Thermostat/Rheostat Inquiry.

[Jay@PJCReptiles]

Hi Everyone,
I am going to make a purchase of a couple of high end temp controllers to regulate some bigger racks I have in the making. I would like to know, from the members that use either one of these products, which one you think is the best and why. This will be a substantial purchase so I would really appreciate your replies on either model and also the pro/cons will definitely help me make a decision on our purchase. Please don't reply with things like "It doesn't matter they both do the same thing." I would really appreciate why you chose either model and the facts behind what helped you make the decision to purchase that model. Thanks in advance.
Jay

The Spider Robotics Herpstat Pro

or

The Helix Control Systems DBS1000​

 

[Jay@PJCReptiles]

You mean to tell me that there isn't one person here who has an opinion about either one of these? :shrugs:
Jay

 

[Nanci]

Well, I have the Herpstat's little brother. I've only been running it a month, but it is very steady- the temps stay within a degree or less of what I have set. What I really like is the customer service. I wrote to the owner of the company with specific questions about how to adjust the thermostat for my really efficient cages, and he replied almost immediately with what to change the power matching setting to and with a couple other things to try if just changing the power matching didn't help enough. (But it did.) Also, I ordered another temp probe so I could have one in each cage and use either the top or bottom probe to base the temp on, without having to keep moving it, and it arrived very, very quickly from the manufacturer.

So- I'd say Spyder Robotics has excellent customer service.

Nanci

 

[ssmith_1187]

Like Nanci I too have a Herpstat. I purchased the Herpstat II back in February of this year.

I am using it to control the temperatures in 1 enclosure. I use one probe to regulate my UTH and the other probe to regulate my ceramic heat emitter.

When I first purchased it, I ran some calibration tests. The tests consisted of placing both probes from my Herpstat II into a cup of water along with the temperature probes from 4 different digital thermometers as well as 1 analog kitchen thermometer.

It turns out one of my brand new temperature probes was bad (it was recording a higher temperature) and talked to Dion from Spyder Robotics, here was his reply:

Steve,

Good work! I have had animals that have chewed through probes, crimped probe wires, this is the first sensor failure I have seen. :^) Email me your full shipping address and serial number on the bottom the herpstat and I’ll send out a replacement probe in today’s mail.

Dion

Like Nanci said, it took a little bit of work to dial in, like it does with any thermostat, but it holds the temperature stop on even in the much cooler lower floor of my house.

I had done research on both the Helix and Herpstat’s and found more positive feedback on the Herpstat. That’s not to say the Helix isn’t any good, but my gut told me to go with the Herpstat. After having the problem I had and seeing how Dion handled the situation, I would not hesitate to recommend Spyder Robotics and am considering buying another one for a future snake purchase.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Steve