The icubator I purchased (extra parts?)

[blackandblue_lulu]

When I went to a show earlier this year I purchased a used 1602 - School Observation Incubator Hovabator (the sticker says)

It has heating on the top and and two viewing windows.
Inside the incubate, they left me a hydrometer and a grate to place the shoebox with the eggs in it. At the bottom you put your water.

Now... I think this is a reostat or something. It's called a RS-808. I wasn't sure if I am correct...
I can submerge the probe looking piece into the sitting water and regulate it's temperature? but I can also plug in the top of the incubator into this to regulate it's temperature? (am I correct so far?)

I'm totally guessing on all of this.... from what I know.
If someone knows more or can correct me please do!

Thanks
So what is the meaning of the flex watt tape that came with it?

 

[blackandblue_lulu]

whoops. there is the top piece

 

[Ballfiend]

First I would check to see if that prob can be put in water. Second why do you care what the water temp is? Put the probe in an egg box that is the temp that matters.

 

[Pythonbreeder99]

They most likely bypassed the built in heater because they suck and regularly fluctuate about 10 degrees. Thats why they have the heat tape and the Rheostat (not a thermostat) its essentially a dimmer switch with a auto shut off but they still fluctuate about 5 degrees. I would invest in a $60 Ranco proportional thermostat, rip out the old heater and tape down the flexwatt with foil tape then plug the flexwatt into the thermostat and youre good to go and it youre using a shoebox with a lid as an eggbox there is no need to put water in the bottom since there will be water mixxed with your incubation medium.

 

[hhmoore]

Rheostats are okay, IF the room temperature is consistent. If the room temp varies, it will result in fluctuations because it isn't targeting a temp, it is simply running the heat source at a specific, reduced power level.
The RS-808 was an aquarium heater (chinese, sold cheap on ebay). I didn't see the heating element in your picture, so I'm not sure if it is still attached. The small black probe looking piece IS the probe. I've incubated eggs using a heated water reservoir - it works.
I don't know that I would use heat tape in an environment like that without making the connections (and ends) a whole lot more waterproof than those appear. Seems like a recipe for disaster.

The stock heater on the hovibators serve their purpose....but the wafer "thermostat" is not a great option for incubating reptile eggs. I personally dislike hovabators (for reptiles), so it has been a long time since I even looked at one; but I'm pretty sure the company recommendation is to replace the wafer/controller yearly.

 

[blackandblue_lulu]

Thanks guys, I was just curious to how to set it up correctly. Still a LONG ways away from eggs.

 

[snakesRkewl]

I would invest in a $60 Ranco proportional thermostat

Ranco's are not proportional.

OP I would ditch that thing and build a better incubator.
I built my first one from a free mini fridge, used a repti=temp 500R on/off thermostat(not recommended imo and neither is a rheostat) and 2 feet of flexwatt heat tape.
Cost me like $60 after all said and done.

Personally I wouldn't put any of my precious eggs in one of those styrofoam incs.

 

[blackandblue_lulu]

Ranco's are not proportional.

OP I would ditch that thing and build a better incubator.
I built my first one from a free mini fridge, used a repti=temp 500R on/off thermostat(not recommended imo and neither is a rheostat) and 2 feet of flexwatt heat tape.
Cost me like $60 after all said and done.

Personally I wouldn't put any of my precious eggs in one of those styrofoam incs.

Well put. I will look into building a new one.