Heat Tape

[Reptilebasics]

Yes, silver is a very good conductor. The element we are selling has a silver paste used to make the connection between the copper and the black element lines. It is way to costly and not really necessary to use as buss bars though. Same reason you are not using silver wire in your house. The only explanation I was ever able to get on the nickel plating was that it prevents oxidation of the copper. Not sure why, the copper wire in house wiring oxidizes but that does not prove to be an issue in wire nut connections. Either way, the copper in heat tape is sealed up pretty good. I have some old (years) element I have been using without the nickel and it is not showing any signs of oxidation. Bot solder equally well if that s how you want to connect.

[Reptilebasics]

Getting tired and need to get some sleep before the plane ride tomorrow- I forgot to add to Robyn's point on the connectors. The new wire sets we just had made also provide a much needed strain relief on the wire itself by also clamping on to the insulation. They differ very slightly from the pics he put up, I will get new ones made shortly. This has been an issue in my mind with the AMP connectors, it is tricky to get a decent strain relief to take the stress off the copper wire in the cord. Over time with a bunch of wiggling this can be a problem. Fortunately that does not seem to be as big a problem in the reptile hobby as friction across the heat tape itself from tubs sliding in and out constantly. As Aaron pointed out early on, the new element has a much better feel to it. the laminate is a different material and during our examination seems to be every bit as durable, if not more so, as what we are used to. When you try out the new connections you will like them, no two ways about it. Ultra solid, super solid electrical connection, lower cost and lower profile for use in our hobby. I will roll them out this coming week when I get back.

I guess in all of this I would like to make something clear- maybe I am crazy for saying it but I have a pretty low BS threshold. I personally, and I think I speak for PE as well (Robyn?), am not trashing Calorique or their element. Quite the contrary, I was dragged into this by an over zealous internet expert who decided to let his mouth get a little ahead of his knowledge curve. He has told me that he revised his video btw- I have not checked it out yet. Fact is we have all been using the only product available to us for quite some time now. It works and in most situations works well. I do have an issue with being treated as an afterthought due to the industry I am in. Weeks on end without element because they are "too busy with export orders", product coming in trashed almost every time due to complete failure to pack it correctly and the list goes on. Through myself and other dealers you have spent ALOT of money on element over the last few years and all of us deserve the best we can get. A little competition can go a long way for everyone and there is always room to improve. Our goal was to raise the bar a bit and get something that was thought through for this very purpose from the start. Make improvements in the connection process and have something we can all get safer and easier use out of. It is my belief that this discussion and the tests "independent Aaron" has been kind enough to share will prove this out. Inevitably this will cause someone else to raise the bar a little higher, it will probably be us but that is how this works. You sit around and look at it but don't act and nothing ever changes.

Hope to see some of you in Pomona this weekend!