# HELP PLEASE!! Habistat Digital Dimming Stat!!!



## lewkini

I received my digital dimming stat from live foods today, just thought id add very good service! :notworthy:

But ive hit problems which im hoping can be rectified!

Ive set it up correctly which i had followed neils youtube vid before i received it! Im currently testing where to place the prob and at the moment its in the middle of the viv on the ceiling.

Ive set the temp to 30c but i need a basking of 110-115f. (bearded dragon)

So away it goes, power meter goes up and i can see the power outage rising all good, i hit the 110f-115f basking temp and the stat is reading 28c so i let it carry on and the when it hits the 30c the basking is about 120f which isnt much of a prob as i can lower the stat slightly but as the probe detects it hits 30c it starts to dim the bulb which is correct but it dims it so much it goes out and the power outage goes to 0%. As the power outage is now 0% the basking temp goes down and was hitting 95f and the bulb hadnt even started to get bright again and the power outage was still 0%

Am i missing somthing here? i realise its mean to dim but it doesnt kick back in quick enough before the basking temp falls! 

I hope someone can help me, unless the digital versions are not meant for this type of application!

Many thanks

LEwis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

what temperature was the thermostat reading when power went to 0?


----------



## lewkini

If i remember correctly it was over the set temp!

Thank you for the reply neil i was hoping you would help me :notworthy:

Also i did notice my T5 was flickering a couple of times which i read the note in the box but i would say it was more then 6inches away!
Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

no problem, first of all the only issue you would encounter with the T5 if its too close would be the thermostat staying on full power we havent managed to find any other compatibility issues with those so you shouldnt have any concerns on that score, 

OK, So if the thermostat was reading over the set temp it will cut power to 0% if it calculates that its going to go over the set temp in a big way it usually cuts straight down to zero if it thinks its gradually creeping over the set temp it will dim the power in stages. If left for a long enough time it will gradually even itself out as the temperature drops, But it sounds like if it does that in the current probe location you wont get the basking temp you need. 

What i would suggest is reset the thermostat to the basking temp you are after which is about 43.c? and move the probe closer to the heater, set it on the back wall half way up the viv about 6" away from the heater towards the middle of the viv and see what happens.

It should bring the bulb up full power and then gradually step it down until it hits temp, it may take 30 minutes or so of warming and cooling until it settles. 

If it continues to go over temp and shut down to 0% you may need to go down in wattage of bulb.


----------



## lewkini

ok many thanks for the reply!

Ill give it a try in a bit just eating.

So just to put my mind at ease i should get it doing what i want ie never going off and holding a temp of around 110-115f?

Just worried i might have to go back to the old style altho i love the digital 

Thanks once again

Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

yes they are designed to do that, i think your probe was too far away and sitting in reservoir of heat being on the roof. try it how i said and see what happens, It might need some tweaking try and aim for 80 - 90% power output whilst maintaining your ideal basking temp. If its below 80% and maintaining your basking temp ideally you want to lower the bulb wattage.


----------



## lewkini

Ok thats cool,

The only reason i put it on the roof is cause of my viv build and the fake background i wanted all the wires out the way! can i place it on the roof at the back in line with the bulb? or does it have to be half way down?

If you check the link in my sig you will see my build!

Really do appreciate the help mate!

Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

wow! thats some build! Start off with the probe on the back wall just to get it set up and verify everythings working correctly and then experiment with it on the ceiling you may need to raise the temp on the stat though to compensate as obviously heat rises,


----------



## lewkini

Thanks :2thumb: Just plugged it all in now and hopefully ive understoof what you meant!


----------



## lewkini

Is looking better already  ill report back in a bit! altho the T5 just flickered thats only happened once tho!

It still powering down to 0% but the basking spot temp is not going as low it is 101f/38c before the bulb comes back on

Lewis


----------



## lewkini

Its hitting the set temp and still powering off but its starting to come on and off quicker!


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

Has it stabilised yet?


----------



## lewkini

Yeah seems to have  Just moved the probe closer to the top of the viv wait and see what happens  im so grateful for your help :notworthy:, fingers crossed it seems to be working! Part of the problem aswell is understanding how the system works which im starting to!

Ill report back with what happens! Hopefully it will be ok but worse case ill have to drill through the back ground and hide it with some other bushes etc!

