# Pro-Heat Heat Panels



## Chimera (Mar 3, 2008)

I've been hearing some pretty awesome things about the Pro-Heat Heat panels from both US and Australian sources and I'm interested to know:

How many of you use/have used them
Any opinions
Prices you paid
How the Herp Shop heat panels rate against these.
The manufacturer goes to great lengths to detail how fireproof these things are, and Greg Maxwell mentioned in his talk that a thermal gradient was easily achieved with one of these in a 90x60x60cm enclosure with next to no ventilation.

From what I gather they are a little pricey, so still deciding whether to give them a go.


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## caustichumor (Mar 3, 2008)

I think the herp shop discontinued the radient heat panels?


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## Chimera (Mar 3, 2008)

caustichumor said:


> I think the herp shop discontinued the radient heat panels?



Touche`

Other questions remain


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## Retic (Mar 3, 2008)

They are raved about on other forums and do seem to be the way to go, I gave up using light bulbs as a heat source a long time ago. I would probably say the Pro Heat brand is the best on the market, not all heat panels are the same by any means.


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## Ozzie Python (Mar 3, 2008)

i think herpshop still sell's them. i saw some banks last week and they seem to work well I am seriously considering switching over to them.. (i won't mention any names for fear of his pm box being flooded).


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## Chimera (Mar 3, 2008)

boa said:


> They are raved about on other forums and do seem to be the way to go, I gave up using light bulbs as a heat source a long time ago. I would probably say the Pro Heat brand is the best on the market, not all heat panels are the same by any means.



Thats pretty much what I've heard, apparently there can be a vast difference between them. Some of the cheaper ones act in a similar manner to ceramic heat emitters.


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## caustichumor (Mar 3, 2008)

I think some of the cheaper versions are little more then a heat cord attached in the top of a galvanised box.


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## snakeitup (Mar 3, 2008)

I'm also interested in these pro heat panels, is there a company that sell them here or do we need to have them freighted from pro heat overseas?


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## Chimera (Mar 3, 2008)

freighted from what I can tell, hence all the questions 

They do make a 240V model


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## snakeitup (Mar 3, 2008)

Anyone else have any experience with heat panels?


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## JungleRob (Mar 3, 2008)

I use heat panels and reccommend them highly to people. Just because Herpshop may not be selling them in future does not mean you can't get them.


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## Ozzie Python (Mar 3, 2008)

what wattage do you use rob? and do you run a thermostat with them? I was a bit curious how much heat they give out and what sort of gradient do you get? i thought you would definately need a higher basking spot for the snake.


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## JungleRob (Mar 3, 2008)

50watt. I run 8 panels of one Habistat Pulse Proportional thermostat, with probe thermostat as backup if Habistat fails.
They can get to about 80deg. surface temp if not controlled by a thermostat.
No problem with basking spots, also offer a branch closer to the panel to give the snakes the choice to warm themselves up quicker if they wish.


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## bigi (Mar 3, 2008)

Animal attractions in hoppers has them listed on their website however i do not know what brand they are.
best to ask the US distributor who sells them here i think

jungle rob, what size enclosure are you using them in and what ambient temps are you getting, and 
also with the pulse thermostat on 8 units, are these banks ontop of one and other what what is the temp difference from the bottom unit to the top unit. Which unit is the thermo probe in.
many thanks


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## hazzard (Mar 3, 2008)

I use pro heat panels as does Nephrurus on this site.

They are a fantstic unit specifically designed for the needs of reptiles. Generally you need to provide them with cage dimensions, cage materials, species to be kept and ambient day and night max and mins for the season.

They need this information to calculate the correct product to meet your needs.

I've only used the 88W panels, I think Neph has the 110W panels for womas. The are ideal for aboreal or terrestrial species. If using for terrestrial species i would suggest the instillation of a shelf or the addition of branches as so they can get nearer the panel to bask.

They maintain quite a good gradient very stable and can be used easily with thermostats (how dare i say that word)

Pluses, they look good, don't require light guards as the surface temperatures are nowhere near that of a light globe, No globe replacement ever, 10 year warranty, they are very helpful, energy efficient.

Disadvantages, they are not sold in Australia


The main sizes used are 55W , 88W and 110W panels although they can custom make sizes for specific requirements. I find them price efficient compared to my set-ups.

