# EVO vs prime??



## jonnyg (Jan 24, 2014)

at the moment i'm running a prime 2 which controls a monkfield viv (corn) and a 4ft standard style viv (royal). the system works really well but for aesthetics i've had to hide the prime in the cabinet (it aint the prettiest thing to look at) so the downside is i have to go in the cab to check info. even if it was on top of the viv you still have to press a button to activate the back light to view it which is a little annoying as it would be nice to take a reassuring glance when I pass.

me and the other half are planning on upgrading our gear. we want to buy another 2, 4ft vivs to match the existing one the royal lives in and make a nice matching 3 viv stack. (I may also have persuaded her to let me have a 3rd snake although i haven't chosen what I wan't yet hehehe....I win!) lighting is controlled by an energenie (will have to get another one for the build no matter what i choose) so not a consideration point for the choice of climate controller. 


do I:

A) buy a prime 1 to cover the additional 3rd viv, hide the boxes and just live with the fact i won't have a nice info display on show.

or

B) buy 3 evo's and sell the prime 2?? 

or

C) buy 3 evo's and use the prime 2 as a highly elaborate and expensive cooling/ventilation fan controller for all 3 vivs?? 

i like the idea of each individual viv having it's own dedicated little touchscreen attached to the front with all the info on display so it's nice and easy to see the temps etc and change if needed as the prime's will have to rest on the top as there will be no space for a cabinet. however it's quite a bit of money to shell out and i expect i'm going to loose quite a bit of money if I choose to sell the prime 2. I just don't know what to do  

are the EVO's worth splashing the cash?? anyone got any experience with them? they certainly look the business and i'm a techno geek so i'm naturally attracted to it like a moth to a flood light!


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## Oxmonitor (Sep 9, 2013)

No experience of the EVO's but every review I have read has been very positive, I am changing all mine over and all new set ups will have an EVO!
I vote EVO!


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## Gazb123 (Sep 2, 2013)

jonnyg said:


> at the moment i'm running a prime 2 which controls a monkfield viv (corn) and a 4ft standard style viv (royal). the system works really well but for aesthetics i've had to hide the prime in the cabinet (it aint the prettiest thing to look at) so the downside is i have to go in the cab to check info. even if it was on top of the viv you still have to press a button to activate the back light to view it which is a little annoying as it would be nice to take a reassuring glance when I pass.
> 
> me and the other half are planning on upgrading our gear. we want to buy another 2, 4ft vivs to match the existing one the royal lives in and make a nice matching 3 viv stack. (I may also have persuaded her to let me have a 3rd snake although i haven't chosen what I wan't yet hehehe....I win!) lighting is controlled by an energenie (will have to get another one for the build no matter what i choose) so not a consideration point for the choice of climate controller.
> 
> ...


I have an EVO and I dont really like it. It may well be that I am so used to Habistat digital Stats that I just dont see any benifit of the EVO over the Habistat ones. In fact, I think there are some big limitations.

Efectively they are almost identical. there is a channel that you have to control the main stat you want to use ( the EVO can be selected for Dimming,pulse etc...which i guess could come in handy if you ever want to change your heating method....other than that, once you set it you have set it.) and there is a second channel ( misleadingly ( in my opinion) shown as a blue lizard that can run an on/off stat ( why ??????.....there is only 1 probe!!!) or most likely you will use it as a light timer !!!

The Evo has quite a short probe lead (yep lead....no leadS) and there is a fairly hefty "control" box that is not able to be mounted on the side of the Viv. I have tried to attach it with Velcro but it is too heavy and falls off. the control box is clearly meant to be sat on a flat surface at it comes with little rubber "feet" to attach to the bottom. There is not even a screw hole or indent to mount it.

Sure there are a couple of nice features such as you can have a few different temp settings. So for example you can have the temp start at 28 degrees at 8am and then at 10am up it to 30 degrees and then at 6pm down it to 28 degrees and then at 8pm set it to 0 degrees( if you want to turn it off like I do)

I have no experience with the Prime 2 but looking at it , in my opinion, it is probably a better option for the money. The EVO is expensive at about £90 and I am sure 99% of people will just use it as a standard dimming / pulse stat with an on/off light timer.......and you can get cheaper stats that do that !


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## archeressleo (Jul 24, 2012)

*question re prime 1*

hi i am sorry cant advise to your question as not used any yet of the ones you are asking about , 
i recently won a prime 1 , but i cant set it up , i am not sure if ts faulty or its just me being stupid . 
i downloaded the software ok and the drivers like it said , but i cant get the prime to show in the drop down box so i can select it , also i cant access the menu its self there are four direction arrows up.down lwft and right . i understand that the right is to access the menu . my issue is the three others make a kind of click noise when you press them but the right one doe not . is this normal .or dose it mean it broken . 
sorry a bit of a check asking but dont know any one who has one 

or can you recommend somewhere i can get instructions or help from 
ty


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## jonnyg (Jan 24, 2014)

i had the same issue with my prime mate, if you know your way around a computer its very very simple to sort. i will post up a link to a thread that takes you through the process shortly

not so shore about the button issue though, best thing to do is give microclimate a call they are uk based and very friendly.


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## Franklyn Scales (Aug 17, 2012)

Although I've got neither I was planning to upgrade some of my thermostats to either evo's or one of the Prime's, I don't understand why the Evo only has one temperature probe? Does the prime come with two probes? :hmm:


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## bigd_1 (May 31, 2011)

Franklyn Scales said:


> Although I've got neither I was planning to upgrade some of my thermostats to either evo's or one of the Prime's, I don't understand why the Evo only has one temperature probe? Does the prime come with two probes? :hmm:


the prime 1 comes whit 2 probes and the prime 2 comes whit 3 probes


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## Franklyn Scales (Aug 17, 2012)

bigd_1 said:


> the prime 1 comes whit 2 probes and the prime 2 comes whit 3 probes


Thanks for the info.:2thumb: I'm going to get a Prime 1 and see how I get on with it.


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## Mickyboa (Apr 2, 2012)

Guys seeing as you seem unhappy with habistat and microclimate, have you guys seen the new istat pulse plus ?
I currently run 2 of these and they are the best thing I've used in over 15 years of keeping


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## bigd_1 (May 31, 2011)

Mickyboa said:


> Guys seeing as you seem unhappy with habistat and microclimate, have you guys seen the new istat pulse plus ?
> I currently run 2 of these and they are the best thing I've used in over 15 years of keeping


after the last istat the last think i get is a istat


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