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Dear Carl,
We built one (actually I asked someone else to build it) using a  
proportional controller (Omega CN370, $225).  The actual heater is  
the element from a hair dryer mounted in 3" PVC sewer pipe lined with  
kaolin batting.  A salvaged 3" computer fan provides the flow.  A  
rectifier was added that can be switched in and out of the power  
circuit to control how much heat is generated.  A thermistor to the  
PID controller provides feedback to the controller.    Its been  
working for about 4 years now, with light use.

Hope this helps.

Glen

Glen MacDonald
Core for Communication Research
Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center
Box 357923
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-7923  USA
(206) 616-4156
[log in to unmask]

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The box said "Requires WindowsXP or better", so I bought a Macintosh.
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On Dec 17, 2007, at 10:14 AM, Carl Boswell wrote:

> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
> Dear all,
> As a finer point to the discussion of stage/microscope heater  
> systems, can folks give me an idea of where to find just a heater  
> and thermostat controller for an existing enclosure?  I have  
> searched high and low for a recently mentioned heater for  
> incubating eggs, and have come up empty-handed.  Everything I've  
> seen comes as complete units, so components are not mentioned.  The  
> presumption is that once the desired tempurature is reached, it can  
> be maintained within ± 0.5 degrees or less.
>
> Thanks very much,
> Carl
>
> Carl A. Boswell, Ph.D.
> Molecular and Cellular Biology
> University of Arizona
> 520-954-7053
> FAX 520-621-3709