RHP Probe Placement

[CrotalusFan]

I'm putting together a few AP T8's and am not sure the best method to attaching the probe for the RHP. I installed a probe in direct contact with 11" Flexwatt on the bottom. The issue is that the RHP is approx. the same size and I can't very well place the probe at substrate level or it's going to adjust off of the flex heat vs. ambient. Has anyone run into this? I'm considering either silicone directly to the panel or attaching the probe approx. halfway down the rear or side wall. Leaning more towards direct contact and adjusting accordingly but figure it's a question worth asking.

Separate question on mounting. I'd like to stack my AP's and the mounting hardware included with the Pro Products RHP's are meant to go through the top with a nut on the other side. I'm leaning towards picking up some appropriately sized wood screws drilled and set to 1/4 deep but tried and true is appreciated there as well.

[Stewjoe]

I tape the probe to the wall of the cage half way down. Remember your hot spot may be anywhere from 5-10 degrees hotter than your setting so you have to closely monitor temps.

[CrotalusFan]

Thanks.....I was actually able to find room for it on the substrate level. Found some inch and a half wood screws that worked out perfectly for the panel; and due to the lights I had to mount it sideways which gave me a few inches of open space between the end of the RHP and flex. I'll still need to count on the temp gun to get an accurate gradient adjustment but looks like it will work out OK.

[CrotalusFan]

Actually I scrapped the flex completely. Letting it regulate for the night and will see what it looks like.

[Sublimeballs]

For my RHP that are heating the ground and don't have a perch under them I glue the probe wire to the abs plastic housing(I use RBI RHPs) of the heat panel and the probe hangs about two inchs under the panel and regulate temps fine. I've found that heat tape and a panel together is overkill for me. If your room is cool it might be needed but the heat panel should have no problem heating the hot spot and subsequently ambient. I have a 5.5'x2.5'x1.5' cage heated perfectly on an 80 watt heat panel.

[sharthun]

I just lay my tstat and temperature probes on top of substrate somewhere under the rhp in my t10's . Works great most of the time until snakes bury them. You will have a difficult time trying to get any tape to adhere to ap cages lol. Hot glue will work as well.

[CrotalusFan]

Wish the same could be said for silicone. Not sure what I was thinking but was sealing the divider when it fell over and spread silicone all over the back wall. I then added to my mistake and instead of letting it dry I tried cleaning it up and made a considerable mess. Being that it's slightly pourous a razor blade doesn't appear to do any good. Took a very nice enclosure and made it look like a 2nd rate build. Looks like I'm stuck with it at this point. Lesson learned....

[reptiledude987]

A fresh razor bladde should scrape the silicone off. If not once its set a green scrub pad and some elbow grease will do it too.

[CrotalusFan]

I grabbed a new one out of my toolkit but it seemed to only grab the higher stuff. Meant to say slightly dimpled in the previous post, but it seems like the blade just scrapes right over it regardless of angle. Will definitely try the pad though. Thanks for the idea.

[CrotalusFan]

May I ask why the determination on where you place the probe based on a perch?

For my RHP that are heating the ground and don't have a perch under them I glue the probe wire to the abs plastic housing(I use RBI RHPs) of the heat panel and the probe hangs about two inchs under the panel and regulate temps fine.

[Sublimeballs]

When I have a perch under the panel I attack the probe to the perch under the panel as opposed to directly to the panel. Let me try and get a decent pic.. Not easy with my phone.

[Sublimeballs]

Hard to see, sorry, but I run the probe down the wall secured with hot glue and attach it to my perch with zip ties.

[Sublimeballs]

Or like this with no perch. Shows up sideways for some reason.

[CrotalusFan]

Gotcha.....Thanks for taking the time to upload them. Appreciate it!

[Sublimeballs]

No problem. Hopefully the pics help more people in the future aswell.

With both of these setups I run perfect temps in my cages with a bit of tweeking at the beginning. Although the probe on perch setup has seemed to maintain temps with less fluctuation than the probe attached to the RHP; I'm talking you have to be watching both setups to tell.