cheap alternative heat mats?

Joined : 06 May 2008 Posts : 30 Location : Melbourne

just came across this site, and found that they sell 'MULTI-HEAT' FLEXIBLE HEATING ELEMENT, for 35 bucks a meter.
am i missing something here? it just seems too god to be true.
damn if only i had a whole meter to play with, imagine the possibillities... :drool:
http://www.herpshop.com.au/Heating.html

Joined : 28 Jun 2008 Posts : 34 Location : SEQ

Heating cable is as cheap as chips, its the controll gear that costs$
I have a few cables from Helios, comes in pretty much any length you want.
But now i just use old electric blankets from miter11, just bury the cable in a dry sand bed & all is good.

Subject: Re: cheap alternative heat mats? Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:47 pm

Im going to be using a water bed heat pad with thermostat. all i know so far is that it works, still waiting for my propagation bed to be completed with sand over it to disperse the heat evenly. got it off freecycle.org will keep regular postings once its up and functional.

Joined : 17 Mar 2008 Posts : 11 Location : Sydney

I run a snake 20w heat mat with a jaycar thermostat, fits four take-away
containers nicely. Put together myself, easy as. Seems a bit easier then 'MULTI-HEAT' FLEXIBLE HEATING ELEMENT" and the CRIMP CONNECTORS.

Here is the thermostat.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=QT7200&CATID=&keywords=thermostat&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=

Subject: Re: cheap alternative heat mats? Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:44 pm

You could always pick up a waterbed heater at a garage sale............waterproof and has a thermostat. Plenty of room then to grow seeds and keep the young ones going through winter Wink

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Betty

http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven