Incubators Anonymous

[marchick]

Hi everyone I have a question! I just put my turkey eggs in the bator.the ones I got here on BYC look good clear.the other six have large dark on the fat end air bubbles that roll from one end to the other. what do you all think? are they old eggs?

 

[ozexpat]

So I'm thinking of building another incubator.

I want to take my time and think everything through on this one so I've been looking at many Youtube video's and perusing Ebay for parts. Not buying anything yet but making a list of possibilities. Anyway I was looking at the available digital temp controllers and while I want accuracy I also need affordability. Came across this listing and would like your opinion on it.

Digital Temp Controller

I caution you with that thermostat as it has one connection for both cooling and heating.

With cooling, you want a delay in the thermostat kicking in to protect the refrigeration condenser from cycling too soon. My experience with single connection thermostats is that the delay cannot be lowere to more than 10 seconds. This will cause large swings in your bator air temp. You will need a temp probe inside a water wiggler to adjust the temp the bator is set at to accomadate the swings.

I understand the appeal of a oF thermostat but as the STC-1000 model has no delay on the heating side and can be adjusted to cycle on and off within a 0.3oC (0.5oF) range its probably a better choice.

330 million people use oF while 6.8 billion use oC.

Once you set it, its just a number.

Good luck

 

[LizardKing]

I caution you with that thermostat as it has one connection for both cooling and heating.

With cooling, you want a delay in the thermostat kicking in to protect the refrigeration condenser from cycling too soon. My experience with single connection thermostats is that the delay cannot be lowere to more than 10 seconds. This will cause large swings in your bator air temp. You will need a temp probe inside a water wiggler to adjust the temp the bator is set at to accomadate the swings.

I understand the appeal of a oF thermostat but as the STC-1000 model has no delay on the heating side and can be adjusted to cycle on and off within a 0.3oC (0.5oF) range its probably a better choice.

330 million people use oF while 6.8 billion use oC.

Once you set it, its just a number.

Good luck

What about this one?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400709194961?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
Other spec sheets list this one at 0.1°F control accuracy

Truth be told, I HATE the metric system and find that celsius degrees are too large for my tastes.

edited by staff

 

[ozexpat]

It's the same thermostat different packaging.

You won't find a stc-1000 in non metric.

There is not enough demand

It's really quite simple. Use a heat source that heats fast but stops heating equally as fast, set your metric thermostat at 37.8 and go watch some football.

It's just a number you set like the time on an alarm clock. Once it's done it's done

edited by staff

 

[LizardKing]

Quote:
The one I linked to is Fahrenheit.


Quote:
Yet I linked to an Ebay sale in the US of such a style unit, I have on on the way right now.

Quote:
I never rely on electronic temperature readings without VERIFYING them against a KNOWN thermometer, of which I have many in
FAHRENHEIT, which is a better unit of temperature for the REAL WORLD uses I put them to.
I am sure my birds, not all of which are American but were all born here, appreciate the higher accuracy inherent in using
a smaller unit of temperature measurement.

edited by staff

 

[sonderah]

I put the last of my incubator eggs on lockdown yesterday! Idk what I'll do have to wait 3 whole weeks again for babies!!! Lol
I've been building a cabinet coolerbator & will now start using my hova bator genesis as a hatcher instead of an incy!!! So had to stop adding til I get this one fully ready to go!

Going from one that will hold 42ish to one that will hold 120 will be AWESOME!!!!!!!

 

[ozexpat]

@LizardKing

please link the device you bought as I would love to refer it to others as I am often asked about

edited by staff

 

[ozexpat]

Let me try this again - whether you use 12, 110 or 220 voltage or measure in oC or oF

What to look for in digital thermostats


The above model - normally sold branded STC-1000 has seperate cooling and heating circuits.


What you dont want



As one connection is power, the second is the thermometer -the final one is heating AND cooling. This is fine in the home brew market that these devices are originally built for but the delay in the engaging of the relay on the heat circuit is problematic in incubators



This device shows 4 sets of teminals but 5-6 are not wired. 1-2 are the heat and cool terminals the WILLHI branded unit is sold by several companies under different brands.

The second think of note is the temp probes. You should aim for the waterproof black senser rather than the shiny metal end. This way you can check calibration by submerging in 0oC (32oF) iced water with more confidence. The WILLHI modelsI have bought have always had the shiny sensor


I have bought all three types and leant from mistakes. Make sure you spend the extra 2 or 3 dollars and buy the best thermostat.


I have bought in excess of 20 of these devices and built incubators with them. I have yet to find one that has both cool and heat circuits as well as a display that shows Farenheight.

The specs and instruction sheets on most devices are poorly translated Chinese. Youtube has great videos on how to wire them.

 

[ozexpat]

How I verify calibration on a thermostat.



sitting on my coffee pot i have a heavily ice filled glass of water, when i moved the probe i got it down to 0.1oC



Then I put the probe deep under my tongue for 5 minutes and measure against a high grade medical themometer and my brinsea spot check.

I have very high confidence in these devices having verifies so many and then used them to hatch with. They become the "trusted" thermometer in my incubator.

When it comes to incubating eggs with any new incubator, it is advisable to do at least one test run with less important eggs. and at the end of the hatch, adjust the temp up or down based on the concept that your eggs should hatch (not pip) on the 21st day (480-504 hrs).

The STC 1000 brand is set to cycle with a 0.5C . It can be adjusted down to 0.3C. When you set the thermostat at 38.0C the unit will heat the bator until it hits 38.0C and then shut off. Depending on the size of your bator, circulation and heater style, you will get an over shoot. This occurs with any thermostat and is a function of your heating element not the thermostat. As the incubator cools, if set for 0.3C, the thermistat will turn back on the heat source when the temp probe reads 37.7 C. There will be a dip below that was the heating element warms up. The net result, like all incubators, is an oscillating temperature that should average your goal.

When converting a styro bator with a low wattage metal cased element, i set at 38.0C as the temp will oscillate between 37.3 and 38.3. The temp with a probe inside a water wigglie is then 37.8.

On a cabinet bator with a ceramic 250W element, I set to 37.9.

On new bators i use a USB temp logger to record the temp inside a water wigglie as well as bator air temps for 24 hours.

 

[LizardKing]

In my first post I linked to the unit I was interested in.
All the instructions I see mention this delay function and say it is only used in
cooling and to set the delay to "0" if heating.
Does this not work?

I also see the silver probe mentioned in other sales such as:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NTC-10K-Ohm...927?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ce1917c67
and they claim it is waterproof.
It looks like the back where the wires attach to the probe is sealed.
Are they not waterproof?
Surely it can withstand a short time in ice water.