An Affordable Deep Heat??

cyberlocc

Chameleon Enthusiast
Looks like China got into the game, Cheap Deep Heat Knock off on Amazon.

The tech is not that complex, so I figured this would happen sooner rather than later, I am surprised it too so long for someone to think of this. It works just like an electric space heater.

Anyway, 12 dollars, comes in 3 wattage's (vs the Deep Heats 2) looks good. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MX8CFCB/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A1I8F5P330L4B1&th=1 Even if they fail faster, you can get 3 for what I paid for my Deep Heat.

Stick with the 50w for chams, and these things put out ALOT of heat, so plan to add a dimmer most likely.

NOTE: This cannot be used as a Basking Light, Unless you have a Well LIT cage. Chameleons/Reptiles still need Light during the day, to know where the heat is. So this is not a pair with a single UVB bulb and done tech. You must have a well lit cage to utilize this for basking.
 
They are garbage, I got one of the 75w ones and sent it back. It did ok for the first few inches on the side of the glass cage I had it on (note I was not trying it for chams but I do you glass for chams as well.) It was on a 36x18x24 and below 5 or so inches it was usless in my situation (68/70° ambient). My che performs better then those do though. They send just as much heat up into the dome as they do down. The green ring is rubber not fiberglass btw.
 
They are garbage, I got one of the 75w ones and sent it back. It did ok for the first few inches on the side of the glass cage I had it on (note I was not trying it for chams but I do you glass for chams as well.) It was on a 36x18x24 and below 5 or so inches it was usless in my situation (68/70° ambient). My che performs better then those do though. They send just as much heat up into the dome as they do down. The green ring is rubber not fiberglass btw.

How did you measure the temps?

The animal didn't care for it?

Have you tried an Arcadia model?

I ask, because you cannot measure these with thermometers, they will heat the air a little bit, but not as much as a CHE, thats not the point of it. They work just like the heaters, they will not heat the surfaces they are around. The branch will not show that much higher of a temp, they project Infared A, and B, not C. Put your hand on the branch, and you will feel the heat (on the Arcadia anyway). Measure the reptile that is under it, not the branch.

CHE's do not work the same way, they heat the air, they heat the surfaces. Completely different tech.
 
How did you measure the temps?

The animal didn't care for it?

Have you tried an Arcadia model?

I ask, because you cannot measure these with thermometers, they will heat the air a little bit, but not as much as a CHE, thats not the point of it. They work just like the heaters, they will not heat the surfaces they are around. The branch will not show that much higher of a temp, they project Infared A, and B, not C. Put your hand on the branch, and you will feel the heat (on the Arcadia anyway). Measure the reptile that is under it, not the branch.

CHE's do not work the same way, they heat the air, they heat the surfaces. Completely different tech.

I used my laser temp as well as my temp controller. The animal, a blood python which doesn't have "high heat" needs to begin with didn't make it in with that one there. It would only raised my temps both plant surface and temps and air by 3 degrees at most running 24/7 for 4 days straight. Not want I wanted or needed for this cage.

Within the 5 inch zone, I wouldn't want a cham, with the 75w at least. But, when you're looking at a screen cage 4 ft tall it wouldn't have much of a gradient either way with only 5 inches depth in glass. To each their own, but the amazon ones weren't for me.
 
I used my laser temp as well as my temp controller. The animal, a blood python which doesn't have "high heat" needs to begin with didn't make it in with that one there. It would only raised my temps both plant surface and temps and air by 3 degrees at most running 24/7 for 4 days straight. Not want I wanted or needed for this cage.

Within the 5 inch zone, I wouldn't want a cham, with the 75w at least. But, when you're looking at a screen cage 4 ft tall it wouldn't have much of a gradient either way with only 5 inches depth in glass. To each their own, but the amazon ones weren't for me.


Ya I will have to check out the Amazon ones myself, and compare to the Arcadia. There may be some difference.

Again though, your not measuring the device correctly, it does not heat surfaces like that, nor do the infared house heaters for people. Your basing off a 3 degree raise to the Air, but thats not what the point is.