In a 6ft*2ft*2ft cage I use a basking globe of 100W and two back up blue globes for night (that also supplement day heat on cool days on dual thermostats) Or dual 60W ceramic heat emmiters instead of blue lights.

A cost of this setup is around $150 give or take including light covers. In relation the cost of an 88W pro heat panel delivered in around $200

I guess the cost of replacement globes alone would make the panel better value over 10 years let alone much more energy efficient.

I tried getting technical information from the company that makes a certain Australian heat panel and the technician could only give me the advice that they are good to put under desks etc to warm your knees! That was about all they could tell me. So the choice was simple.

Cheers


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## snakeitup (Mar 3, 2008)

Thanks haz, so basically your running just the 88watt panel and that does the job very well.
Are you using them in your RSP set ups?
Cheers, James


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## hazzard (Mar 3, 2008)

Yes have them in 1 lot but the others are still set up with ceramics and incadescent.

88W is perfect for 5ft by 2ft by 2ft aboreal species. If you want extra heat for terrestrial species i would go 110W in a 5ft by 2ft by 2ft sp you can rev up the heat when required, I think thats what Neph does!

Cheers


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## Reptilian (Mar 4, 2008)

obviously you use them with thermostats to control the enclosure temp, but does the surface get warm enough to burn the snake if it touches it???


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## MrBredli (Mar 4, 2008)

I used the ones from the Herp Shop (well never actually did because...) the surface did get very hot. The Pro-Heat ones apparently do not get overly hot on the surface so they are much better suited for the job.


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## alex_c (Mar 4, 2008)

http://www.pro-products.com/proheat.html certainly sound very good and they come with a 10year warranty.


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## The Devil (Mar 4, 2008)

I've been using several of the 50 watt Herp Shop heat panels for some years. These are in cages that are 1200X600X600.
They are great, the snakes soon find the branch where the heat is. As a controller I use a dimming t/stat.
With regard to a thermal gradient, it something I've never been all that concerned about. I use peg board on the back of the cages so there is always heaps of ventilation.


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## GraftonChic (Mar 4, 2008)

How do they work. Are they different to heat mats?
I have most of my enclosures on just normal globes. I have my spotteds on a heat mat, and I am very dubious of it as the extra terro one I had caught on fire. Luckily my snakes were not hurt.
Can someone give me the link to the website, so I can look myself
Thanks


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## hazzard (Mar 4, 2008)

Reptilian said:


> obviously you use them with thermostats to control the enclosure temp, but does the surface get warm enough to burn the snake if it touches it???



No they won't burn a snake, the heat is spread over a large surface and the panels are pro-heat panels are thermally designed to prevent this and aditionally there is very little for them to cling to. I have never seen one of the snakes even try. 

As mentioned these are a big hit for chondros in the states!

Cheers


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## alex_c (Mar 4, 2008)

GraftonChic said:


> How do they work. Are they different to heat mats?
> I have most of my enclosures on just normal globes. I have my spotteds on a heat mat, and I am very dubious of it as the extra terro one I had caught on fire. Luckily my snakes were not hurt.
> Can someone give me the link to the website, so I can look myself
> Thanks


 i posted it above


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## hazzard (Mar 4, 2008)

alex_c said:


> http://www.pro-products.com/proheat.html certainly sound very good and they come with a 10year warranty.



The link is 2 posts above yours. Basically they are a square panel that contains a heating mechanism right throughout as so the heat is dispersed evenly. They generally sit on the roof or walls of an enclosure.

Cheers


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## wokka (Mar 4, 2008)

I've got 100watt Aussie made ( herp shop) in 900w x 600h x 600d melonite cages for GTP's conected to a pulse proportional. It works fine , provides a gradient but 100w is overkill. On my other cages I use a 25 watt red globe, with no thermostat, on a 8 foot cage which gives a 35 degree hot spot under the globe down to ambient ( which is now getting down to 20 C at night)at the cool end. The 8 foot cages cost about $12 plus labour for heat. The heatpanels plus thermostat about $250 but you cant achieve a gradient in a small cage without a thermostat. If you have the space use it without thermostats and give the animals a choice. Part of the $12 goes towards a plastic srew on 200mm light shade which I use as a light guard. I ahve only used them for 12 minths with large olives and blackhead and they are surviving but I fear they may become brittle with age and constant use. With a 40watt globe they get about 40c on the surface of the shade.