As i said thanks once again!

Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

no worries, any problems just buzz me an e-mail,


----------



## lewkini

LFBP-NEIL said:


> no worries, any problems just buzz me an e-mail,


Without sounding stupid whats your email? :whistling2::blush:


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

[email protected]


----------



## lewkini

Still struggling even putting it back where is was last night  I think I may let the viv cool down completely over night and start from scratch tomorrow! 

So dissapointed right now that I can't get it working right! It's just keeps goin out! As I said ill leave it for tonight and start again tomorrow! 

If I can't get it working right can I exchange for a normal habistat dimming stat? Altho I don't want to I'm running out of time as I pick my beardie up next Monday!

Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

What type of bulb are you using?

How much over temperature is it going before dimming the power? 

Are you sure you have the day / night time / temp set correctly?

If possible can you do a video of the display in operation so i can see what its doing?

is it possible that there is something else in the viv pushing the heat up?

Do a simple test to check its functioning as follows.. 


set the day temperature to 30.c, 
set the night temperature to 30.c, 
make sure heater is plugged into socket 1 on the thermostat, 
place the probe outside of the vivarium and make a note of the temperature reading - it should be below your set temp of 30.c
Power readout will now either go straight onto 99% or gradually step up to 99% quite quickly 
place the probe inside the viv on the floor under the spotlamp
If the temperature is over 30.c the bulb will now go out and the power meter will read 0%
 the thermostat should now wait until the temperature drops below 30.c and the gradually adjust the power output so the bulb maintains 30.c at the probe location


----------



## lewkini

Appreciate the reply!

This is doing my nut in LOL! the last 20mins it seems to have stabilised!

Ive set up my video camera capturing what the stat is doing and in the last 20mins reviewing the footage the power didnt hit 0%  the lowest it hit was 14% but the highest was 18% but it was mainly around 15% it is set to 34c

Im using a 75w halogen, on my thermometer measuring the basking spot the lowest i reached was 116.8f and highest was 119.1f ill take some footage now and try and upload it although it may take some time so i may have to leave it for tonight give me 10mins ill let you know 
LEwis


----------



## lewkini

just uploading footbage now its only 25/30secs long i dunno if that helps!

I ran out of storage on my phone haha!

Im hoping its me doing something wrong, i think i may have it ok now but its only running at 15% power, what do i do to increase that? also if im honest the probe isnt in the greatest postions but if thats the only place in the whole viv is has to go then so be it!

I do really appreciate it as i want this digital to work as i do believe it is a good peice of kit!

Lewis


----------



## lewkini

Video



This is the best its been for the last 2 hours! maybe I'm just not giving it enough time once i move the probe! 

Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

Thats brilliant, 

Right basically its doing what its supposed to do, you have told it you want the probe location to be 34.c and its keeping it bang on 34.c and only using 14% of the bulb power to do so.

your basking spot is 47.c so not sure if you want it that high? should be ok for a beardie but if you are getting that with only 14% power it suggests that the bulb is too powerfull for the enclosure,


----------



## lewkini

So is all this bulb related my problems?

Cant i move the probe to allow for the bulb?

Also am i right in thinking that cant be the only position for it to work in the viv?

If i wanted to move it more to the left ie away from the bulb what should i do, up the temp or lower? or keep it the same making the stat use more power?

Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

basically yes! The bulb is mega efficient at chucking out heat it would seem, your basically getting a basking spot of almost 50.c by only using 15% of its power.

You can move the probe but it wont alter the amount of power used to achieve your basking temperature, 

For example if you were to put it directly underneath the bulb where the exo terra probe is and set the thermostat to 49.c it would still only use 15% power to achieve that. 

The further you move the probe away the more unstable it will become as it isnt reacting to direct changes in the bulb, its reacting to residual heat creeping down the vivarium.

For example to get your 49.c basking spot with the probe located in the cool end the hot end will go massively over 49.c before the heat creeps down to the cold end and the thermostat senses it,by the time the thermostat senses it the viv would then be over heated, drive the thermostat way over temp and cause it to shut down completely until it cooled enough to come back on and then the cycle would happen again. - I think this is whats been happening.

