Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So is there any difference between the:
1. Electronic BAH-1000 Thermostat (big apple.com)
2. Alife reptile electronic thermostat with probe ( lllreptile)

They look like the same product just repackaged under different names so retailers can sell it as their own.

Second question is where do you buy the Ranco thermostats that everyone on here is talking about. Is it a hardware store thing, or a specific thing that reptile supply places sell.

I plan on using these on the heat that comes with a Moonstruck cage. When I decide what to go with, I am under that impression that I will need a thermostat. ( I beleive as per the website its "low wattage flex-watt heat tape" .

Thanks

You can find Ranco t-stats from various online reptile supply vendors, on eBay, or from your local heating and refrigeration contractor. You can also call around to your local electrical suppliers like Consolidated Electric or whatever franchise is near you. I don't know that I've ever seen them at home improvement stores, but I never really looked. I use Fuji 1/32 DIM "PXV" temp controllers that I get through my work, via the "buddy" system. Its a proportional controller and I get them for less than $100. If anyone goes with a standard controller that takes a Type J or Type K TC and needs an extra thermocouple or two, let me know... I can give you a couple. Send me a message if you need them (free.... this isn't an ad).

-Jason

The two thermostats you mentioned first are very similar in looks, specifications and usage. They might be the exact same and purchased from the same manufacturer for use by OEMs for resale just like you stated.

Ranco's are just robust ON/OFF thermostats with a nice range for many heating/cooling applications, but they still are simply ON/OFF, not proportional. They require you to wire them (unless you buy them from www.theboaphile.com prewired - this is good for those who shouldn't be wiring their own). You can find them at www.herpsupplies.com, www.creativepetsupply.com (or look for Creative Pet and Aquatics) and on the kingsnake.com classifieds.

For heat mats and Flexwatt, the "best" control is with a proportional unit like Big Apple's Proportional. By "best" I mean most stable with less temp cycling.
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Mark