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## Pythoninfinite (Mar 4, 2008)

I make my own heat panels from heat cords of various wattages depending on the size of enclosure I want to heat.

I weave the cord of whatever wattage I need onto 25mm x 25mm welded mesh, frame it with narrow timber battens, cover with black or green shadecloth (50% or less, this is very heat resistant, and doesn't come into actual contact with the heatcord anyway) and attached either on the ceiling or the wall of the enclosure. 

The open structure of these panels provides very good circulation (no hot spots develop) and the shadecloth never gets very hot, so it doesn't matter if the snake lies in directt contact with it for a period of time.

I have been doing this for 6 years now, have never had one fail, never had a burn, or any problems whatsoever. Because the cords are waterproof the panels can be misted without fear of shorting them out, and the shadecloth holds a bit of moisture for a few minutes until it evaporates, ensure a quick rise in humidity. I do this especially when I see or expect a snake to shed.

So... you can make your own very effective heat panels for less than half the cost of those commercially available in Oz...

Anybody who is interested - I have some photos of the process, pm me with your email addresses and I'll shoot some to you (not sure about posting photos here!)


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## JungleRob (Mar 7, 2008)

Very true, it isn't difficult. One drawback though is you'd transfer alot of heat to the enclosure above unless you mounted it on a backing board or something.


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## Ewan (Mar 8, 2008)

Hey all! Good timing with this thread for me. I have recently been in contact with pro products in NY enquiring about their heat panels. They advised me to use little to no ventilation in my enclosures and also to insulate the floor of my enclosures because my house gets pretty cold in winter not being on a slab. They also advised me the on which heat panel to use for each particular application I requested. Do the people who use proheat panels use any ventilation in their enclosures if so could you please explain where the vents are positioned?


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## hazzard (Mar 8, 2008)

2 vents half way down the back wall. If you get closable vents you can control as you wish!

I belive these panels work perfectly in a stack situation. The panel from below provides a nice warm area on the floor above. The reptiles tend to sit here a lot.


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## Ewan (Mar 8, 2008)

For sure! I was thinking of adjustable vents. Where do you get them from?


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## Chris1 (May 16, 2008)

my heat panel arrived today, its a 'dry zone' one and says its to keep office cupboards warm and dry,....!???

it also says to velcro it on, and has strips of velcro attached,..

can anyone tell me if its the right thing, i thought i was getting one specifically fro snakes or are they pretty much all the same?


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## dragon lady (May 16, 2008)

can any one put up pics with them already established for....dragons & snakes....please


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## Chris1 (May 16, 2008)

http://www.thermofilm.com.au/pdf/DRYZONE.pdf

this is the product that arrived, it sounds good enough,...can it be mounted on the roof or does it have to be on a wall?

DL - http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-herps/radiant-panel-heaters-81185

if you look @ Ewans post and click on his blog, then @ the bottom go to older posts you'll see the panels in use.

THanks Ewan, the pics are great, hope u dont mind me posting the link!!


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## Nephrurus (May 16, 2008)

Oh yeah...... I use three of the Proheat 88watt panels in a 4x2x2ft bank. The heat from the cage below helps heat them. Consequently the bottom cage is far cooler than the upper cages. A heat matt underneath does the trick. 

I have to add that the panal doesn't heat up enough to burn skin or scales. I believe this is one of the main advantages of the Proheat panels. 

Last time i checked temps I had a gradient of 36 to 28degrees in the top cage. 

It reality the main reason I like em because I don't have to change the globes. 

My womas seem to like them. 

I'll give you some temps and more constructive info in about a week and a half. Someone bump the thread then. 



-H


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## slacker (May 16, 2008)

If I'm not mistaken, Chris, those are the ones the Herp Shop used to sell, so it should be fine. If I'm correct in this, roof-mounting should be possible, since that's how they were pictured on the Herp Shop website.

In the future I will definitely be looking at these, as long term it seems cheaper (and less of a pain in the backside than globes, which I loathe), but finances are restricted, so for now I'm stuck with globes.


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## Ozzie Python (May 16, 2008)

Herpshop ones came with brackets i'm pretty sure, animal attraction now sells them and they are pictured with mounting brackets, not velcro.

Don't think i would trust velcro, i'm sure a snake could get that down off the roof if they were persistant.