Basically to get the most stable system I would either leave that probe where it is or place it alongside the exo terra probe and readjust the thermostat to 48.c 

And definitely lower the wattage of the bulb as ideally you want to be hitting your basking temp of 48.c and have the bulb at almost full power say 80 - 90 %


----------



## lewkini

Appreciate the time taken to type that really i do!!!:notworthy:

Im starting to understand it now! 

Just check my exo terra thermometer and the max and minimum are around 115/117  that stat is still at 34c altho it might go up or down by .1c but the power adjusts to compensate 

So i think the ultimate answer is buy a lower wattage bulb!

Im going to call it a night for now neil i cant thank you enough i wish every shop/retailer was like you!:notworthy:

Ill go grab a lower wattage bulb tomorrow and take it from there!

Thanks once again

LEwis:2thumb:: victory:


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

No worries, leave everything set as it is, stick a lower wattage bulb in and you should get the same temperatures but by using more % power. then you can think about the final probe location and what temperature you need to set the thermostat at to even it all out. - now must go to bed !


----------



## lewkini

Before i read what you just put i turned it all on with the same setup from last night, i presume its normal for any stat to have to settle/stabalise when they first turn on every morning? 

As the stat is currently reading 30c and 99% power (its still set at 34c) but thermometer is reading 134.8f!! 

i presume this is normal as its only just been turned on?


If its normal thats fine, going out in a minute to buy a 50w bulb 

Lewis


----------



## lewkini

Power is now at 44% temp at 34.1 and the exo terra is reading 135.1f

As i said i presume this is just as it was only switched on about 45mins ago!

The max the exo terra registered was 146f

As i said im hoping this would happen with any stat just whilst it stabilises?

Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

lewkini said:


> Before i read what you just put i turned it all on with the same setup from last night, i presume its normal for any stat to have to settle/stabalise when they first turn on every morning?
> 
> As the stat is currently reading 30c and 99% power (its still set at 34c) but thermometer is reading 134.8f!!
> 
> i presume this is normal as its only just been turned on?
> 
> 
> If its normal thats fine, going out in a minute to buy a 50w bulb
> 
> Lewis



Yes thats normal as your thermometer is directly under the bulb in a concentrated beam of light/heat from the halogen and the thermostat probe is to the side so its waiting for the heat to creep over to it. 

You can leave the thermostat on 24/7 just set your night temp to room temperature and disable the alarm or put up with it beeping whilst the viv cools down.


----------



## lewkini

Just got back and i recorded what happened! 

Sucess i think! 

The power never went to 0% hovered around the 15-18% and kept it at 34c whilst the basking never went below 115 altho it had hit 140f i think at one point but that was when i first turned it on and it was stabilising i presume!

I couldnt get another halogen as they were out of stock so i bought these

http://catalog.gelighting.com/files/ProductPicture/4423_prod_incareflector63e27_440x440.jpg

in a 40w and 60w i put the 40w in first and weather i left it long enough i dont know but it wasnt reaching the basking temps and the stat seemed to have come to a stand still so swapped it for the 60 watt and that seemed ok but i just looked now and its gone to 0%  is these just as it stabilises again?

Lewis


----------



## lewkini

It went back up to about 50% power the stat hit 34.5 and now its gone to 0% again!


----------



## lewkini

It would seem that any slight adjustment either from probe placement,bulb change or the stat temperature change takes about an hour or so to stabilise again!

At 34c the 60 watt bulb stablised after going to 0% once but it wasn't reaching 110/115f basking spot temp so i upped the temp to 35c on the stat and it still didnt reach it so i went down to wickes and bought another 2 60w bulbs being these

Philips 42W ES R63 Halogen Reflector - Halogen Bulbs - Light Bulbs -Tools, Electrical & Plumbing - Wickes

another being

Philips 42W ES R80 Halogen Reflector - Halogen Bulbs - Light Bulbs -Tools, Electrical & Plumbing - Wickes

both of which with the stat set at 35c is using 54% power and basking of around 120f 

What should i do to get the power % up still!

the basking is a little hot so i can down the stat temp but once that settles i presume it would return to using 50% of the power!

Do i need to go down to a 40w bulb?

Just for your info the first bulbs i bought the 40w and 60w werent halogen which i feel is why they wasn't giving me the basking temps!

