New Pid questions

mattmilw · May 26, 2006, 03:40:19 PM

I've just completed assembling my pid, plugged it in, and have some questions. It is a Auberins PID and a Omega thermocouple.

-The measured temperature in the top display (red) is bouncing around + or - 10 degrees. Seems to me it should settle on the ambient temp and stay there. Is it normal to do this?

-Do I need to change any of the settings? I'm not using any alarms. I think I've read where guys have set min and max temps. Is this something I should do?

I have it auto tuning at the moment. Boy, the green bottom display is hard to read in the sun.

I appreciated any advice you can through my way.

Thanks,
Matt

Arcs_n_Sparks · May 26, 2006, 08:38:03 PM

mattmilw,

I do not have this setup, so I am not much help. However, your first question suggests a possible connection problem. I would recheck all the connections to the thermocouple. Until that reading is stable, any autotuning attempts will be futile.

Arcs_n_Sparks

TomG · May 26, 2006, 09:03:34 PM

I've had no experience with Auberins but I'm fairley certain it should settle at ambient. Check your tc input connections. If the problem persists and you don't have another tc to try, make one by stripping the armor and cutting 1 1/2" lengths of the two wires from the none probe end of the tc. Strip the insulation from the cut ends of the short pieces and twist those bare ends together. That should give you a new but very short tc. Connect it to the appropriate pid terminals and hopefully it will read close to ambient. If that doesn't correct the problem, I would guess, you're dealing with either a bad pid or a mode error.

TomG · May 26, 2006, 09:06:55 PM

Oops!! AnS beat me to the post button :)

mattmilw · May 27, 2006, 12:47:05 PM

After digging in a bit farther into the PID manual, there is a filter you can enable in case your readings bounce around. Apparently the jumping around is due to electrical interference.

I enabled the filter and auto tuned again, and now the temp is rock solid.

The butts are going in later, and will go overnight. Way too cool.

I'm a happy man.

I appreciate the replies.

Matt

TomG · May 28, 2006, 07:58:15 AM

Quote from: mattmilw on May 27, 2006, 12:47:05 PM
After digging in a bit farther into the PID manual, there is a filter you can enable in case your readings bounce around. Apparently the jumping around is due to electrical interference.

I knew that, it was going to be my very next suggestion. LOL ;)

mattmilw · May 28, 2006, 08:58:17 AM

I'm just glad there was an easy fix for it. I really wanted it for this weekend. It's a pretty cool device. Set it and forget it- can't beat that.

Thanks for your replies. Hope you're enjoying the weekend.

Matt

Arcs_n_Sparks · May 28, 2006, 12:52:11 PM

mattmilw,

Glad that all worked out. You'll be a hero this weekend for sure.

Got a butt in the smoker for pulled pork plus a corned beef that is now turning into pastrami.

As always.....Arcin' & Sparkin' 8)

MRH · May 29, 2006, 12:20:57 PM

The one I did I didn't use a filter and it seems to hold fine withing 2 degrees either way. Maybe I got lucky. Got some country style ribs in it as we speak.

Mark