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## Chris1 (May 16, 2008)

cool, thanks Aspidites and Ozzie Python!!

i'll try and think of a way to secure it a bit better,.... 

hmm,...wonder if theyre cheaper thru office supply stores then,...might be worth looking into,..!!

anythings cheaper than globes, i generally have them blow within a month or 2!!!
...sometimes they only last 3 days,....


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## jack (May 16, 2008)

chris1 i use one like yours for my brown tree snake's cage, the surface gets very hot, so put it out of reach.... they are in my opinion quite innefficient in comparison to ceramics... which is why i only have one!


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## thenicewitch (May 16, 2008)

Interesting


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## amazonian (May 16, 2008)

The ones the Herp shop & myself have been selling for some years come with the option of velcro or brackets (usually consisting of both together).


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## amazonian (May 16, 2008)

jack said:


> chris1 i use one like yours for my brown tree snake's cage, the surface gets very hot, so put it out of reach.... they are in my opinion quite innefficient in comparison to ceramics... which is why i only have one!


 
The panels only get moderately hot, nowhere near the heat of a light globe or ceramic. Infact i can hold my hand on a 50W panel for a minute or so when turned on. When mounted to the roof they are perfectly fine because the animals can't rest upon them or coil around them like they do other heat sources (matts, tape, lights etc) so they are safe from burns and no safety caging is needed.


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## Col J (May 16, 2008)

I have quotes from Pro-Panel which I can pm to anyone who wants them. I was keen on the Pro-panel units & they are possibly the best, but the cost of the 240volt units was prohibitive. You can get the 120volt units & use a step down transformer if you like.

I ended up getting the ones from Thermofilm in Melbourne. I have been using the Thermofilm 160watt units with dimming thermostat in some of my larger cages for a year now & cannot fault them.

Unfortunately they no longer make the 100watt units, so I opted for the 160watt units which are $99 each including delivery. And I live 1000km from Melbourne!! 

The staff were more than helpful & even rivetted small mounting tabs onto the units at no extra cost. 
Thermofilm (03) 9562 3455 ask for Shannon in sales.

Keep your money in Australia,

Col J.


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## Col J (May 16, 2008)

Thermofilm will do a run of 100watt units but they will only do a minumum of 500 at a time.


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## bigi (May 16, 2008)

ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS IS NOW SELLING HEAT PANELS, i purchased 2 recently paid $6.00 postage and had them 2 days later.
i havent set them up yet but will shortly


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## bigi (May 16, 2008)

here you go

http://www.animalattraction.com.au/reptile-products.html


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## gozz (May 16, 2008)

iam curently converting all my enclosers to heat panels 900x900x600 enclosures , iam useing ultratherm vivarium basking plate 40 watts i buy mine from everything reptile in brisbane I highly recomend these . cheers


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## Ewan (May 16, 2008)

Chris1 said:


> http://www.thermofilm.com.au/pdf/DRYZONE.pdf
> 
> this is the product that arrived, it sounds good enough,...can it be mounted on the roof or does it have to be on a wall?
> 
> ...


 
Not a worry at all mate that's what they are there for. Thanks for the props.


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## Lozza (May 16, 2008)

gozz said:


> iam curently converting all my enclosers to heat panels 900x900x600 enclosures , iam useing ultratherm vivarium basking plate 40 watts i buy mine from everything reptile in brisbane I highly recomend these . cheers


 
gozz - do they feel really hot to touch like some brands? Also how do they compare in price to others? Do you think they would work in a 1200x500x500 or would they be too cool (as the animalattraction ones are only 50W)? I like the idea that they are a lower wattage...

Sorry for so many questions but I'm interested in switching to heat panels too and am trying to figure out which type to go with . 
We had another power out yesterday and blew 4 IR globes and a ceramic :x with the amount of globes I'm currently going through I think they will pay for themselves quite quickly.

Cheers
Lauren


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## gozz (May 16, 2008)

lozza said:


> gozz - do they feel really hot to touch like some brands? Also how do they compare in price to others? Do you think they would work in a 1200x500x500 or would they be too cool (as the animalattraction ones are only 50W)? I like the idea that they are a lower wattage...
> 
> Sorry for so many questions but I'm interested in switching to heat panels too and am trying to figure out which type to go with .
> We had another power out yesterday and blew 4 IR globes and a ceramic :x with the amount of globes I'm currently going through I think they will pay for themselves quite quickly.
> ...