LEwis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

I would leave it at that or else you are going to drive yourself crazy adjusting it adinfinitum ,


----------



## lewkini

Is there any downside to only getting 50% power?

Would going down to 40w get 80/90%? 

Lewis


----------



## lewkini

Just got back in from being out for 6 hours and it never went down to 0%  the first 3/4 hours it was using between 20/40% but as time went on it used 30/40% but with in the last 2 hours its been using 40/60% is this just as it fine tunes it as time goes on? The basking temp ranged from 113f to 122f so still a little high but ill bring the stat temp down a little! 

I think I may have finally got it but I'm not moving the probe now lol! 

Ill go to a proper electrical shop that wasn't open today and buy a 50w halogen and hopefully ill see power around 70/80% which ill the be happy with!

Thanks for all your help Neil! 

If there's anything too add or I should know feel free, feels good that I might have finally cracked it  

Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

:2thumb: glad its sorted


----------



## lewkini

If I can't get the power % up does it matter? Out at the moment so ill check what the new 50w halogen is producing! 

Thanks once again

Lewis


----------



## reptiles-ink

I'd rather have a low % during normal conditions as if the room temperature drops the bulb can increase in power to compensate. If its nearly at full power it can't increase much so you could struggle getting temps during winter of cold spells.


----------



## lewkini

50w hasn't helped was only using 11% and wasn't reaching the basking temp!

If I upped the stat temp with this use more percentage?

Plus to top it off it isn't my T5 flickering its the basking bulb which ever one I've used it's flickered randomly! 

This is all doin my head in! I can go back to the the bulbs I bought yesterday but it doesn't help the flicker

Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

If 50w was only using 11% and didnt reach the basking temp then just turn the thermostat up, you will get better results if you position the thermostat probe in the basking spot and set the basking temperature on the thermostat. Thats one advantage of the Digital stats - they go up to 50.c.


----------



## lewkini

Will that use more power tho?


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

it should do, which should also stop your flickering your getting which seems to happen with halogen on the dimmers when they are at a low voltage


----------



## lewkini

ok just done it wait and see If i cant get this right neil is there anychace of a refund or exchange?

Im hoping i wont have to!

LEwis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

If you need to send it back then you can do But it would be a shame as these are so precise at what they do.


----------



## lewkini

Thats what i cant get!! I cant get how its not working!! :bash::bash::bash:

I dont get why im not hitting the power output i need!

Im getting so pissed off and down aswell as spending about £30 on different bulbs LOL


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

put the 50w bulb in, set thermostat to 46.c and stick the probe on the basking spot - see what happens. 

You have to remember your custom build is essentially one massive polystyrene box and incredibly well insulated so is going to retain heat a lot better than a standard viv, this might be adding to the confusion.


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

im going to be online for the next hour so give me a step by step whats happening - we will get this cracked!!


----------



## lewkini

HAHA! Ok ive set it at that about 20mins ago from scratch as i was working inside the viv and turned it all off, so its been on 20mins set at 46c its currently power outage 34% temp is reading 44.2


----------



## lewkini

And yet ive just looked at my basking exo terra thermometer and its reading 117 :censor::censor::censor:


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

is power output gradually increasing?


----------



## lewkini

This is how I've got it currently










Wether that helps or not I dunno lol! 

Lewis


----------



## lewkini

It has done since i turned it on but currently still sitting at 34 infact its just gone up to 35% the stat is now reading 44.8


----------



## lewkini

Now its 35% and the stat is 45.2c basking spot is 119.3f!

Ive jus placed a spare thermometer in along side the other one to make sure its functioning correctly


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

Ok, it knows its nearing temp so the power will now go up very slightly, 

Now - pay attention - the halogen beam is very focused and intense directly below, so its going to be difficult to run the bulb at near full power and get the basking temp. Next experiment - move the thermostat probe down the branch so its just outside of the light beam - roughly in front of the plant in the left of the picture - report back what happens to power outage


----------



## lewkini

Done and the power outage has shot up to 44% and the stat is reading 39.8 basking 116.2 but that cud be a little low as i opened the viv


----------



## lewkini

55% 38c basking 117.3c

ive now got it like this


----------



## lewkini

The power outage is going up constantly i cant keep up lol! its now at 88%

This is all good but once it hits the required temp wont it just go back down to 20/30%?


