Thermostat Question

[goReptiles]

I current have a helix, but i'm thinking about getting a new rack. The guy that I'm getting the racks from sales both helix dbs 1000 and johnson control a419. Any suggestions as to which is better or which I should get?

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Ive heard good things about both but Ive never used the johnsons Ive only used the Helix DBS 1000 and loved it.

 

[Nigel4less]

I use a helix for my incubators and racks and they work like a charm!

 

[KHGeckos]

im using helix right now for my racks and it has never failed. always on point too.

 

[goReptiles]

the reason i ask is becuase the johnsons is cheaper by a long shot. i have a helix in my current rack, but i'm needing another rack, which means i need another thermostat. anyone know where i can find more info on the johnsons? if not first hand info?

 

[trizzypballr]

I actually in the exact same position, Im building more racks and use the helix right now and considering johnsons/ranchos but know absolutely nothing about them. Hopefully someone enlightens us both

 

[gko reptiles]

The helix thermostats had a lot of BAD problems when they first came out which lost the respect of a lot of people but now I guess they are on the up an up. We use Rancos on all of our racks and they work great. One thing to think about... are you making the same type rack with the same tubs and heat source?? If you are the rancos and johnsons can manage up to 1500 watts. You can easily run two racks off the same thermostat if they are the same type rack.

 

[trizzypballr]

are the Ranchos and Johnsons proportional, or on/off? what are the differences between the 2?

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Rancos I think it is an on/off type

Johnsons on/off type

Helix proportional

1500 watts is a ton, thats about 150 feet of 3" flex watt at 10 watts per foot or if you have the 6 watt its 250 feet

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Ranco is an on/off thype thermostat according to their site
http://www.rancoetc.com/?gclid=CK-Ro9OR9I0CFRqWGgodwF9PMA

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

the reason i ask is becuase the johnsons is cheaper by a long shot. i have a helix in my current rack, but i'm needing another rack, which means i need another thermostat. anyone know where i can find more info on the johnsons? if not first hand info?

You may not need another thermostat, if the footage and watts are the same as on the old rack you can use the same thermostat up to the wattage the thermostat will control.

 

[gko reptiles]

Only way you can use the same thermostat is if the tubs on both racks are the same size, also if the heating is the same (ex. both have 3 in belly flexwatt both 10 watt) You cant use the same thermostat on different size tubs because smaller tubs will heat up faster than the bigger ones and the thermostat goes on and off only according to one temperature. Hope that makes sense.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Exactly:

if the footage and watts are the same as on the old rack you can use the same thermostat up to the wattage the thermostat will control.

But you can use different size tubs to a point, you can use shoe box 6qt and 15 qt on the same rack, the same portion of the tub is heated, the back 3" on the bottom of the tub and the belly heat is the same.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Or you can use some 15qt with some 32, thats how they are usually built to accommodate 2 tub sizes

 

[trizzypballr]

i read somewhere today that you actually arnt suppost to use a dummy container for the thermostat probe which is news to me, I understand why it is safer, but it would give a false reading for your containers, but im actually thinking about doing it that way on my new racks and just ignoring the temp my thermostats read and going by my temp gun temps

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

A dummy container is normally used in an INCUBATOR not a rack, you place a incubation container just as you would normally set it up for eggs in the incubator for the probe.

Reason being, wet incubation material will be a slightly different temp than dry air.

You COULD also do this for your rack, just leave an empty bin somehwere on the middle row and put the probe in but always remember heat rises, the top bins will be slightly higher than the top bins so you need to check them all. Get a good 90 on the bottom and 92 on top and you will do fine.

But if you have 92 on the bottom and 94 or more on top the top is too hot.

 

[eyelids]

I just use Big Apple BAH-1000s on my racks... They're cheap and work really well once you calibrate them correctly... Although I do use Helix DBS-1000s on my incubators...

 

[scottmckillips]

I use the ranco's on my racks and really like them. One thing to think about is were your racks are located. If the are in a bedroom or some place where noise might be a problem to you the ranco's and quite possibly the johnson's have a audible click on and off. Hope this helps.

Scott

 

[goReptiles]

they would be the exact same rack. open air rack by jungle habitats plastics. i thought about putting them on the same thermostat, but i didn't know how, as the first rack is set up to the thermostat, i didn't know how to set up a second. Plus my dad did the flexwatt on the first one because i accidently ordered it without heat. I want this one predone for me. In order to do that, I have to buy the thermostat with them... I think anyway. I'm waiting on a reply back about that. Plus I'm sure that with how they attached the heat will be different from how my dad and I attached it. I mean in terms of where. I don't know if that would affect the thermostat though... I dunno...

when you say on/off do you mean in the sense of when the heat has reached it's desired temperatures, it shuts off and turns on when needed? or what exactly is mean by that?

 

[goReptiles]

i take it back, I can attach two more extensions to the thermostat I already have. My dad is still iffy about it though. By attaching another extension to the heat tap of another rack, can the prong end of the second extension be plugged into the other side of the thermostat cord? Also, if I can do this, I would just need another prob to hook up to the second hole in the thermostat? I hope this makes since... :-/ Again it would be the same exact design, to include height, levels, tub sizes, etc. The guy attaches the heat tape for belly heat, which is how we were able to attach this one... would it work?