Lauren they do not get really hot like some brands and are insulated so on top of the enclouser you can not feel the heat comming through. I use a low wattate because i have made my enclousers to have a perch that is high and close to the panel so the snake can go close or as far away as they like.40 watts is all i use and works fine for me. And i dont see why it wont work for your encloser. As for price they were 120 dollars each .


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## Lozza (May 16, 2008)

cool thanks for the info


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## Col J (May 16, 2008)

Don't know if you guys missed my post, but the thermofilm ones are $99 each including delivery. I use them in 4 x 2 x 2 and 6 x 2 x 2 & its plenty of heat even mid-winter.

Col J.


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## herptrader (May 16, 2008)

caustichumor said:


> I think the herp shop discontinued the radient heat panels?




They did when their supplier stopped shipping them but they will have a new line out soon. The new ones are sourced through Habistat. They are designed specifically for reptiles and consistently get good reviews in the UK and Europe. Next time I talk to Brian I will find out when the shipment with these panels is due.


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## Retic (May 16, 2008)

My father in law is coming over from the UK in about 2 months, I might get him to bring a couple over with him, at £30 ($62) they are an absolute bargain. 



gozz said:


> iam curently converting all my enclosers to heat panels 900x900x600 enclosures , iam useing ultratherm vivarium basking plate 40 watts i buy mine from everything reptile in brisbane I highly recomend these . cheers


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## herptrader (May 17, 2008)

These are the ones that the Herp Shop will have available real soon now. They will be competitively priced, possibly even cheaper than the ones the Herp Shop used to carry
_____________​









​ Habistat Reptile Radiator.


 To provide a light free basking hotspot  

 Provide Background heat for a medium to large vivarium 

 Heat a kennel, cattery or bird brooder 

 Heat a hospital or convalescent area 

 Mount above a door or window to eliminate cold draughts Reptile Radiators are new higher powered heaters from Habistat. They replace the Power Plate and while they maintain the advantages of the old heater, substantial technical improvements have been added. Purpose designed as an animal heater, the Habistat Reptile Radiator will not harm animals, people or fittings if mounted properly. It is specifically designed to direct most of its heat out through the lower, radiating face. Protective insulation minimises the heating of the upper, mounting site. At the same time, even the hottest surface, that which heats the cage, is not so hot that it will instantly burn animals or humans. 
Carbon Element heater construction gives incredible reliability. This is the same technology that powers Habistat Heatmats. This hot new heater creates an optimal heat density - 75 watts of heat spread over 650 cm3. Most of the heat generated is directed out from the lower surface and the mounting side tends to run at significantly cooler temperatures. It is therefore safer and very economical to run.


 Download PDF Instruction manual​


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## Retic (May 17, 2008)

I'm very keen on those and look forward to seeing what price you will be doing them for.


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## gozz (May 17, 2008)

boa said:


> My father in law is coming over from the UK in about 2 months, I might get him to bring a couple over with him, at £30 ($62) they are an absolute bargain.


good idea :lol:


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## selfcontrol (Jul 21, 2008)

any news on the above heat panels?


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## herptrader (Jul 21, 2008)

selfcontrol said:


> any news on the above heat panels?



They are in but not on the web site yet. Just between you and me I think there is a good chance they will be on the site as the the August special at an introductory "not to be missed" price.

I will send Brian a reminder that people are waiting for them to go up.

You could also give him a call, just remember to leave a phone number when leave a message on 03) 9363 6841.


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## Ramsayi (Jul 21, 2008)

Would love to see some data on them such as what temps can be reached at different distances such as 300,400,500 and 600mm


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## herptrader (Jul 21, 2008)

Ramsayi said:


> Would love to see some data on them such as what temps can be reached at different distances such as 300,400,500 and 600mm



This is the data sheet for the UK version of the same. The Australian version that Brian now has in stock is essentially the same except that the plug is different:

http://www.eurorep.net/habistat/reptileradiator.pdf


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## Ramsayi (Jul 21, 2008)

Trouble is the info on the pdf is very scant in that regard.Was hoping that Barney might set one up and take some readings at different distances with the same ambient temp.


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## Ozzie Python (Jul 21, 2008)

Will be interesting how these perform. I was always planning to convert over to these from bulbs. Plan on building a few 1200x600x800 for my bredli this month so might give them a go.

Would be keen to hear any feedback from people who have used this type. I know the ones that herp shop used to sell, now animal attraction sell, work a treat with 1200x600x600 enclosures.


