OBS with guru raptor

[okiesmoker]

Who uses the original with the guru raptor and what do like or disloke about your setup

[Wildcat]

Welcome to the forum okiesmoker!  I have the original but no electronics other than the Maverick probe.  Many on here do have them and I am sure they will respond.

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

okiesmoker,

I have the OBS with a home-grown PID, and like it a lot. I am sure someone here with the Raptor will weight in.......

Arcs_n_Sparks

[coyote]

Welcome aboard Okiesmoker , The OBS and the maverick plus the guidence of my friends on the forum.

That's about all I use. Good to have you with us.




Coyote

[Habanero Smoker]

Welcome to the forum.

I'll give you the pros and con's as I see them. I feel the more you are informed, the better choice you will make. There are 3 different configurations of the Rapture/Guru. I have the system that comes with the competitor, which is generally the system most have. So keep in mind that is what I'm reporting on. The Pit Minder has fewer features, and the Pro Comm 4 has a ton of extras.

Pro's:
You order the accessory from one place; preassembled. You can set it up, and be ready to use it for your first smoke within 20 minutes after you receive it. You don't have to auto tune it. It has a computer chip that controls the heat, and has been calibrated prior to shipment. You can use it to handle any electric smoker or grill up to a 500w maximum. It is not a simple on/off device per say. The heat pulses on/off  to maintain the correct temperature. It will shut off if it overshoots the set temperature; but it is generally accurate to +2°F. If you have a wood or charcoal burning smoker/grill the Competitor can be adapted to control that type of smoker also.

The device has two thermocouples, which monitors both the cabinet and the internal meat temperatures. They can work independent of each other or interface with one another. Independently one controls the cabinet temperature, and the other monitors the meat temperature. When they interface with one another, this is called the "Ramp Mode". This is the default mode when you power on. In Ramp Mode the two thermocouples communicate with each other. As the internal meat temperature comes within 25°F of doneness, the cabinet temperature slowly decreases until the internal temperature and the meat temperature are the same, and it will hold the cabinet at that temperature until you turn it off. This is a good option for over night cooks. If your meat reaches the internal temperature at 2:00 AM, you don't have to go outdoors to take the meat out of the smoker, the Raptor/Guru will hold the meat at the internal meat temperature setting until you are ready to take it out. Or if the meat is almost done, and you find you have to go to town to do some errands, you don't have to rush. Just put it in Ramp Mode, and you don't have to worry about the meat over cooking. The dials make it very simple to change either the cabinet, or meat temperatures.

Cons:
The lowest temperature that it can control is 110°F, and to obtain this you have to use a piece of aluminum foil to connect both probes together and use the Ramp Mode. This has not caused any problems for me. The Competitor does not have a stand, so you will need to rig something up, or just put it on top of the generator and lean it against the cabinet. Ramp Mode will extend you cook time by several hours, so I use it sparingly.

It doesn't have a digital read out. Thought the dials make it easy to set and reset the temperatures, the temperature display is LED lights that indicate the temperature range within a 5°F. Again, this is not a problem for me any more. When I first got it, I used it with the Maverick ET-73, to check the accuracy. Once I was comfortable with the accuracy of this product, I learned that the LED lights are adequate. Sometimes I feel the set up is a hassle, but it is only one or two steps more then the setup I had with the Maverick ET-73.

The thermocouple wires are thin, so you need to handle them with some care. I accidentally tore a wire out of the thermocouple. I forgot it was still attached to the tray, when I pulled the tray out of the smoker. The first several times I got away with it, but at last; it finally broke on me. But the Competitor is well designed, and it is just a matter of ordering a new thermocouple, and plugging it in. The alarms can be annoying for your neighbors, but they are easily disabled. Another con could be the price; though I feel the price is a good deal for what you get.

I'm sure there are other pros and con's, just can't think of them this early in the morning. As I remember I will add on, or as other add to this, you will get a very good description of the benefits of the Raptor/Guru. Overall I love mine, and been using it for about 2.5 years.

[NePaSmoKer]

I have the guru/raptor combo, I really like it, much better than the pid I built. I can set it and go do something else for awhile. Like Habs says there are pros and cons but IMHO the pros outweigh the cons. Pricey yes but worth it.

Besides when you have smoker cam with the guru/raptor why worry  ;D

nepas

[hillbillysmoker]

I have the Guru/Raptor with the competitor.  Like Nepas I love mine and would replace it if it ever failed.  Habs has provided excellent info in his reply.  Different meat smokers like different individuals have their own likes and dislikes.  My opinion with a dollar will usually buy a senior coffee at McDonalds but don't forget your dollar.  As for me, I think you would be happy with it.