# Yet another DIY incubator



## GlassWalker (Jun 15, 2011)

No eggs on the long range radar yet, so I've got a while to perfect this one. Here's the work in progress:









Polystyrene box off ebay £8 delivered. Approx 47x36x36cm outside.









Temp sensor borrowed from crestie tank so I can look at min/max temps.









So much space inside! There's a 14W heat mat in the bottom, and a SIM on top of that. I could fit at least 4 SIMs in there. I haven't put spacers in yet.

The stat and heat mat were spare items I had lying around, so I thought I'd use them rather than buy a regular incubator.

The poly box has a kinda smell to it. I think it is a normal polystyrene smell as other unrelated pieces kept in enclosed spaces also have that smell too. Just checking that is normal? I have tried airing it out and washing it with disinfectant just in case, as I don't know what it might be been used for in past. The cardboard box it came in suggested live tropical fish.

I've just fired up the box with lid on to see how well it heats up. 14W doesn't sound like a lot to me, but if that is enough depends more on how good the insulation is I guess. To be added is the filled water bottles to act as a thermal buffer, but that can done later. Not pictured, I've also thrown in cheap dial hydrometer.

I'm debating if I should do a window mod to this to see inside, but that would probably reduce the insulation effect of the box.


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