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## herptrader (Jul 21, 2008)

Ramsayi said:


> Trouble is the info on the pdf is very scant in that regard.Was hoping that Barney might set one up and take some readings at different distances with the same ambient temp.



I know he has been doing some testing but I am not sure what data he has collected. Heat is not like UV though as it is much more affected by the surrounding "heating" conditions so the data collected is at best a guide. Habistat have probably stated it about as strongly as it can be stated in the data sheet:



> A direct beam of 25cm will heat a hot spot to
> about 40°C. At a greater distance of say,
> 50cm, the heater would heat a medium sized
> vivarium to an overall temperature of about
> ...


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## sneakypete (Jul 21, 2008)

Is anyone selling the Habistat Reptile Radiator in Australia?
The PDF on the Habistat website doesn't give any indication of the demensions/size of the panel... that I could see. They look like a good product though, I love Habistat stuff, have their dimming thermostats and moon switch and have been running faultlessly for ages. It's clear that they are a well made product


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## thepythonpit (Jul 21, 2008)

sneakypete said:


> Is anyone selling the Habistat Reptile Radiator in Australia?
> The PDF on the Habistat website doesn't give any indication of the demensions/size of the panel... that I could see. They look like a good product though, I love Habistat stuff, have their dimming thermostats and moon switch and have been running faultlessly for ages. It's clear that they are a well made product


 
these guys are selling them now.. http://www.animalattraction.com.au/...t/Itemid,40/page,shop.browse/category_id,178/


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## moosenoose (Jul 21, 2008)

sneakypete said:


> Is anyone selling the Habistat Reptile Radiator in Australia?
> The PDF on the Habistat website doesn't give any indication of the demensions/size of the panel... that I could see. They look like a good product though, I love Habistat stuff, have their dimming thermostats and moon switch and have been running faultlessly for ages. It's clear that they are a well made product



I believe Herptrader has just covered this exact topic over the last few pages


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## larks (Jul 22, 2008)

I have been useing the Habistat Reptile Radiator (heat pannel) from the herp shop for about 4 weeks now, and I think they are great. I have them in 900mm x 600mm x 600mm cages with the hot end set at 30 and the cool end sitting at 23, and even though it's only 12 degrees in the room at the moment the cages are holding the temps well and still not running flat out. For a 75watt heat pannle these thing produce a lot of heat.


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## Col J (Jul 22, 2008)

I use heat panels made by Thermofilm in Melbourne. They are the same idea, but bigger. Beats the hell out of bulbs!! 

I use Habistat dimming thermostats with them & they have operated faultlessly so far. I liked them so much that I bought another 6 of them for my larger cabinets. I'll be trying some of these Habistat 75watt units from Brian to put in my smaller cabinets.

Col J


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## Col J (Jul 22, 2008)

Just had a look at the link for animal attraction & their 50W units are $110ea plus freight. Thermofilm 160W units are $100 delivered anywhere in Oz.


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## Chimera (Jul 22, 2008)

How hot does the surface get on these panels? I believe you can actually hold an open palm on the Pro-Heat panels when they are at full load (albeit for a short period). Can you do the same with these?


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## herptrader (Jul 22, 2008)

Chimera said:


> How hot does the surface get on these panels? I believe you can actually hold an open palm on the Pro-Heat panels when they are at full load (albeit for a short period). Can you do the same with these?



The Herp Shop has had special cages made for these panels which look really good.

That said because of the way these panels get roof mounted I would not consider a cage necessary. For years bare light bulbs have been successfully used which get "too hot to touch". One of the big advantages of the heat panels is that it is hard for animals to use them as a perch.


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## bredli84 (Jul 22, 2008)

Hey Trader, would one of these be sufficient for a 120X60X60cm enclosure in cold wintery Vic? 
was considering building a ledge in the hot end 2/3's of the way up and mounting a panel underneath. this way the ledge would get warm and the heat panel would be a bit closer to the floor, thereby creating more of a hot spot.


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## herptrader (Jul 22, 2008)

My guess is yes but I do not have the the first hand experience.

Have a look at Lark's post, a few posts back. That is based on first hand experience!

As for the ledge idea I think it is good. I try to set up "hollow logs" or at least pretend ones suspended from the ceiling with provides a range of options, including seclusion inside the log at different heights/temperatures.