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

give it 5 mins and report back power outage should be creeping up, thermostat temp should be creeping up - your basking thermometer will be going up but just ignore that for the moment.


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

lewkini said:


> The power outage is going up constantly i cant keep up lol! its now at 88%
> 
> This is all good but once it hits the required temp wont it just go back down to 20/30%?


thats what we are going to find out - hopefully


----------



## lewkini

ok cool, Is there any down sides to having the probe near the basking spot?


----------



## lewkini

The stat temp is going up very very slow should i still leave it where it is?


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

lewkini said:


> ok cool, Is there any down sides to having the probe near the basking spot?


not with this system as it can handle high temps up to 50.c, having to offset the probe to get a high basking spot is only applicable to the old thermostats that would only go to 35.c


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

lewkini said:


> The stat temp is going up very very slow should i still leave it where it is?


leave it for the moment - whats the temp and power output now


----------



## lewkini

99% 36.2 its was on 36.1 5 mins ago as you can see its going up very slow lol!


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

has it been at 99% for five minutes


----------



## lewkini

Just to add something the bulb still flickers every now and then! twice in the last minute! altho hopefully i can sort that after!


----------



## lewkini

Yeh it has


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

whats the thermometer in the basking spot reading now


----------



## lewkini

129.2f


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

whats the thermostat reading


----------



## lewkini

36.6c


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

ok change the thermostat to 40.c - report back


----------



## lewkini

stat is now reading 37c power still 99%

Should the power start to come down as it approaches the 40c?


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

is it still climbing slowly?


----------



## lewkini

yeh its now 37.1


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

whats the basking temp now?


----------



## lewkini

131.5


----------



## lewkini

its reading 37.2 with the stat set at 40c with 99% power


----------



## lewkini

neil if you gotta go or want to go to bed which i dont blame you lol you could explain to me what the next steps are and what should be happening along those steps! if its easier and you want to get off!


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

right, change thermostat to 37.c - this might make it go a bit up and down for a few minutes - report back


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

lewkini said:


> neil if you gotta go or want to go to bed which i dont blame you lol you could explain to me what the next steps are and what should be happening along those steps! if its easier and you want to get off!


im here for the duration now - we are almost there


----------



## lewkini

ok current reading as i changed it was 37.3 with the stat now at 37 power is now 98% but this has only literally just been changed to the new temp


----------



## lewkini

48% lol i presume this is to be expected!


----------



## lewkini

Temp is now coming down to 37.1 with the power at 47%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

yep, keep watching the temp as it drops to 37.c report back with the power %


----------



## lewkini

now the power is 57% temp 37c basking 130f


----------



## lewkini

Still at 37c with power 57% basking 129.4


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

open the door up let a bit of the heat out so it drops below 37 and lets see what power it needs to get back to and hold 37


----------



## lewkini

It went to 37.1 power down to 48% then split second later went to 37 then 56% and thats currently how it is!


----------



## lewkini

dropped it to 35.7 now its 88% actually 90% and 36c


----------



## lewkini

36.5 92%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

ok now set the thermostat to 38.c and report back with the power outage


----------



## lewkini

Back up at 37 93% now 88%


----------



## lewkini

ok now it 37.5 99%


----------



## lewkini

37.7 99%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

almost there, i am guessing its going to be about 60% power to hold 38.c


----------



## lewkini

LOL! its just hit 38c still 99% but its only just hit it


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

give it a moment, it will re calculate and adjust the power


----------



## lewkini

still 99% 38c


----------



## lewkini

38.1 94% now 38 99%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

this could be it! pmsl - is it struggling to get past 38.c


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

where are we sitting on the power meter at the moment?


----------



## lewkini

LOL pmsl what do you mean this could be it? :blush:

LOL 38.1 92%


----------



## lewkini

38.1 91% now 90%


----------



## lewkini

38.1 88%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

i think we are nearing perfection! :2thumb:

keep typing in the readouts! im watching with interest - going to be a boring thread for some one to read but nevermind:whistling2:


----------



## lewkini

PMSL! 83% 38.1c

My basking is 134.2f though :whistling2:


----------



## lewkini

38.2 91%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

whats the distance roughly between the thermostat probe and the basking spot probe?


