quick digital therm. question

Okay, this may seem like a really stupid question, but I'm going to ask anyway so please be gentle! First, let me say that I don't have my snake yet, but am testing the temps in the tank to get it right before she gets here. So, I got two $10 digital thermometers from wal-mart. They have an indoor and an outdoor setting. I turned on the UTH (hooked up to a rheostat) and then put the thermometers at opposite ends. Even with the rheo. turned up all the way and the probe on the glass I couldn't get a reading over 79.5 but it felt awfully warm to me. So I switched the setting to outdoor and it said 107! What is the difference between the indoor and outdoor settings? Also, I realize that humans are 98.6 but should 90 feel warm to my hand? This is what the therm. on the top of the substrate (aspen) under the warm-side hide says?

I realize that the temps should be mid-upper 80s and mid 70s. I am still tinkering with the settings. Would paper towels work to keep the snake off the glass?
Thanks for your help!

THe difference between the inside and outside is that the outside is what the probe is reading. The inside is the temp where the actually body of the thermometer(where screen is). Take the probe off of the glass, it wont do you any good there. you want the probe on the substrate because that is where the snake is on. I put my probe under the warm hide. As for keeping the snake off of the hot glass, i put a piece of cage carpet down under the aspen.

Thanks for the inside/outside clarification. The probe actually isn't on the glass in longer. I only had it there initially to get a reading. It is under the warm-side hide now. But I have heard many people say that some snakes burrow under the substrate so I wanted to have some idea of what the temp under the subs. is so that in case of burrowing the snake will not be harmed. The carpet idea is something I hadn't thought of. Thanks for the help!

Even with the carpet, you will still want a therm prob directly on the UTH to make sure it doesn't get too hot. Carpet isn't much of an insulator, and will heat up to what ever temp is applied to it. I would place the probe of one therm in the glass, and the other probe on top of or in the sub so you get readings in both places.

Don't want to see a burned snake case here.

I am going to make sure that I monitor the temp below the substrate as well. I don't want a burned snake either. I am a bit over cautious when it comes to these things, as I guess can be illustrated by the fact that I am already working on getting temps right and I wont have my snake for another week! But I guess that's a good thing. I only want the best for her. Thanks pcar!

there is nothing wrong with testing out your setup before you get your snake. I did the same thing, and still do when I am expecting hatchlings.