Brian at the Herp Shop, (the Herp Shop and Herp Trader are actually quite separate but we do get along and communicate often - and I am happy to spruik the Herp Shop's products) can probably provide more information. You may wish to call and leave a message, including phone number on 03) 9363 6841 or send him an email as [email protected] (again, include a phone number).



bredli84 said:


> Hey Trader, would one of these be sufficient for a 120X60X60cm enclosure in cold wintery Vic?
> was considering building a ledge in the hot end 2/3's of the way up and mounting a panel underneath. this way the ledge would get warm and the heat panel would be a bit closer to the floor, thereby creating more of a hot spot.


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## cracksinthepitch (Jul 22, 2008)

Col , lets compare apples with aplles. The animal attraction unit are 50 watt with a surface temp safety set at 80 Degrees. A bi metal strip then opens and surface temps dont go over 80. they are made of a kevlar material and extremely rare to blow. My understanding is that the higher wattage units do not have a thermal cutout.Thus a tsta failure or otherwise turns your enclosure into an oven. I have been using a 50 watt unit for a few months now and have alight 60 watt night lite for winter backup.


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## cement (Jul 22, 2008)

Gday. I use the pro heat panels from the states. 55w 240 volt, It is cheaper here to buy the 240 volt unit then to buy a voltage adapter.
These panels can get hot to touch but they don't have the capacity to burn skin on contact, you feel its hot and move off it.
Temps- temps measured are with a habistat pulse proportional thermostat holding 26 degrees in the middle of a 600 x 600 x 600.
1. surface temperature = 68 degree
2. 150mm below = 35deg
3. 300mm away = 25-26 deg
4 floor temp away from influence of panel in cage below = 24 deg.

I really like these units and recommend them. they are bolted up to the roof/ ceiling of enclosure and the snakes have no "toe hold" anywhere so cannot constantly be touching them. I have seen them nose up to it but it does not burn or worry the animal at all and they are quite content to lie on branches below the panels.


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## zuyax (Jul 25, 2008)

I was going to start a new thread but on second thought this may be a better place to ask in so as to help keep information in one place... 

...anyway, for those of you using heat panels already, is there any thermostat types that you have found don't work well with them? I guess what I am trying to find out is are they compatible with dimming thermostats (I have a spare one somewhere, hehe) or should I look at running it off of a different type of thermostat instead?

Thanks, Jan


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## Ewan (Jul 26, 2008)

Hi Zuyax. I use microclimate B1 dimming thermos with my pro-products heat panels. They work extremely well. The only ones I would stay away from are cheap on/off thermostats. Hope this helps.


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## Simmo (Jul 26, 2008)

Pythoninfinite said:


> I make my own heat panels from heat cords of various wattages depending on the size of enclosure I want to heat.
> 
> I weave the cord of whatever wattage I need onto 25mm x 25mm welded mesh, frame it with narrow timber battens, cover with black or green shadecloth (50% or less, this is very heat resistant, and doesn't come into actual contact with the heatcord anyway) and attached either on the ceiling or the wall of the enclosure.
> 
> ...


Made one today 50w heat cord working GREAT!!!!


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## Col J (Jul 26, 2008)

> ...anyway, for those of you using heat panels already, is there any thermostat types that you have found don't work well with them? I guess what I am trying to find out is are they compatible with dimming thermostats (I have a spare one somewhere, hehe) or should I look at running it off of a different type of thermostat instead?


 
Hi Zuyax,

I use Habistat 600W dimmers. I have quite a few heat panels now & would never go back to lights as a single heat source. (Also use a I/R bulb in some as a second basking spot.)

I use a habistat dimmer on each bank of three, which have air gaps between each cabinet so I don't get hotter temps in the top deck. This is wired in series through a IMIT wall thermo which is set as an emergency cut-off in each cabinet. That way if there is a major failure in the "master" cabinet then the imit will cut off heat in each unit if temps get too high. Nothing like peace of mind!

The IMITs will last forever 'cos they will never reach cut-off temp under normal circumstances & therefore the points won't arc & burn.

Col J.


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## zuyax (Jul 27, 2008)

Thanks guys, that answers my question perfectly. Clever thinking with the IMITs there too Col, I'll keep that in mind.

Jan


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## miley_take (Sep 3, 2008)

awesome thread....getting a bredli soon and was looking into heating and I can't afford new bulbs every 2 weeks/months. I'm convinced and am buying one once I settle on the set up


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