Like I said on the other post, where I mentioned it, mine is turned down also, and its a 50w. Anyway, with a halogen my cham was under it for 4/5 hours a day, first thing when he woke up, and till 11-12, with this, he is ghosted it by 7 or 8. and out moving about, he sits under this for an hour or 2 tops. Put your hand under it, from 5 inches, then from 12, I can still feel the heat 2 feet down. Everyone else that used them prior to me noticed the same thing. Its not a light, its not going to raise the air temp, its Infrared light, the light that makes you hot to bone on a hot summer day in the sun. Its not made to heat the surfaces, its made to heat Life.

Here is a good article about it. https://www.newair.com/blogs/learn/infrared-heaters-pros-and-cons

And they are great for all herps, Chameleons are not basking in Warm Air, they are Basking in SunLight. The entire purpose of basking is to absorb IRA, and IRB rays, thats what they are trying to get. You get some IRA with Halogens and Incans (more with Xeon, it puts out alot of rays) but not nearly as much with this, and Zero with CHE. Thats what I am saying about the thermometers and temp guns, they measure air and surface temps, but thats not what the product does. If you want to test this, measure the animal, and or use your hand. Or just like I did, watch as the time spent basking is cut in half or more.
 
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Ya I will have to check out the Amazon ones myself, and compare to the Arcadia. There may be some difference.

Again though, your not measuring the device correctly, it does not heat surfaces like that, nor do the infared house heaters for people. Your basing off a 3 degree raise to the Air, but thats not what the point is.

Like I said on the other post, where I mentioned it, mine is turned down also, and its a 50w. Anyway, with a halogen my cham was under it for 4/5 hours a day, first thing when he woke up, and till 11-12, with this, he is ghosted it by 7 or 8. and out moving about, he sits under this for an hour or 2 tops. Put your hand under it, from 5 inches, then from 12, I can still feel the heat 2 feet down. Everyone else that used them prior to me noticed the same thing. Its not a light, its not going to raise the air temp, its Infrared light, the light that makes you hot to bone on a hot summer day in the sun. Its not made to heat the surfaces, its made to heat Life.

Right, so your Arcadia is heating down to at least 24 inches? The 75w I recieved was hotter then heck in that 5" zone, 6" could hardly feel a thing, at 18" I could feel nothing and temp controller showed 3° rise max. I suspect these have a thinner "reflector" then the Arcadia ones do because the dome was hot enough I could not touch it bare handed.
 
Right, so your Arcadia is heating down to at least 24 inches? The 75w I recieved was hotter then heck in that 5" zone, 6" could hardly feel a thing, at 18" I could feel nothing and temp controller showed 3° rise max. I suspect these have a thinner "reflector" then the Arcadia ones do because the dome was hot enough I could not touch it bare handed.

That could be very possible, the Arcadia does state they have a extra thick reflector, and its pretty thick.

I also have a reflector on the fixture as well, which too is pretty thick. Those factors may play a part, Id have to play with the other ones and see. The metal defiantly gets hot, its touchable, but not for very long lol. Heat doesn't radiate out of the top on the Arcadia in a reflector either. I cant feel any heat from the reflector unless I touch it.

And they dont much heat the air, with it off, the air temps in the top half of the cage, are only 3-4 degrees higher, if that. However if I stick my hand, on the basking branch, about 7 inches down, its defiantly blasting heat at my hand. My LEDs keep the air temp in the top half pretty high, without the deep heat however, so that is covered for me, and the deep heat gives him a way to quickly reach wandering temp. I have a thermometer hanging in the top currently, until I find a better thermometer system, and the temp in the top 3 inches, the air temp, is 85-89. in the middle its 75, and at the soil, usually high 60s.

