DigiQ II and Power Raptor or other PID

[al_sfbay]

So this is a poor me story!  My husband is notorious for forgetting birthdays Xmas and anniversaries.  This year 5 days before Xmas he asked me what I wanted (big improvement!)  and I told him a DigiQ II and power raptor.  So he ordered one for me for Xmas.  They immediately charged his credit card and nothing shipped.  3-4 days ago he sent them an email asking whats up.  They told him it was back ordered and would ship Jan 10th. Today the told him they were having production problems with the unit.  Long store short, is this a problematic unit or are they just having trouble meeting orders.   Last week they told us it would ship by the 10th.  Now it looks like longer but they didn't say when.  Do other places have these in stock?   

IF I can't get one of these in a timely fashion should I consider another PID?  IF so what are you all recommending?  I have a BDS and am getting very tired of babysitting it.  I would like to set and walk away and not worry about big temp swings.  Yesterday I smoked 2 pork butts and the temps were singing between 197 and 248.  more of a swing then I would like.

[STLstyle]

Do you have any other smokers?  I use a DigiQ / raptor combo and live it.  Most members have aubrems and seem to love them.  The reason I asked about the other smokers is that I can operate my DigiQ on my stick burner.  It's a cheap modified chargriller but the DigiQ / pit bull fan keeps that thing right at the set point.  There is nothing wrong with previous DigiQ models so I assume that they are just habimg production problems.  I had a loose wire on my raptor and they had great customer service.  You won't be disappointed with bbq guru if you choose that route.  Pic of my stick burner:

[STLstyle]

The pic has the fan mounted on the fire box.  The control unit kicks the fan on and off just like the heating element on the bradley.

[GusRobin]

The Bradley (even the digital) is an on/off electrical element and is not "PID" controlled. So it operates like your oven and will have large temp swings. (I tested my oven and I get a + - 25* temp swing)

An Auber PID can control the swings but won't work on a stick burner. Auber makes some for charcoal and offset smokers for about $145-$160. I bought one for my drum smoker and it held the temps within 2*-3*

[TedEbear]

IF I can't get one of these in a timely fashion should I consider another PID?  IF so what are you all recommending?  I have a BDS and am getting very tired of babysitting it.  I would like to set and walk away and not worry about big temp swings.

Do you like to tinker with electronics or do you want something that is plug-n-play?  Auber Instruments has a single probe and a dual probe PID controller.  They also have a slightly less expensive version that you install in either a project box or your smoke generator.  I'm not sure if there'd be enough room in the SG for the digital Bradley model.

Programmable PID Controller for Bradley Smoker

Dual-Probe PID Controller for Bradley Smoker

1/16 DIN PID Temperature Controller (SSR control output)  This is the one I have in my SG

[tailfeathers]

I've got a digital 6 rack. I just installed a 900 watt element in it and got a single probe Auber pid. It makes me smile every time I use it. It has made a completely different smoker out of it.


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[KyNola]

Back to your original question, I have the DigiQ II with the power raptor and love it.  It is not problematic at all.

At the risk of offending others, I had an Auber Dual Probe plug & play PID brand new for over two years and never attempted to use it because programming it for me personally was way too complicated.  Just give me something that within about 2 punches of a button I am ready to go.  Admittedly the DigiQ does not have the capability to do the "ramp up the temp every hour or so as programmed" but since I am retired I can go out and manually change the setting on the DigiQ when it needs it. 

[al_sfbay]

I was drawn to the DigiQ because of it's simplicity.  Does anyone know how long the DigiQ II has been out?  I also have a friend who has a BBQ joint and has had some successes in competitions.  He was the one who said go Guru, lots of the competition guys use them and swear by them.  I'm not thinking competition, just consistency, reliability and ease of use.

So whats up with the back order problem?

[Habanero Smoker]

I'm not sure about their production schedule. Maybe they will have more information on their Blog. This time of year they shouldn't have any problems meeting orders, so I suspect it is a supplier that is not supplying them a part(s).

I've been buying BBQ Guru products for about 7 - 8 years, and I have the DigiQ II/Raptor combination that I use on one of my Bradley's, and also have the blower so that I can hook it up to my Onyx. They make good products, and you will see many competitors using them in barbecue competitions. The problem I have with the company is that their customer service is sporadic to say the least. Sometimes they are great, and other times they will not respond to your emails for days, or not provide you with sufficient information. If they take your call, they say they will get right back to you, but they are slow to respond. One thing that really irks me about that company, is charging your card before shipping the product.

I now have a Stoker, which I received as a gift. That is now my go to controller for the Bradley, Onyx, and WSM. If you have the money you can go that route, but you will still have to purchase either a Raptor, or build your own SSR, and you would also need to build a cord for it.

[al_sfbay]

Thanks everybody for your answers.  The problem I was having was I was calling BBQ Guru and their phones were messed up so I couldn't reach anyone.  They were back ordered on the power raptor and they were nice enough to refund my $s so I could buy it from someone who had it in stock.  Seems like a good company.   I should have everything by next week YIPPEE!!  Unfortunately work will be taking me out of the game for 2 weeks, but then.... look out smoker!!