I'm looking to pick up a proportional thermostat for the leo enclosure I'm building now, and I have it down to the Helix DBS1000 and the herpstat I. If anyone has any comments or feedback on those, please share. Or if you have a similar-costing proportional therm you use, chime in. I hope to everything purchased and construction underway soon, so I'm not giving people much time to help me, but at least there'll be a thread that may help out someone else in the future.
i got the herpstat and i love it. its very easy to use, small, accurate, tamper proof, and has a nice bright display. ~Will.
I've got helix and I love 'em. Easy to use, small, accurate, tamper proof, has a nice bright display if you shine a flashlight on 'em hehe. I honestly couldn't tell you which are the better of the two, but I do like the Helix ones. I've not used the herpstat ones at all, but I was considering picking one up to give 'em a try. I do hear very good things about the herpstats, although I do like my Helix stats
"Hi Matt, I have a thermostat emergency!! I spent all day Sunday setting up the new flexwatt I got from you, only to find out that the Helix I got is worthless...it's basically a $130.00 thermometer! It won't adjust the temps. I'm trying to get it replaced, but I'm now in a SERIOUS bind. I need a thermostat yesterday (has anyone invented a time machine yet?)." :shock: I get this type of email about 5 times a week now.. Stay away from Helix until they can get their act together and their product line back the way it used to be.
That could be why I'm not having problems that others describe. My hardware comes from "the way it used to be" era.
Yup, its a shame when the quanity becomes more important than the quality. This has all happened in less than one year.. Thats why I stopped carrying them, got tired of having 3-10 returns a week..lol
thanks again for pointing me in the right direction matt, as soon as i get my next stack of cages half way done, i'll be hitting you up for a bunch more stuff! ~Will.
No problem, just dont like to see someone spend money on somethign tat will not do what they need it to do..
I have 1 helix and 2 of the herpstats 2. They are both great. If you think you are going to need more then one later on then I would get the herpstat 2 because it controls 2 different tanks/cages/bins with 2 different temp probes. Also the thing that is a little better with the herpstats is that you really don't need any extras like the helix. They are both really accurate but herpstat shows you the readings in decimals which i think is a little cooler but they are both good unit. Nick
I have three Helix DBS1000's and I love them, I use them in cages, racks and even with incubators. I can't say I have any complaints.
They don't break it down into decimals. I double check my temps with a RayTek temp gun and they are as steady as can be.
The display has a resolution of 1.0 degrees Farenheight, but the internal resolution is calculated to 0.25 degrees Farenheight. Here is the link: http://www.helixcontrols.com/prod_dbs1000.htm Like I said before, I have no complaints. I'm sure there are a lot of great thermostats out there, I just don't feel the need to try everyone. Find what works for you and your set up and stick with it.
Sounds good, i have mine set to 85 degress but i don't see 85.4 degress like some other people see. Nick
Nick you will not see anything but the 3 digits on the readout. The Helix reads the temps at a .25 so they say..
Mine aren't the DBS1000's. They actually have no model number printed on them, but "Helix Controls" written all over the place, heh. If you look at their homepage. http://www.helixcontrols.com It's the one BEHIND the DBS-1000 in their lil 3-stack image there, the one with the programming unit sitting in the top of it.