Accuracy for home-made incubator

greenaus · **Posted:** Fri Feb 15, 2008 6:37 pm

Good evening,

Tonight is the next "most users online challenge" and people need something to discuss to ensure they're active at 7pm/8pm/etc.

I really need advice on making sure the temperature and humidity are right before adding the eggs.

I've finished building my incubator this afternoon and it has only been on for an hour.

I have one of those weather thingos -- temperature and humidity -- as well as a microcomputer temperature controller (thermostat) to switch the lights on an off.

I am currently using 2 x 40 watt because my wife couldn't find the Home Brand 25 watt globes I asked her to get (I might grab them before work tonight).

Currently the thermostat says 37.5 C and the weather thingo says 35.9. Humidity is 54%, so I'm not too concerned about that. It might drop a bit more yet. 45% is what I'm after, right?

So...
Which is likely to be more accurate? Thermostat? Weather thingo?

The thermostat is set at 38.0 and turns the lights on when it gets down to 36.6. It then seems to cycle a couple of times between 37.1 and 36.6 for the first 20 seconds or so. Any idea why?

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.

.

Deans' Poultry · **Posted:** Fri Feb 15, 2008 7:44 pm

That looks pretty cool greenaus :-D

Hope it works well for ya :-D

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Greenaus, for Chickens 85-87 Humidity(F.)² go with the Thermostat it's the one that matters, the sensor will have a gradient of 1-3C so it's not uncommon and not a big issue.

Thanks
P.A :lol:

Ajacksonno · **Posted:** Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:01 pm

That looks awesome, i have an box identical to that in my garage :lol:

You should start a thread on how to make them :-D

Stt · **Joined:** Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:01 pm **Posts:** 3006

looks good

greenaus · **Posted:** Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:39 am

After a few on off cycles, here's how it goes.
Lights go on when...
Thermostat 36.6
Outdoor probe 35.9 - 36.1

Lights go off when...
Thermostat hits 38.0
Outdoor probe is about 36.6

About a minute later...
Thermostat sometimes hits 38.4 or 38.8 for 1 - 4 minutes
Outdoor probe rises to 37.1 - 37.3

Now, if that holds true with a 1 degree rise on the thermostat (off at 39.0), the outdoor probe which is sitting on the water bottle (an egg substitute) may therefore range from 36.9 to 38.3. If so, that would be about as close to 37.7 as I'm going to get.

And, if accurate, the eggs should never go anywhere near 38.7 (1 degree higher than optimum), but they may sometimes hit 36.7 (1 degree lower).

I wish the thermostat allowed setting to a tenth or a half of a degree (eg. 38.5) instead of a full degree (ie. 38.0).

By the way, I have a 12v computer fan running in there, too. So, it isn't still air.

silkielova · **Posted:** Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:01 am

wow

u sound like a real science wizz :-D

Stt · **Joined:** Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:01 pm **Posts:** 3006

yep ya sure do now what ya talking bout

elfael · **Posted:** Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:30 am

Sorry greenaus, I have no suggestions, but this is definitely a thread I'm interested in! I've just about given up on my little Covatutto 6 - I knew it was running hot, but when I finally got a decent thermometer I found that it's sitting around 40.0 - 40.3 deg. C, even with the air con on in the room. Drilling extra holes in the cover reduced that by about a degree, but it's still too hot, and if changing to a lower wattage bulb doesn't fix the problem I'm dumping the @%$*&# thing

. I have a timber box in the shed that looks just right for converting into an incubator with a perspex lid a la Jo-chicken style. I haven't the foggiest idea how to wire components in, or even any real understanding of how a thermostat can control the termperature in there :oops:

, so if one of you clever people who have made your own incubators can post some step by step instructions somewhere, that would be fantastic. I've seen some diagrams on the internet, but they weren't very clear for someone who has absolutely no idea!

silkielova · **Posted:** Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:38 am

hi i was just wondering how to get the humidity up mines at 60%

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