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Temperature controllers

gcsreptiles

gcsreptiles

Gene Richardson
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I have been looking at this temperature controller that has really caught my eye. You can buy them to controll 4, 8 or 12 cages at the same time at different temperatures. There are different upgrades you can purchase with it and you can even get a software to be able to control it with your PC. I have been looking at the 8 cage controller to run my Blood python cages and my colubrid racks. The cost of the 8 cage controller is $325 for the basic controller, which is actually pretty cheap if you think about it or compare it to Helix controllers. Here is a link to the site http://www.creativesci.com/cse/temp_ctrlx.html

Check it out and let me know what you guys think or if you've had any experiences with these controllers.
 
It looks like a decent setup. I'd have to give it alot of thought before commiting to that expense.

I like that it controls each cage independantly. A helix can easily be set up to control several cages, I have one controlling 4 cages now, but you are actually controlling them all based on the temperature of one. At the same time however, these thermostats you are looking at could easily be made to control double the number of cages, or even more considering each outlet can handle 250 watts. The key would be each cage controlled by a single outlet would need to be pretty much identical, and at fairly even heights from the floor. Otherwise, the temperatures in the cages without the probe could easily vary.
Proportional capability costs an extra hundred with these thermostats though, and is standard with Helix.

For smaller cages I use Repti-temp 500R thermostats. Even putting one per cage I can use those on 8 cages for less than $200. They have two outlets each and I commonly heat 3 cages with a single thermostat, since my heaters are low wattage flexwatt.

You also lose the programmibilty function with the cheaper model. Depending on your needs, this may be an issue. I like a temperature drop at night for some species, and in some situations.
The Big Apple proportional thermostat comes standard with this feature. It's also cheaper than a helix. I have one of these, and have been very pleased with it. My biggest complaint is that it only comes with one outlet.

Basically it comes down to whether you want to put that much cash up for the features you get. Should you double the capacity of the unit to 16 cages by adding outlets yourself, I think it would be a nice investment for a boid collection. Particularly if you have an old computer laying around to play with controlling it.
I do dislike the fact they want an additional $125 for that software though.
 
I tried to append this to the above post, but apparently the edit function is not enabled on this board either.

If you are a member of our monthly newsletter we offer substantial
discounts as well as free items. Only people who receive the newsletter are
eligible for discounts.
Click to expand...

Don't know if you noticed this or not btu if you're seriously considering buying one of these, it may pay you to get on that list.
 
I have been weighing my options pretty heavily. I have been using the Repti-temp 500R thermostats for a few years on my leopard gecko racks and I'm pretty satisfied with them.

I am in the process of upgrading my colubrid racks and my caging for my blood pythons. I've looked at Helix and Big Apples proportional thermostats and they look very impressive. But I was thinking about the future capabilities of these in the event of expansion. Like you said there is a potential of running 16+ cages with this controller. If you look at the expenses between all three manufactures the Creative Science would be the less expensive (if I've done my figures right). My problem is, I don't know the reliability of these controllers and if I'm going to put that much money into them I want to know that they are going to last me for years to come.

I joined their mailing list a couple of months ago. I got an email from them last month and they had the 8 cage controller with free pulse proportional upgrade and free shipping which isn't a bad deal if you consider that the proportional upgrade alone is $125. I didn't have the money at the time or I would have jumped on it.

Anyhow, I'm still looking into it and if I decide to get one I'll let you know how it works.
 
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