Quote Originally Posted by Spookychief View Post
Radiant heat panels are great for keeping ambient temps up but they are just not effective enough to provide a hot spot, in my opinion, but that certainly doesn't mean it cant be done.
I'm not sure if I 100% agree with this statement but I'll preface it by saying this is only based on what I've researched and a couple weeks of testing out my new AP enclosure which ONLY has an RHP installed. I have my Thermostat probe hanging 2/3 down the wall on the cool side and I have it set to create the ambient temp I'm looking for. This in turn also creates a nice temp gradient where my warm side surface is the high 80s where I want it to be. It's all about giving yourself enough time to play with the Thermostat temps to get the right numbers in each area of your enclosure.

Two things which jumped out at me while reading some of the OPs posts were the RHP measuring the same size as the lid and raising the temp of the heat pad to maximize the heat that the BP will feel. If your RHP is the size of the lid, you probably won't be able to create a temperature gradient unless your only using it to control your cool side and your Thermostat is right underneath it and your using a heating pad for the hot side.

When using a heating pad (or RHP, etc...), you want the absolute bottom surface where a snake 'may' burrow to be no hotter then the range you need it to be. Don't raise the temp thinking the substrate needs to be at that level. A snake will burrow to find the heat he/she needs.