On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 11:13:40 -0600, WiGard wrote:

Too many choices for heating mats. Is one brand/variety better than
another?

I have conidered alternative heating methods including heating pads. I
tend to favor something which can deal with a moist environment.

The 'real' mats are pricey, but reliable. Many DIY articles/web site
references to using heating pads, waterbed mattress heaters, electric
blankets, etc. Surfing, I discovered my thick, rubber(?) mats with
embedded heating elements and a wire support platform for seedling
trays have been superseded by a flat mat to "raise the temperature
10-20 degrees." What I used looked more like:

http://dansgardenshop.com/gromelseedpr.html

and appeared to keep seed-starting trays close to 70-75 degrees in
40-degree (F) weather. While many seem to have success with
'alternative' arrangements, I'm over-cautious and enjoyed never having
to worry about spilled water and un-sealed electricals.