Any thermostat recommendations

[RTfanatic]

I am getting ready to prepare a heated outside sleeping hut of some kind since I now have a decent sized leopard and was wondering if someone can recommend a decent thermostat/heat regulator of some kind. I was planning on going with a combination of a timed heat lap during the day and a temp controlled ceramic heating element, but would prefer more control for the ceramic element than just a timer. Something that would limit the temperature range, turning the heater on/off as appropriate would be best. Suggestions in the U.S. for this type of device?

 

[tortoisenerd]

I ordered a Repti-Temp 500R - Remote Sensor Thermostat and will post about it once it arrives with my ceramic heat emitter. For the price it seemed like the best option for controlling the CHE, and supposedly can even be set for a night temperature drop. I already have a mercury vapor bulb but it's not enough heat. From reviews, the recommended ones were all in the price range of hundreds of dollars. I just needed something within 5 degrees or so--it's worth a shot. Also ordered a temperature gun to double check.

I've been browsing the forum a lot since I got here and it seems a lot of people have posted about outdoor enclosures/igloos and heat for their Sulcatas. Maybe that will lead you in the right direction to finding some info.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Never mind on the review...I started using mine tonight and realized I don't really need it. The heat emitter I bought should be fine to leave on all the time for my little russian tort (instead of having it cycle on and off), since I only bought 100 watts. During the day he'll have the MVB with the heat emitter next to it, and during the night he'll just have the heat emitter. Looks like a pretty simple product--it can also work with a timer and up to two plug-ins. It has only a low to high dial so you definitely need to measure with a temp gun.

This is the only one I found that was a reasonable price (under $50).