Okay, I went insane and used a metal ice chest instead of foam to make my bator. Cleans up real easy.
Instead of the traditional light bulb I used flexwatt heat tape. My fan has four l.e.d. lights on it for interior light. I'd never used heat tape before, it sounded like a good option.
Problems:
Metal ice chests react to outside temps too much.
Flexwatt has trouble keeping up.
I didn't want the bulk of a regular lightbulb and socket - not to mention putting a hole that size in the side of the metal bator.
To keep chicks from the heat tape and to provide a heatsink, I used tile I had around and tiled the thing inside. Really nice effect. Easy to clean.
When faced with the temp swings, since I wasn't doing anything normally - go figure - I went with a 120v under cabinet puck light on a dimmer. I actually did get it wired right the first time - too funny.
I like the puck light a LOT. Since at full light it puts out serious heat, in front of it is a chunk of slate to prevent egg cooking... I thought a thin metal sheet might be insufficient and left over tile is everywhere here. I haven't completely commited to where I put it so the light is just up there with velcro stickies.
Yes, I am insane. But I've already hatched a batch in it and have more in there. So far so good, the puck is stopping the low temp part of the yoyo, the instant ability to adjust it is nice. The slate never gets hot enough to burn.
Pucks are not as cheap as the small porcelain brackets, brackets run 3-4, and pucks run 9 for halogen and 8 something for xenon.
You have to use a different and more expensive dimmer for the low voltage halogen units. With the 120v you can use a standard dimmer.
Well that's my weird and desperately ugly bator, pics to follow when I rest and mellow out. I'm just pleased the adhoc thing is working.
Instead of the traditional light bulb I used flexwatt heat tape. My fan has four l.e.d. lights on it for interior light. I'd never used heat tape before, it sounded like a good option.
Problems:
Metal ice chests react to outside temps too much.
Flexwatt has trouble keeping up.
I didn't want the bulk of a regular lightbulb and socket - not to mention putting a hole that size in the side of the metal bator.
To keep chicks from the heat tape and to provide a heatsink, I used tile I had around and tiled the thing inside. Really nice effect. Easy to clean.
When faced with the temp swings, since I wasn't doing anything normally - go figure - I went with a 120v under cabinet puck light on a dimmer. I actually did get it wired right the first time - too funny.
I like the puck light a LOT. Since at full light it puts out serious heat, in front of it is a chunk of slate to prevent egg cooking... I thought a thin metal sheet might be insufficient and left over tile is everywhere here. I haven't completely commited to where I put it so the light is just up there with velcro stickies.
Yes, I am insane. But I've already hatched a batch in it and have more in there. So far so good, the puck is stopping the low temp part of the yoyo, the instant ability to adjust it is nice. The slate never gets hot enough to burn.
Pucks are not as cheap as the small porcelain brackets, brackets run 3-4, and pucks run 9 for halogen and 8 something for xenon.
You have to use a different and more expensive dimmer for the low voltage halogen units. With the 120v you can use a standard dimmer.
Well that's my weird and desperately ugly bator, pics to follow when I rest and mellow out. I'm just pleased the adhoc thing is working.
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