Vivarium Electronics or Herpstat

[sattva]

Which one of these do you guys like?

[Scubadiver59]

You should've made this a poll as well...but since you didn't..

I have two Herpstat's, a two and six port model, and I'm very happy with them. I don't have a Viv so I can't comment nor compare; maybe one day, but just not at this time.

I will make one comment about my Herpstat-6 though...I've had two disconnects for the UTH sensor and had to re-seat the connector at the back of the controller. I switched out the two UTH probes to see if it's just a failed probe or if the Herpstat port is bad and I have been in contact with the owner of Spyder Robotics--he responded quickly to my incident and a few suggestions as well. Kudos to Spyder Robotics for that!

I'll update this thread once I find out which is bad...the probe or the controller.

[SWDK]

I never used herpstats, but do use several VE's. So far they work out awesome. Once you get the temp dailed in they work without fail. Haven't had a single issue. I plan to buy another one to control a new rack I'm building.

[sattva]

Thanks for the feedback guys... I wanted the Herpstat 6 but two things stopped me... One is it really doesn't fit into my budget right now... and two I read an article that if it fails you lose 6 devices not just one... I went ahead and ordered the Vivarium Electronics VE-100... Thanks again!

[Scubadiver59]

Yes, the Herpstat-6 is pricey, but you get six SEPARATELY CONTROLABLE ports that DON'T ALL FAIL when one port goes down.

If any of the processor components fail, of course all the ports will fail--there aren't six separate 'single' processor systems in any proportional temp controller that I'm aware of...that would be rather expensive! And guess what, if your VE-100 processor fails you too will lose your "one" controlled port as well...you don't have a failover board in there either. And I mean, how often does that happen with these microprocessor boards? It's all hard coded firmware and no software, so that leaves few components to fail.

I recently lost one port on my "6", but it didn't knock out all six ports. My problem ended up being a bad probe, and since I am running two RH probes, I had two spares; and Dion, the owner of Spyder Robotics, is sending me a replacement. The spare probe is working flawlessly.

Finally, there are six separate fuses for each output...not just one; it would be nice if they were externally accessible, but they're not, you have to remove the cover. So, if you blow one output fuse you won't lose the other five outputs. I dont know where you heard that all the outputs fail if one fails, but that's not true.

Good luck with your Viv!

Originally Posted by sattva

Thanks for the feedback guys... I wanted the Herpstat 6 but two things stopped me... One is it really doesn't fit into my budget right now... and two I read an article that if it fails you lose 6 devices not just one... I went ahead and ordered the Vivarium Electronics VE-100... Thanks again!

[Primal Rage]

I have Herpstats , Helix , and VE thermostats. The only ones that give me trouble are the VE's. The connector for the temp probe is a piece of crap. I am going to switch over to all Herpstats over the next year or so. If you are interested in some cheap , used VE 100 and 200's shoot me a pm.

[MDT]

Interesting...I have both, but have reserved my Herpstats for emergency back-up or, use briefly until a new VE gets delivered. Ease of programming, hands down VE.
I run VE-300s in all of my enclosures.
I guess it's all personal preference.

[Primal Rage]

Originally Posted by MDT

Interesting...I have both, but have reserved my Herpstats for emergency back-up or, use briefly until a new VE gets delivered. Ease of programming, hands down VE.
I run VE-300s in all of my enclosures.
I guess it's all personal preference.

The issue I have is the VE temp probes are poorly made. The insulation around the wires were the connect is pulls back putting strain on the conductors. With the helix and Herpstats , the probe wires insulation completely covers the connector. As far as ease of use all 3 are seemingly idiot proof and actually Helix is the easier to use than the Herpstats and the VE's.

[Primal Rage]

The VE thermostat itself works fine. The cheap probe wire is the issue I have with them.

[MDT]

Originally Posted by Primal Rage

The issue I have is the VE temp probes are poorly made. The insulation around the wires were the connect is pulls back putting strain on the conductors. With the helix and Herpstats , the probe wires insulation completely covers the connector. As far as ease of use all 3 are seemingly idiot proof and actually Helix is the easier to use than the Herpstats and the VE's.

Good to know. I'll have a look at mine. Fortunately, no issues with probes to date.

[BillyCostume]

I'm using VE and have to say I'm really pleased with them. One good thing about the herpstats is that they're all pulse proportional whereas the entry level VE are on/off type

[Scubadiver59]

So, a basic rheostat in a box? One warning to all...stay away from Zilla dial (aka rheostat) temp controllers. The 20F temp swing is just plain ridiculous!!

Another difference between the Vivarium and Herpstats is that you get the night/day temp ramping included and you don't need a separate module (only the VE-300 had that included).

And, the Herpstat-6 has two ports for RH probes...I don't see that advertised in the Vivarium series.

And before anybody gets any ideas, I'm not against the Vivarium line, I just liked what the Herpstat line had to offer.

Originally Posted by BillyCostume

I'm using VE and have to say I'm really pleased with them. One good thing about the herpstats is that they're all pulse proportional whereas the entry level VE are on/off type

[dannybgoode]

Originally Posted by Scubadiver59

So, a basic rheostat in a box? One warning to all...stay away from Zilla dial (aka rheostat) temp controllers. The 20F temp swing is just plain ridiculous!!

Another difference between the Vivarium and Herpstats is that you get the night/day temp ramping included and you don't need a separate module (only the VE-300 had that included).

And, the Herpstat-6 has two ports for RH probes...I don't see that advertised in the Vivarium series.

And before anybody gets any ideas, I'm not against the Vivarium line, I just liked what the Herpstat line had to offer.

No - a rheostat has no automatic control of temperature whatsoever-a manually controlled variable resistor allows the power output to be varied but takes no account of changing ambient temperature so cannot be relied on to maintain a constant temperature in the viv.

An on/off star isn't even a rheostat with automatic temperature control. It simply switches on at full power when the temperature drops below a certain temperature and off when it reaches a certain higher temperature. They're fine-they do the job and in a simple set up with just a uth for example there's nothing particularly wrong with them.

A dimming thermostat is somewhat the equivalent of an automatic rheostat in that it uses resistance to control power output however unlike a rheostat the resistance iscontinually and automatically varied to control the power output thus the temperature. They're actually incredibly useful and most commonly used when visible light is the heating source because otherwise you would have a bulb that was forever switching on or off. A good swimming stat is therefore an excellent choice in some set ups.

A pulse stat sends short on/off pulses to control the temperature. They are generally the most efficient but as per the above useless with a light emitting heat source. They are however ideal for a che or rhp.

You don't get them over in the States I don't think but I use Microclimate Evo's on all my vivs. They can be programmed to pulse, swimming or on/off so are hugely versatile. They also offer a timed temperature gradient and a second channel for lighting ( and the Pro version has a humidity sensor for misting control).

They are single Viv only though and one thing we lack is a good multi-viv solution. At around $100 - $150 per star it's expensive but I won't skimp on the stat-most important piece of equipment you'll buy...

[Jim Smith]

Love my Herpstats. They keep the temps within 2/10 ths of a degree or warn me if the temps go outside the range I've set.