FORTEXX ATC-210 fancy thermostat

Ozric Jonathan · 06-08-2011, 10:16 PM

I put this in Evolving Husbandry becasue its a clever thermostat that might be of interest to people who look on this forum. But I suppose it might belong in Housing in which case it will be moved there.

It was RFM Chris who suggested this product to me so thanks to him. This thermostat costs £44 - about the same as other products such as the Habistat pulse proportional stat but it is 100 times as clever.

This is a digital gadget which has a clock, timer, a probe, digital intelligent dimming thermostat and two outlet sockets. This means you can plug in two appliances and if necessary they can both be on at the same time. One socket is controlled by the timer and is rated at 5amps which is not a lot but plenty for a halopgen basking lamp for instance. The other socket is fit for handling a heater at 13amps and up to 600watts which is a lot.

Its possible to set different temperatures for 2 different times of day as well as a different one for night time. If you wish you can have the heater and the basking lamp on at the same time and the gadget will do this for you if you set it up that way.

I am using it to control a 250Watt ceramic heat emitter at night and the dimmng stat does this brilliantly. During the day I have the timer outlet in use to have a basking lamp on and I have set it up so the ceramic heat emitter does not come on during the day. But in the autumn I'll want both on at times during the day which I can get by re-setting.

The gadget has a battery backup for the clock so if I have to unplug things its not a problem and all settings are remembered.

The only thing that isn't great about this gadget, in my opinion, is the instructions. After I read read them 20 times I was still baffled. My other half has a VERY logical brain and even she took half an hour to get to the bottom of what this thing can do.

It might be suggested that it is too clever for it's own good (the gadget not the OH).

The reason Chris suggested this product to me was because I wanted to use a ceramic heat emitter at night but I didn't want to be stuck with the range offerred on the habistat. This thing is digital and you can set any temperature between 0 and 50 degrees C. And the second socket is great, this means less trailing wires in my outdoor setup.

So if you have a heat/light control problem which isn't being sorted by the run of the mill thermostats this is worth considering.

I forgot to say it also has a temperature alarm you can set if you want which wouold go off if your heating was too feeble to achieve the target temp. And another feature is a circuit that allows you to calibrate the gadget to take account of interference from other electricals. I'm not using those features.

alley cat · 06-08-2011, 10:22 PM

It sounds like a useful gadget for a man but you lost me way back!!!

Ozric Jonathan · 06-08-2011, 10:24 PM

Its not easy to explain it alley cat. Looks like me and the person who wrote the instructions both need to sharpen up.

**16 shells** · 06-08-2011, 10:32 PM

Looked at this Johnathan, great product.

alley cat · 06-08-2011, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16 shells

Looked at this Johnathan, great product.

As I said.... Man thing!!!

Anita Sayles · 06-08-2011, 10:53 PM

Fortexx sponsor the fish forum that I use. Loads of people have bought from them and I've never heard anything negative over the years.
For those who keep fish they do a really good heater, comes with a guard and is very accurate

Ozric Jonathan · 06-08-2011, 11:06 PM

If I get alley cat right (s)he is saying that there is no need for this gadget. I think it comes down to what anyone's idea of 'need' is. Well... there is a demand for thermostats and this one does a lot of stuff that others don't do and it costs the same.

I'm trying to keep some mediterranean animals outdoors in scotland and this gadget is helping me to do that and its using less energy. But of course I don't really 'need' to have tortoises at all, or I could bring them all in every night and put them in a box in the kitchen but this is very disrupting for them.

alley cat · 06-08-2011, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan

If I get alley cat right (s)he is saying that there is no need for this gadget. I think it comes down to what anyone's idea of 'need' is. Well... there is a demand for thermostats and this one does a lot of stuff that others don't do and it costs the same.

I'm trying to keep some mediterranean animals outdoors in scotland and this gadget is helping me to do that and its using less energy. But of course I don't really 'need' to have tortoises at all, or I could bring them all in every night and put them in a box in the kitchen but this is very disrupting for them.

Didn't mean that at all, just that men seem to be much more into those sort of things, I tried to take in all the info but really couldn't follow it. I am just bored this evening, sorry if it came over wrong

Ozric Jonathan · 06-08-2011, 11:21 PM

NO worries at all alley cat!! The thermostat is a tad nerdy I'll admit.

