Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Greetings!

I just purchased a HabiStat Digital Pulse Proportional Thermostat, which comes with a three meter sensor cable... I only need a very short cable for my setup. Should I have an appliance shop do the work, or is it a simple DIY project? I didn't open the thermostat yet, just in case it might be a bad idea. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience in doing this. Thanks!

Open the controller case and look at where the cable connects to the board. Is it a connector, or solder only? Probably solder only - less costly usually.

Anyway, if it is soldered, then it can be unsoldered, trimmed, and re-soldered. As long as you know how to solder electronics. Circuit board solder pads can be delicate, definitely not something you want to solder/unsolder many times. A few times is fine.

Do you have the tools to strip the small gauge wire? Do you have an appropriate soldering iron? A 30 watt is good. Sparkfun.com has them. Soldering station with temp control is always best.

Another idea - fold up the sensor cable and use a velcro tie to secure it. Better than shortening a cable that in the future you might wish was long again.

Thanks Mark! Knowing that it's possible, I'll just take it to someone who has the tools to do the job right. I thought about the cable tie solution, but actually shortening thw cable would be the best aesthetic solution!

I agree in this case, taking it to someone with the right tools will get you what you want w/o damage to the unit.

I have been making and hacking controllers for some time now, and I have ruined my share in the process. Even though my latest creation is still somewhat bulky compared to what you can buy online, I still love doing this maker stuff.