Damn. I knew the strips were, but I thought ExoTerra might be better. I'll see what I can do about a digital, and until then I'll have to live with the lamp I guess. I'd leave the tank at a single temp if the rat snake was still in it, but I moved him to a smaller tank and put my juvie ball in that instead.
If you don't mind me asking, what is it about them that makes them unreliable? Are they inaccurate, or do they stop working? How far off are they?