**16 shells** · 07-08-2011, 11:13 AM

It's worth the monies just for combined thermostat with timer and the couple of appliances it can cope with.

06-08-2011, 10:16 PM	#1
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	FORTEXX ATC-210 fancy thermostat I put this in Evolving Husbandry becasue its a clever thermostat that might be of interest to people who look on this forum. But I suppose it might belong in Housing in which case it will be moved there. It was RFM Chris who suggested this product to me so thanks to him. This thermostat costs £44 - about the same as other products such as the Habistat pulse proportional stat but it is 100 times as clever. This is a digital gadget which has a clock, timer, a probe, digital intelligent dimming thermostat and two outlet sockets. This means you can plug in two appliances and if necessary they can both be on at the same time. One socket is controlled by the timer and is rated at 5amps which is not a lot but plenty for a halopgen basking lamp for instance. The other socket is fit for handling a heater at 13amps and up to 600watts which is a lot. Its possible to set different temperatures for 2 different times of day as well as a different one for night time. If you wish you can have the heater and the basking lamp on at the same time and the gadget will do this for you if you set it up that way. I am using it to control a 250Watt ceramic heat emitter at night and the dimmng stat does this brilliantly. During the day I have the timer outlet in use to have a basking lamp on and I have set it up so the ceramic heat emitter does not come on during the day. But in the autumn I'll want both on at times during the day which I can get by re-setting. The gadget has a battery backup for the clock so if I have to unplug things its not a problem and all settings are remembered. The only thing that isn't great about this gadget, in my opinion, is the instructions. After I read read them 20 times I was still baffled. My other half has a VERY logical brain and even she took half an hour to get to the bottom of what this thing can do. It might be suggested that it is too clever for it's own good (the gadget not the OH). The reason Chris suggested this product to me was because I wanted to use a ceramic heat emitter at night but I didn't want to be stuck with the range offerred on the habistat. This thing is digital and you can set any temperature between 0 and 50 degrees C. And the second socket is great, this means less trailing wires in my outdoor setup. So if you have a heat/light control problem which isn't being sorted by the run of the mill thermostats this is worth considering. I forgot to say it also has a temperature alarm you can set if you want which wouold go off if your heating was too feeble to achieve the target temp. And another feature is a circuit that allows you to calibrate the gadget to take account of interference from other electricals. I'm not using those features. __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni (Corse) tortoises

06-08-2011, 10:24 PM	#3
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	Its not easy to explain it alley cat. Looks like me and the person who wrote the instructions both need to sharpen up. __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni (Corse) tortoises

06-08-2011, 10:32 PM	#4
16 shells Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hull Posts: 7,286	Looked at this Johnathan, great product. __________________ Paul.

06-08-2011, 10:53 PM	#6
Anita Sayles Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Plymouth, Devon UK Posts: 1,163	Fortexx sponsor the fish forum that I use. Loads of people have bought from them and I've never heard anything negative over the years. For those who keep fish they do a really good heater, comes with a guard and is very accurate __________________ ... Be young, be foolish, but be happy... Life is too short to worry about unimportant things. Reach for the sky, touch your star, and then you find your dream... TheTams - 1965

06-08-2011, 11:06 PM	#7
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	If I get alley cat right (s)he is saying that there is no need for this gadget. I think it comes down to what anyone's idea of 'need' is. Well... there is a demand for thermostats and this one does a lot of stuff that others don't do and it costs the same. I'm trying to keep some mediterranean animals outdoors in scotland and this gadget is helping me to do that and its using less energy. But of course I don't really 'need' to have tortoises at all, or I could bring them all in every night and put them in a box in the kitchen but this is very disrupting for them. __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni (Corse) tortoises

06-08-2011, 10:22 PM	#2
alley cat Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Somerset Posts: 3,150	It sounds like a useful gadget for a man but you lost me way back!!!

06-08-2011, 11:21 PM	#9
Ozric Jonathan Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 4,226	NO worries at all alley cat!! The thermostat is a tad nerdy I'll admit. __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni (Corse) tortoises

07-08-2011, 11:13 AM	#10
16 shells Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hull Posts: 7,286	It's worth the monies just for combined thermostat with timer and the couple of appliances it can cope with. __________________ Paul.

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