I've got a question about the PID now

Tiny Tim · February 28, 2007, 08:04:51 AM

Okay, ya'll have me convinced to build one, and I'm in the process of lining up the parts. My question is, on the Original that I have, the cord that connects the Smoke Generator to the Tower for the heat element, has ends like the power cord for a computer on both the male and female side. Will I have to cut this cord in half and reuse the ends, or does somebody make a longer one so I don't have to sacrifice and extend it, or what?

smokin stu · February 28, 2007, 08:52:21 AM

That's different from mine. My power cord from the smoker to the heater looks like a regular power cord for a computer monitor with the funny plug on one end and a regular plug on the other. I just unplugged the regular plag and connected the PID.

Maybe instead of buing a regular power cord, buy a reciever for the computer cord instead and build your PID that way.

Tiny Tim · February 28, 2007, 10:36:32 AM

That's an idea. I also got thinking about this while on my sales call today. I wouldn't necessarily have to run the power through the SG...could just sacrifice an old computer cord and plug the PID/Heater Element in separate from the SG. Does that make sense?

MRH · February 28, 2007, 01:37:37 PM

Tiny Tim,

The cord you mean is the one that has a regular male plug right and the female end that goes to the lamp end is the funny shaped one I am guessing. The male end will plug into the pid, and that is what controls the cabinet heat. Right now it is like plugging it into the wall which is basically what the plug that you plug into on the generator is doing. So do I have you more confused? ???

Mark

Habanero Smoker · February 28, 2007, 02:01:03 PM

Someone else had posted this same problem when he tried to hook up his Raptor/Guru, and had to use a computer power cord. That member's replies were confusing, and he was supposed to have posted pictures.

Bradley some where along the line made a change in their power cord. From what I gathered, the male end of the cord either must has a plastic hood protecting the prongs, or both ends are female connectors.

iceman · February 28, 2007, 02:12:52 PM

Now I'm really confused ??? (Which is very easy for me to be). Hope some one can post pics soon so we can corn fig ur this dang fangled thing out. :) Like Hab said I know something was up with the cords awhile back on some safety issue. I think there was a possability of a shock hazards or some such and things were changed under a recall on some units. Hang tight all. We'll get er figured out yet! ;)

Tiny Tim · February 28, 2007, 02:55:40 PM

Okay. My cord that connects the tower to the smoke generator has the normal "computer cord" end on one end, and an end that is very similar to it, but gender is reversed, on the other end. I'm assuming the "normal" end is the one that plugs into the lamp in the tower. Neither of these ends will plug into a household outlet. But, as I said in my reply to Stu, I was thinking about it today, and don't think I have to plug the PID in to the generator, just the tower lamp. Use 2 outlet receptacles and run the generator and PID/Tower separately.

Habanero Smoker · March 01, 2007, 02:17:30 AM

Quote from: Tiny Tim on February 28, 2007, 02:55:40 PM
Okay. My cord that connects the tower to the smoke generator has the normal "computer cord" end on one end, and an end that is very similar to it, but gender is reversed, on the other end. I'm assuming the "normal" end is the one that plugs into the lamp in the tower. Neither of these ends will plug into a household outlet. But, as I said in my reply to Stu, I was thinking about it today, and don't think I have to plug the PID in to the generator, just the tower lamp. Use 2 outlet receptacles and run the generator and PID/Tower separately.

Sorry. I just having a hard time visualizing this. I will be going to Gander Mt. either on Friday or Saturday. They have a few BS on display, so that will give me a chance to check out the connections.

West Coast Kansan · March 01, 2007, 08:25:59 PM

The recall was about cords with 2 male ends as I remember. No cords should have 2 male ends.

As I understand the occurance it was the china folks who made an unauthorized change - but dont know that for a fact - but I know it would not be the first time or first product in china that had this happen. :o

Mr Walleye · March 02, 2007, 11:24:58 AM

Quote from: Tiny Tim on February 28, 2007, 02:55:40 PM
Okay. My cord that connects the tower to the smoke generator has the normal "computer cord" end on one end, and an end that is very similar to it, but gender is reversed, on the other end. I'm assuming the "normal" end is the one that plugs into the lamp in the tower. Neither of these ends will plug into a household outlet. But, as I said in my reply to Stu, I was thinking about it today, and don't think I have to plug the PID in to the generator, just the tower lamp. Use 2 outlet receptacles and run the generator and PID/Tower separately.

Tiny has it cased here. This is exactly the same type of cord that is used on the DBS between the tower and the smoke generator. When I built my PID I used a spare computor cord to plug into the tower, then wired the other end directly into the PID. Then I added anothe cord with a standard 3 prong male plug and supplied separate power to the PID. All you are doing is picking up power if you plug the PID into the SG. The only thing you want to do if you are going to supply separate power to the PID is wire a fuse into it because it will no longer be protected by the fuse in the SG.

This power wire with the computor style male end on one end and the computor style female end on the other was once used in older computors. They connected the monitor to the CPU. It was quit a few years ago though.

Mike

Tiny Tim · March 02, 2007, 12:49:32 PM

Thanks Walleye. Where would I put the fuse (I've done some automotive wiring, but that don't hurt as bad as household would if I screwed up)?

Mr Walleye · March 02, 2007, 02:07:42 PM

Tiny

Here is a thread where Arcs & Sparks helped me out with the same thing. Basicly you want the fuse on the hot wire (black wire) of the power as it comes into the PID. If you look onto the 3rd page of that same thread there was a discussion about putting another 1 amp fuse to protect the PID itself. I did do that as well simply because Auber recomends it.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=4639.0

Mike

Tiny Tim · March 03, 2007, 07:30:50 AM

Thanks.

My offer fell thru on some cheap thermocouples, but I noticed the one that was used by the guy who's post is at the recipe site is only $6 from Auber.

carnie1 · March 03, 2007, 08:05:52 AM

Tim, from what I've read and belive me I read everything I could find on this forum about PID's till my eyes bled, spend the $30,everybody says use the Omega , get a thermocouple from Omega. I went with PID from Auber and TC from Omega, so far just a few fine tuning issues but besides that everything works as planned.

Mr Walleye · March 03, 2007, 08:24:08 AM

I agree with Carnie1, everything I read leads to the Omega TC. Seems to be the general consensus all right.

Mike