made my dad make one so It was only like $5 :]

I have a feeling if I had paid $25 for one I would have been very dissapointed.

What can I get to regulate the UTH then?

[SnakeKB]

Thermostat. I think Zoo Med makes some cheap ones that work relatively well. Or go with the great Herpstat. I have one for my rack and love it. Probably gonna buy one for my quarantine rack as well.

[HERETiC]

Yeah I would definitely go with a Thermostat.

I picked up a few last month on eBay, Zilla 1000 Watt ones, for $25 - $30 each. I even got one for $20 shipped. They're a cheaper on/off type, not proportional, but for just a heating pad they should do well, better than a dimmer at least.

As for measuring temperatures, I'm not sure I would trust anything less then a Temp Gun. Regular thermometers are made for air temps, not ground temps. You can get a nice Pro Exotics surface temperature reader for $24 shipped. I think they're a good investment in the long run.