Herpstat probe placement

[Grayson Payne]

Hey everyone! Today I received my Herpstat one and I'm super excited! Right now I am trying to decide on placement for my probe. Obviously I want it to be on the basking branch or close to it, but I'm worried that if Gatsby bask on the probe that it will give a false reading. What do you guys recommend? Should I be worried about him giving the Herpstat a false reading and raising or lowering the heat too much? Thanks!

 

[Grayson Payne]

Does anyone have any input on this? I’m still worried about putting it where he lays on it

 

[AmandaS]

I just got mine too and wondered the same thing.

 

[Pickle-cham]

Im not sure on probe placement, but definitely cross reference the setting up temperature's with a calibrated thermometer ?

 

[Grayson Payne]

?

I just got mine too and wondered the same thing.

I really want to put it in today but... ugh

 

[Pickle-cham]

You can calibrate thermometers yourself (probe type) :
Boil pan of water dip probe in let reading stabilise should be +- 1 degrees from 373.15 K (100C)
Make ice, place in container place probe in ice slurry should be +_ degrees of 273.15 K (0C)
Of course its Farinheight for you guys you'll be more familiar with these units though.
This checks the accuracy of the thermometer, if out more than a degree you need a new one. they can be recalibrated but usually only cost effective on expensive and units with warranty ?

 

[AmandaS]

?
I really want to put it in today but... ugh

I have mine placed directly on the basking branch, a little bit to the right of where he actually basks. I just want to know if there are better methods.

 

[JoXie411]

I place my prob on top of the screen rather then inside the screen. That way I have a better reading, because if you put it in the basking branch then the cham will sit on it and you won’t get a true reading

 

[Beman]

LOL try not to overthink this.... Look at the cage. what basking branch is closest? Then decide does he bask on that branch all the time or another? Your going to want it on the branch that is the closest but if this is his/her main place they bask you just need to get a bit creative. Tie in the probe on that branch but so that rather then being on top of the branch it is tied in at the side of it. Beman does not bask often on the branch that I have the probe tied into. He tends to bask on the one to the right of it. You can see where I have my probe circled.

Now then I too freaked out about him sitting on it and it changing the temps. What I have found is it really does not seem to change them. The herpstat probe seems to be very sensitive. He basks on this branch maybe 2 times a week then move back to the other one where he gets UVB. I do run a quad though so my temps under the quad sit at about 81-83 degrees.

For temps with the herpstat I set it 2 degrees lower then the max I want him at. So mine is set for 86 right now. He sits a good 2-3 inches off the branch though so it is warmer since he is closer. I leave him at that max of 88. Any hotter and he gapes.

Now I do want to note I do not run anything but a plain incandescent in mine. I do not like the focused bulbs. They do not give you an area of heat the way an incandescent in a reflective dome does. The focused bulbs there is going to be one focal point of heat. So if you run one of these you have to make sure that the probe is directly within that beam of focused light.