Free Incubators

[walkswithdog]

Quote:
The language of recyclers(dumpster divers) is not one that ca be learned from afar. It can only be learned by being surrounded by the culture joining it with the natives.

You are one silly yet accurate old man. Come back home.

 

[Junkmanme]

Yankee Equation: I=PxRxT

(Interest= Principal times Rate times Time)

Rebel Equation: W=AxV

(Watts= Amperes times Volts)


Western Cowboy Equation: P+F=LM+U

(Politicians + Fences = Lost Money + Ulcers

-Junkmanme-

 

[muddstopper]

Quote:
Your house thermostat most likely is rated for 24volts or may even 12volts. It works by activating a relay to power the heating/cooling parts of you home heating system, which would be a high voltage setup. This type of thermostat could be made to work with a incubator, but would require a seperate power supply for the thermostat, as well as a relay to supply the higher voltage for the heating strip.

Further, most home type thermostats are simply not very accurate and usually have a very high hysteresis, (hysteresis is the amount of time between the off and on cycle of the thermostat). One reason for this is simply because of the type of temperature sensor used in making the thermostat. Most home thermostats use a very inexpensive sensor. The digital thermostat works by sending electric signals to the computerchip located on the circuit board inside the digital thermostat. The computer chip interpets these signals as a increase or decrease in temperature. The more precise the signals, the more accurate the actual temperature reading.

Just keep in mind that analog to digital conversion is the more precise the higher the bits are. Keeping in mind that analog to digital conversion depends on the bits to convert to the number is the exponentional value for conversion, e.g. at 8-bit the maximum (finest) resolution is 2 to the power of 8 equalling 256 different values for the span you intend to convert. Assuming temperature conversion of 0 to 100 deg the finest resolution you can get using 8bit conversion is 100/256 (approximately 0.4 degrees) 12bit conversion means 2 to the power of 12, which is already 4,096. Using that value for the finest resolution the best accuracy would already be 0.0244 degrees per bit. A 16bit conversion would mean 16,384 possible values, leading to an accuracy of 0.006 degrees. Most of the homeowner type thermostats are only accurate to +/-2degrees or more. This variation of accuracy increases the lenght of time it takes the thermostat to turn off/on and can result in an extreme overshoot or undershoot of the desired temperature range.

Sorry Walkswithdog, I know what you are going to say, but I just had to do it

 

[RedHead]

Quote:

 

[kartking22]

Thanks to all that contributed thier ideas. OMG, I didn't think that this topic would cause such responses as to prepare someone for tech school. LOL I was trying to keep it simple so that old man can figure it out too. I still am trying to figure out what Rebel is talking about dere hey. Y'All are great people. Keep the ideas coming.

 

[walkswithdog]

Quote:
Your house thermostat most likely is rated for 24volts or may even 12volts. It works by activating a relay to power the heating/cooling parts of you home heating system, which would be a high voltage setup. This type of thermostat could be made to work with a incubator, but would require a seperate power supply for the thermostat, as well as a relay to supply the higher voltage for the heating strip.

Further, most home type thermostats are simply not very accurate and usually have a very high hysteresis, (hysteresis is the amount of time between the off and on cycle of the thermostat). One reason for this is simply because of the type of temperature sensor used in making the thermostat. Most home thermostats use a very inexpensive sensor. The digital thermostat works by sending electric signals to the computerchip located on the circuit board inside the digital thermostat. The computer chip interpets these signals as a increase or decrease in temperature. The more precise the signals, the more accurate the actual temperature reading.

Just keep in mind that analog to digital conversion is the more precise the higher the bits are. Keeping in mind that analog to digital conversion depends on the bits to convert to the number is the exponentional value for conversion, e.g. at 8-bit the maximum (finest) resolution is 2 to the power of 8 equalling 256 different values for the span you intend to convert. Assuming temperature conversion of 0 to 100 deg the finest resolution you can get using 8bit conversion is 100/256 (approximately 0.4 degrees) 12bit conversion means 2 to the power of 12, which is already 4,096. Using that value for the finest resolution the best accuracy would already be 0.0244 degrees per bit. A 16bit conversion would mean 16,384 possible values, leading to an accuracy of 0.006 degrees. Most of the homeowner type thermostats are only accurate to +/-2degrees or more. This variation of accuracy increases the lenght of time it takes the thermostat to turn off/on and can result in an extreme overshoot or undershoot of the desired temperature range.

Sorry Walkswithdog, I know what you are going to say, but I just had to do it

As long as you obviously understand that you are a bad man, it's all good

 

[catwalk]

I'm using a water heater thermostat as well. The on/off temperature range is about ten degrees, and I don't like it. I'll try moving it closer to the heat source (light bulb), but I also am considering using a higher watt lamp so that the incubator goes through it's ten degree cycle quicker. I'm hoping that the average temp. inside the eggs will stay steadier.

Also, big thumbs up to dumpster diving! I've collected some REALLY nice things that way.

 

[Junkmanme]

The "computer fan" that I use in my Little Giant incubator came from an old broken computer that I procured by "dumpster diving". The Price was RIGHT !!!

Ha-Ha!

-Junkmanme-

 

[muddstopper]

Quote:
The ten degrees differencial is a little unusual. Moving the thermostat around inside the incubator will probably help. You need to get this regulated properly before trying to hatch eggs. Move it closer to your heat source and see if that helps.

If you take your electronic waterheater thermostat apart, you will see that it is nothing more than a wafer thermostat encased inside a plastic enclosure. The plastic holds heat and contributes to the cycle times. It doesnt really matter at what temperature the thermostat is adjusted to, as long as the temps inside the incubator, preferably at egg level, are in the proper ranges for incubation.

 

[walkswithdog]

Ten degrees is a huge swing, even for a water heater thermostat. Your position is definitely off for your incubator placement.

My "egg" temps vary about .5 to .8 degrees. And my air temps cycle about 4-6 degrees depending on how cold the house is. When the house is really stable, egg temps stick at about .5 degree swing all the time. I'm using a mini -fridge two fans and lots of ventilation. A heat sink and generally no additional humidity until hatch.

Set ups will vary in swing in part due to placement of heat source, ventilation, insulation amounts and whether or not there is a heat sink.