----------



## lewkini

38.2 87%


----------



## lewkini

3 inches


----------



## lewkini

had to open the door so temp dropped to 38 now its reading 38.1 with 92%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

lewkini said:


> 3 inches


see your getting a temperature spread of 38.c > 56.c in only three inches, the beam of the halogens is so concentrated you will always get that super heated spot in the centre but that wont be a problem - dont forget hard surfaces such as rocks in full sunlight become super heated. 

what are we reading now?


----------



## lewkini

38.3 86%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

cool, keep them coming


----------



## lewkini

LFBP-NEIL said:


> see your getting a temperature spread of 38.c > 56.c in only three inches, the beam of the halogens is so concentrated you will always get that super heated spot in the centre but that wont be a problem - dont forget hard surfaces such as rocks in full sunlight become super heated.
> 
> what are we reading now?


I get what you mean but isnt that going to be bad for the dragon?

cant i adjust it anyway even just to bring is downs slightly?

I still am confused how you have managed so quickly to get it operating at 80%!


----------



## lewkini

38.4 78%


----------



## lewkini

38.4 73%


----------



## lewkini

38.4 69%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

Dragon will be fine its only 1" of branch thats going to be around 50 - 55.c the rest of the branch is going to be less than that so perfect for letting the beardie find his happy gradient. 

what we reading now?


----------



## lewkini

38.3 64%


----------



## lewkini

38.3 79%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

whats the distance between the bulb and the basking spot


----------



## lewkini

9 inches


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

whats the current cool end temperature?


----------



## lewkini

im just a lilttle concerned about the temp on the basking spot  if i wanted to fine tune it that bit more even to bring the temp down to 120f what would i do? 

Been trying to work this out in my head! would i move the probe closer and down the stat?


----------



## lewkini

81f and the hot end is 90f with the basking 134.c  the other 2 are spot on pretty much!


----------



## lewkini

38.3 79%


----------



## lewkini

38.5 63%


----------



## lewkini

38.4 56%


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

Ok, - Probe can stay where it is - if you want to lower the basking spot you will need to lower the temperature on the thermostat - However - you will not be able to get a lower basking spot temperature and run the bulb at roughly 80% power. As the basking spot is only 9" away from the bulb as we discovered earlier to run the basking spot at 46.c it only needed 40% power. 

I really wouldnt worry about 50.c basking as its literally only an inch and not hot enough to do any damage


----------



## lewkini

So theres no way of getting a basking spot of 46 and running at 80/90%?

When you say

"I really wouldnt worry about 50.c basking as its literally only an inch and not hot enough to do any damage"

What do you mean its literally only an inch? if im understanding you right the 2 probes are 3inches apart? is that what you meant?


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

This is running about as sweet as you will get it now, those temps are bang on, the % will fluctuate a bit, cold days it will go up, warm days it will go down,

That super heated spot is literally only an inch in size and no where near what is experienced in nature, you have got a good cool end and good warm end and a basking site that goes from 38.c to 55.c in a small localised area, 

seriously this is spot on.


----------



## lewkini

LOL! ok one finaly question does it matter if i place the probe on the back of the log out of sight? one because the beardie will sit on it and plus i have tried getting the viv with no wires on show? i know i may have to adjust the temps slightly?


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

lewkini said:


> So theres no way of getting a basking spot of 46 and running at 80/90%?
> 
> When you say
> 
> "I really wouldnt worry about 50.c basking as its literally only an inch and not hot enough to do any damage"
> 
> *What do you mean its literally only an inch? if im understanding you right the 2 probes are 3inches apart? is that what you meant?*


look at your basking spot, its directly under the beam of light, 3 inches to the left is the thermostat probe, so that space that your thermometer probe is in is roughly one inch, we know that 3 inches to the left is 38.c so the space in between is going to be between 38.c - 50.c

If a beardie doesnt want 50.c it will move down the branch or off it all together.


----------



## lewkini

ok i think i get it lol!

I get what your saying if the bear die doesnt want it then thats fine!

It just about the one inch bit lol maybe its cos its late, ill have another read tomorrow!