Also, when I said they dont heat surfaces I should have been more clear, they do, but not any surface like a halogen would, and not the air like a halogen either. They will heat, material that absorbs heat, like water, rocks, concrete, ect. They will not heat wood, at least not in the same way, as a halogen ect. At least thats how I am reading it. My branches are not physically hot to the touch, even with it on full blast, but with my hand sitting on it, there is a serious amount of warming to my hand.
 
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Sorry, I was working on a rat rack yesterday and forgot to reply to that. Here's some pics I found of the one I had and the cage it was on. I had it sitting on the screen top on the left side when it was up there. As noted, this was setup for a young blood python, so there was no way he was getting anywhere near the "infrared heat". The temp probe cord is taped to a piece of slate in the opening on the left buried under the leaf litter with the probe coming up at an angle to the top of the litter. The metal tip is not covered at all by the tape though. It may work for others but, for me, in my situation with the animal it was for, I was not impressed with it. This may be a case where buying the Arcadia version is the better option or not the version I got (had a green rubber ring advertised as fiberglass or carbon fiber one. I'd have to look back at it.

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Sorry, I was working on a rat rack yesterday and forgot to reply to that. Here's some pics I found of the one I had and the cage it was on. I had it sitting on the screen top on the left side when it was up there. As noted, this was setup for a young blood python, so there was no way he was getting anywhere near the "infrared heat". The temp probe cord is taped to a piece of slate in the opening on the left buried under the leaf litter with the probe coming up at an angle to the top of the litter. The metal tip is not covered at all by the tape though. It may work for others but, for me, in my situation with the animal it was for, I was not impressed with it. This may be a case where buying the Arcadia version is the better option or not the version I got (had a green rubber ring advertised as fiberglass or carbon fiber one. I'd have to look back at it.

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That is very small, thickness aside (which we really cant tell) the width of the fixture looks tiny to me. My Arcadia is much much much larger. That may also play a role, I have to get one of the cheap ones to play with and see. Looks like the Arcadia has a justified price difference, and the Chinese model cut some major corners.

and yes, that cage does not look too optimal a layout for a deep heat and a snake, unless it was arboreal.

For a Snake, if I was to do the deep heat, I would use a stone or resin Hide, that could absorb the heat and radiate it back out. Nothing in that tank will absorb and radiate the heat, and the snake wont sit in the hot spot. So I can defiantly see that not working in that case.


One good fact also of mention, as it pertains to you, and your other basking experiments. That Xeon, does put out Infrared A, B, and C. So it should give the benefits the Deep Heat Implores, while also providing light and air temp. That is what I will likely use on my further builds, they come in 12v, so if I can source a dimmable version that would be a great one to use.
 
That is very small, thickness aside (which we really cant tell) the width of the fixture looks tiny to me. My Arcadia is much much much larger. That may also play a role, I have to get one of the cheap ones to play with and see. Looks like the Arcadia has a justified price difference, and the Chinese model cut some major corners.

and yes, that cage does not look too optimal a layout for a deep heat and a snake, unless it was arboreal.

For a Snake, if I was to do the deep heat, I would use a stone or resin Hide, that could absorb the heat and radiate it back out. Nothing in that tank will absorb and radiate the heat, and the snake wont sit in the hot spot. So I can defiantly see that not working in that case.


One good fact also of mention, as it pertains to you, and your other basking experiments. That Xeon, does put out Infrared A, B, and C. So it should give the benefits the Deep Heat Implores, while also providing light and air temp. That is what I will likely use on my further builds, they come in 12v, so if I can source a dimmable version that would be a great one to use.

There is the slate rock directly beneath the heater to "soak" up heat that is roughly 6"x8". They don't hide in caves or under rocks in their natural habita either. They're either hiding in water or under leaves in "swampy forests" waiting for their prey. Temps are typically maintained between 78 and 83°, max 85. But, the entire reason this was setup was try and elicit a stronger feeding response from him. He was a lazy eater and I wanted to try and solve that before he was stuck with "tub life" as an adult. Though it has definitely solved that problem, the infrared bulb was the biggest disappointment of the project. Sadly, I didn't see it working for a display tank for one of my ball pythons either so it went back.
 
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