Why is this digital thermostat so cheap?

[Vypyrz]

Vypyrz

i noticed you place your UTH over the probe on the bottem, and used tape to tape the corners down. Why now peel the paper off and place the UTH over the probe with the sticky side, and just have it stick around the probe?

The reasons that I just stick them on with a couple of pieces of aluminum tape instead of the adhesive is from lessons that I learned early on.
1) It's easy to remove and re-apply whenever you need to wash and rinse the enclosure out. You don't have to mess with the cord getting in the way or accidentally damaging the connections. Also, if you upgrade to a new enclosure, you may be able to use the same UTH, and it makes transferring it to the new enclosure quicker and easier.
2) If you accidentally drop a rock hide through the bottom of the tank, it is alot easier to peel off two pieces of aluminum tape in order to put the UTH on the new tank than it is to try and seperate the UTH from all of the pieces of broken glass stuck to the adhesive.

[spyderrobotics]

spyderrobotics yes, but then again having it in the enclosure and u have the risk of the snake moving it around or posibly even detaching it, so im gonna stick with under the enclosure..

Possible. However, the clear packing tape I've used pretty much requires a razor to remove. I've still got plenty all over our front door where my five year old daughter decided to display her art.

So smooth surfaces I could see tape working great (glass aquariums, plastic tubs). If the surface is a textured finish like wood then I could see the tape lifting and not being ideal.

If you have a method that works for you no need to change it.

-Dion

[LizardPants]

The Herpstats are prewired so just hook up your UTH to it and mount the probe. I prefer having the probe in the tank mounted to the floor over the area where the UTH is. Secure the probe down with some clear packing tape. Then you can put newspaper or substrate over the top. Putting it underneath the UTH on the outside means ambient airflow can cool it off and you don't get a good idea what the actual temperature is in the enclosure. So for me.. probe in the enclosure, UTH under the enclosure. Having some risers under the enclosure is a good idea as it helps prevent the heat element from overheating and failure.

Dion Brewington
Owner, Spyder Robotics

I've always taped it to the bottom so that I have no tape in the enclosure. However you make a good point.

I've attached thermometer probes inside enclosures with hot melt glue, to no ill effect. Do you think one could attach the Herpstat probe with hot melt without damaging the probe?

[LizardPants]

Dion has a solid point that inside does have better performance especially in unstable room temps!. I don't like to use tape inside so I hot glued mine to the floor of the enclosure. I torture tested the probe and found that I can't lift it or shift it off the floor, it is unlikely a Royal Python could ever do so (a retic maybe...) The other concern is poop on the probe will generate a false return the unit. I use a back up on off (great use of a hydrofarm) with its probe on the uth and set high so if this does occur the herpstat will power down before over heating occurs.

I have never had that happen and I am not totally convinced of the need as the poop will be the same temp as the core temp of the snake and may not ever cool off to that point.

That sounds like a pretty good setup.

[spyderrobotics]

Do you think one could attach the Herpstat probe with hot melt without damaging the probe?

Definately. The sensors have a plastic molding and the wire is durable. The sensor itself is capable of high temperature. I've actually sold some custom firmware units for people using them to regulate chocolate production and even home brewing use where the temps reached up to 200F. I bet the hot glue would peel off pretty easily to if you needed to relocated it. The only thing to be careful on is not to tug at the connection point where the wire enters the plastic probe tip.

-Dion

[kitedemon]

Hosted on Fotki

It isn't the best job but it has been there for a while now ahh 5 or 6 months with no issues. This is the first one I did The second one I smoothed the top and covered it fairly well, it is easier to clean and at the back of the top enclosure so It is hard to get at. I use a steam system that cleans around it quite well and doesn't quite melt the glue.

[FrankieCarbone]

that was going to be my next question, would;t the hot glue damage the probe being as its so hot?

Anya,

here some pictures after todays visit to michaels.....

[LizardPants]

that was going to be my next question, would;t the hot glue damage the probe being as its so hot?

Anya,

here some pictures after todays visit to michaels.....

I doubt that hot melt gets up to 200 F, and if the probe is what I think it is, it can handle much higher temps than 200 F. The insulation on the wire, or plastic around the probe would fail first.

I'm not sure what the plastic is, but the point that ABS flows (ABS is a gelled fluid like glass) is around 220 C/428 F. Hot melt glue doesn't get anywhere near that hot.

[FrankieCarbone]

pictures for some reason did not show, but its in my gallery if u want to take a look...

I guess ill have a few weeks to think about how i am going to do it, wether under or over, the hot glue idea i like, but then im going to have to possibly drill a hole into the tank cuz i dont like having wires coming out of the tank (pet peeve) and then again i dont care much for taping my UTH instead of using it to stick firmly like hows its supposed to.