What cheap thermostat do you recommend?

[kitedemon]

There are two schools of thought on probe placement inside the enclosure with the animal or in direct contact with the heat. Interior placement is way more accurate. Exterior varies more with ambient temp variations.

I use both, as Robin says tape is unwise. I glue mine it MUST NOT MOVE no matter the placement.

The discussion with racks is different than everything else. My logic behind direct heat placement I use with a rack is easy.

safety over temp. I feel (my opinion here) Probes can be secured so that a snake simply cannot move then so ignoring that we come to cleaning. One tub is attached to the temperature control for the whole works. If you remove it to wash you either need to unplug the probe (if you can) and kill the heat to the rack while that is cleaned. Not too bad unless it is very slow. Or you could remove the probe every time. My probes are hard to remove as it is so very critical that it can't move that makes it difficult to remove too. Or you could just leave that tub empty all the time.

The second issue I have with this is if there is animal in that tub it needs to be checked everyday or so, and sliding out that tub and back in has a potential of breaking or damaging the probe cord some units have a fail safe that if the probe goes dead the unit shuts down ... no heat you then need to have a replacement probe fast. OR the unit will try to get the temperature correct by adding more heat but as the probe is not responding it can never get hot enough. It runs the potential to cook your collection.

The third option is to cut the bottom out of an old tub and fix the probe to that and then that to the heat and try to run a functional tub over top of it. My rack there is no way that would work as there is not enough clearance.

Normally I prefer interior probe placement (glued firmly in place) but with a rack the potential for damage to the probe and the issues surrounding cleaning over shadow the desire for easy spot on temps. At least in my way of thinking.

If there is a solution I missed please post it I would like a 4 better option but I can't think of one.

Maybe Dion or one of the others can make a wireless adaptor for the probes but to my knowledge no one does.