Would you buy this?

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Would you buy this and what would you spend on it?

  • No

    Votes: 5 6.3%
  • Yes - up to $100

    Votes: 22 27.5%
  • Yes - up to $200

    Votes: 41 51.3%
  • Yes - whatever it costs

    Votes: 12 15.0%

  • Total voters
    80
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saximus

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So I'm finally in my last year of my five year engineering degree and for my Capstone project I am planning on making a combined thermostat/hygrostat (humidity controller). The humidity control doesn't look like it will be as accurate as temperature but should still be helpful for people who live in dryer climates but have reptiles from the tropical areas or for the amphibian lovers.
For my proposal and for my initial requirements analysis I think it would be good to see how much interest there would be for such a product. So I thought what better place to ask than here? So far the features that I "hope" to achieve are:
Multiple enclosures from one unit (looking like about four)
LCD Display
Full data logging
In-built clock for day/night cycle programming
Pre-wired so no electricians required

So my main question is - would you buy something that does this and what would you be willing to pay for it? The second part will give me an idea of what the budget should be in the requirements. Obviously, for now, it will be a while before anything is available to buy (if it works at all) and the support of some sort of company who is already in the business of making/prototyping herp products would probably be required (wink wink Virides :p) but I'm pretty confident that it will be possible and I'd love to hear suggestions for features that people would expect to see that I've missed out.

Your help (and sensible responses to the poll) would be very much appreciated.
Dan
 
I would be I think that the humidity sensing is a little unnesecary as its not normally a great issue. I would think a lot of people would find the like the idea inbuilt clock idea. Would the thermostat be on/off or dimming (just to make it harder lol)

Would there be anyway of making it with built in safety devices/fuses if it got too hot.

Good luck with it, I would buy one. I look at it this way, if your buying 4 seperate thermos for 4 enclosure. The cost would probably be more then buying the signal unit.
 
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Cheers man yeah it isn't a huge issue I suppose but even being able to keep it above 50-60% might be nice for people who have Jungles or Waters who are prone to poor sheds at dry times of the year. That's not even considering the GTPs, Water Monitors, amphibians etc. Ideally the thermo will be dimming. I don't want people who use incandescents and ceramic emitters to be excluded
 
It would come in handy for quiet a few animals the design I believe would be complicated and I think quiet un nessesory coz high humidity animals need to dry out as well so you would need a function do that also.


Cheers Brenton
 
Maybe look at building an incubator instead of enclosures. Those figures(hygrometer) could help with incubation. Good luck in your final year!
 
Sounds like a good system, I currently dont have thermostats but Im building new tanks in banks of 3 and have been worried about all the cords coming off it, not sure if the hygrostat would help me much unless it works in reverse, I have snakes from dry climates but its been above 65% humidity for most of the last 3 months, most mornings its about 85%, anyone would think I live in the tropics. Price would be a consideration but surely it would work out cheaper buying one unit than individual ones. Keep us informed how it progresses as Im certainly interested.
 
Maybe look at building an incubator instead of enclosures. Those figures(hygrometer) could help with incubation. Good luck in your final year!
It will be an independent unit so you could use it in an incubator like a normal thermo.

Thanks guys. I'm already seeing the hygro part isn't as exciting as I'd expected. Maybe I can just have channels with options to act as a thermo or hygro for people who don't want that option.
 
My opposistion to using thermostats (apart from witnessing the results of them either not turning on or failing to turn off ) is that they have only one probe which is normally positioned in the middle of the tank, I have seen tanks where the supposedly cold end has been hotter than the middle ( caused by positioning of vents perhaps ??? ) I would be willing to pay far more for a system that had dual probes which turned off if the cold end went above a certain temp
 
What I would like to see is switchable outputs on each controlled circuit, that way you could use a basking light during the day and ceramic emitter at night. The day/night units on the market now only let you have different day/night temps and the second ciircuit is only a timer.
 
If you could make it so It could communicate with your iphone on a app or something and you'd probably have a million dollar idea there
 
If you could make it so It could communicate with your iphone on a app or something and you'd probably have a million dollar idea there
the istat, get in touch with apple and start production:)
 
My mate actually has some products coming from China that he has designed that do exactly that.
Except it controls two lights and controls humidity when linked to a mist machine or something similar. I can ask him to send me a photo if you like?

He said, even for dry environment animals, the humidity control/indicator can show if your enclosure has good ventilation or not.
 
Damn the Chinese have beaten me to it. Maybe I should overlook that little piece if information in my research section :p. I'd like to see it when he does get it Pinoy
 
I think he has one already that still has a chinese plug on it but will look the same. I'll ask for a pic and post here for ya ;)
 
It will be an independent unit so you could use it in an incubator like a normal thermo.

Thanks guys. I'm already seeing the hygro part isn't as exciting as I'd expected. Maybe I can just have channels with options to act as a thermo or hygro for people who don't want that option.

Breeding GTPs in NSW we would be interested in the humidity side of it....
 
Sounds great Saximus!
I'd get on the bandwagon as long as the LCD user interface was self explanatory and it wasn't more expensive than buying 4 stand alone units
 
Dan the man, i would buy one in a flash, just due to the reputable person designing such a thing :)
if my laboratory technition skills come in anyway handy let me know. or if you need concrete and or asphalt by chance :p

oh and sax i would pay 300 if you make it do up to 5enclosure as i have 2lots of 5 bay enclosures :)
 
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