Sorry to hear about your pastel. I have two Helix controllers and have not had any problems yet. I also have a Herpstat pro and it works fine as well. I ordered another Herpstat pro for some additional racking I am building, but the main reason I went with the herpstat pro was economy. Herpstat Pro - 4 Thermostats for $320 compared with 4 Helix for $520. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Also the herpstat has built in night time temp drop and reminders for breeding season. We also use Rancos for the incubator and I've had no problem with them to date.