Just shat my pants tho as the light had gone off! i then realised thats the night time had kicked in and it was still as 35c lol!


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

lewkini said:


> LOL! ok one finaly question does it matter if i place the probe on the back of the log out of sight? one because the beardie will sit on it and plus i have tried getting the viv with no wires on show? i know i may have to adjust the temps slightly?


you can do, if you move it round the back remember this...


if power is always at 99% > lower the thermostat temperature by 1.c at a time until it hits the 80% region

if power drops to below 50% all the time > raise the thermostat temperature by 1.c at a time until it hits the 80% region.

The power will fluctuate all the time but as it is now is perfect so step away from the dials and get ready to enjoy owning a beardie


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

going to call it a night now, but i think we are there! dont tinker with it too much and stop worrying as those temps were bang on


----------



## lewkini

LFBP-NEIL said:


> you can do, if you move it round the back remember this...
> 
> 
> if power is always at 99% > lower the thermostat temperature by 1.c at a time until it hits the 80% region
> 
> if power drops to below 50% all the time > raise the thermostat temperature by 1.c at a time until it hits the 80% region.
> 
> The power will fluctuate all the time but as it is now is perfect so step away from the dials and get ready to enjoy owning a beardie



HAHA PMSL !!!!! that actually made me laugh out loud!

When you say 1c do you mean .1 or 1

Well considering you were going to go offline at 11 u must be mad or just very kind!

I cant thank you enough i was seriusly loosing my mind trying to sort it out but it looks like youve done it! 

Thank you soooo much expect alot more orders coming your way as this is the best customer service i have ever recieved!

One other thing the bulb just flickered lol

Im getting an arcadia halogen tomorrow so ill see if that solves the flickering!

Ill let you get to bed now!

Thanks neil your a star :notworthy::notworthy::2thumb::2thumb:


----------



## tomcannon

Just saw your reply on the other thread Lew. Looks like you don't need any more help! :2thumb: I'd agree those temps are fine, some love a warmer hot spot and there's plenty of gradient anyway. One thing I will suggest. If its possible I'd try putting a rock or similar platform under/next to the log at the basking spot, this will allow your dragon even more of a temp gradient rather than just up and down the log. Not a necessity but it may be beneficial to your dragon. 

Now hurry up and get that dragon in there! : victory:


----------



## lewkini

Thanks for the reply tom if both you are saying the temps are fine then im all good!

I just popped home for lunch with it being on since 8 this morning and the temp is at 38 which it should be but the power is around 50% i set the camera up and its gradually came down to 45/50% over a about 1 hour 30mins

The basking temp reached a max of 133f but my cool end is now showing 84f

Is this cool enough?

As i was goin to up the temp .5c to see if i can get the power outage up or dose it really not matter?

Lewis


----------



## LFBP-NEIL

I think your viv is so well insulated with all that backing i think this is as good as its going to get and to be honest its pretty much spot on, 

now leave it alone :whip:


----------



## lewkini

LOL! :Na_Na_Na_Na:haha ill promise ill leave it aslong as that cool end temp is ok at 84f?

Lewis


----------



## my_shed

I'm pretty sure your bulbs will last longer if they're running dimmed most of the time. The filament won't run as hot and doesn't fail as quickly.

Dave


----------



## lewkini

Even more reason just to leave it set now haha


----------



## lewkini

Hate to say it but something is flashing/flickering ! ive got an arcadia T5 and and arcadia halogen 50w. the night temp is set to 0c and the T5 is plugged into socket 2 which is controlled by the timer!

So its all off now but something is flickering either the T5 or the halogen!

Ive tried looking but i sit there for what seems like forever and it doesnt happen and then as soon as i look away it flickers lol so im unsure which it is!

Is this normal? Could it be the halogen cooling down? Any advice?

Will it harm my beardie?

Lewis


----------



## lewkini

Scrap that i just sat for 10mins waiting and watching!!!

Its the arcadia basking halogen flashing/flickering!

100% it would keep my beardie awake as its such a bright flash, this happens during the day aswell but it never happened on the old thermostat that im aware off!

Any ideas?

Plus at night i set the temp to 0c but the bulb still has a faint glow which i tried to capture on camera but its hard but here it is



Will this affect him? should it be like this?

Thanks

Lewis


----------

