Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do any of you guys use these thermostats? I'm pretty much retarded in this area, so how do they work? I'm used to using heat pads and lights with timers and read outs from temp guns. Do you plug your heating pads into the helix controls and that regulates the amount of power used, therefor regulating the tempature? If anyone has experience using these could you help me out with a general understanding? Thanks.

Sounds like you've got it right. I have the Helix DBS1000. It has a power strip that allows you to plug up to 3 different things into it. You set the Helix to your desired temp anywhere from 65-110 degrees and then place the Helix's temp probe where the area is to be heated. Just set it, and forget it!

Lance

I don't know about Helix but aren't they quite expensive? I use a regular home thermostat that can handle up to 600 watts. Mine is from Honeywell. All I do is connect it in-line on an extension cord. Plug 1 end of the cord into the wall, and the other end into an outlet strip or directly to the heating device. It's an (ON / OFF) principle and it keeps the temps steady. By only having heat at one end I get a good gradient. All for about $20 if you include the cost of the outlet strip.
-----
DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

If going this way the thermostat is not in the cage getting the temp's that you want. (unless you have a whole lot of wiring inside too) I would like to get a Helix type setup, but what I've done is used outdoor light fixtures mounted inside the enclosure with a dimmer switch mounted just outside. This power is then wired into an extension cord. This relies on you measuring, adjusting, measuring, adjusting ect until the proper temp is set. This allows for easy adjustments but they still have to be done manually.

Actually my thermostat IS on the inside. How else would I get the temps I need?
-----
DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

Of course, I must've read your previous post wrong