Finally got my PID working

rbentle2 · December 22, 2007, 04:30:49 PM

Oh boy am I going to love using my OBS even more. I've had my PID together for about 2 months now, but never did get it running. I'd hook it up and try the autotune to only have it never turn on the tower. Today I finally took the time to find out what was wrong. I thought I had blown the SSR when I had a little mishap with the power switch when I first put it together, but turned out I had the wires to the Positive/Negative side of the SSR backwards. Doh! It's all fixed and autotuned. Now i need to figure out what to smoke next. Maybe a pastrami. Mmmm......

Mr Walleye · December 22, 2007, 04:37:39 PM

Atta boy Bob!

You will like the PID! ;)

Mike

smokin stu · December 22, 2007, 05:13:56 PM

Me like PID

rbentle2 · December 22, 2007, 06:21:34 PM

Should I have done the autotune with the smoke generator turned on? Just wondering if the extra heat source will cause the PID to not work as accurately.

Gizmo · December 22, 2007, 09:32:05 PM

I don't have a pid but I believe I do remember the folks here stating that it works better with the gen turned on since that is how it will be used when smoking.

Mr Walleye · December 23, 2007, 12:23:42 AM

Yes Giz is right. Any changes you make after you have auto tuned will affect the PID. Basically anything that will effect the response time of heating the tower will have an effect.

Mike

rbentle2 · December 23, 2007, 05:19:06 AM

Thanks. I'll run it through another autotune session with the generator turned on this time.

Mr Walleye · December 23, 2007, 07:24:54 AM

I found it seems to work better if you have a load of some sort in it. Some people throw a couple of bricks in. I did mine will I was doing a butt.

Mike

rbentle2 · December 30, 2007, 02:31:20 PM

I'll have to scrounge around for a couple bricks or something. I just finished smoking a small amount (<1lb) of salmon I had leftover from the shrimp/salmon terrine I made yesterday. The temp fluctuated 10F each way. Looking at the settings on the PID, I had P=0, I=100, D=0. Gee, think that had anything to do with it? >:(

Arcs_n_Sparks · December 30, 2007, 03:23:00 PM

Quote from: rbentle2 on December 30, 2007, 02:31:20 PM
Looking at the settings on the PID, I had P=0, I=100, D=0. Gee, think that had anything to do with it?

Yep. Good thing you're not starting up a reactor. :D

Erinco Fermi

huntfishguy · December 30, 2007, 04:27:09 PM

Guys,

I am a newbie at this forum and am clueless to what a PID is. This site has acronyms I just can't figure out!

Thanks!

Gizmo · December 30, 2007, 04:39:59 PM

A PID is a temperature control device. It stands for something like Proportional Integral Derivative. Yah, temperature control device.

Arcs_n_Sparks · December 30, 2007, 05:04:39 PM

In addition to the temperature controller Gizmo mentioned, some of us also have a Porter Indicating Device. Helps me find where I left my beer. :D

Arcs_n_Sparks

iceman · January 02, 2008, 02:49:28 PM

Quote from: Arcs_n_Sparks on December 30, 2007, 05:04:39 PM
In addition to the temperature controller Gizmo mentioned, some of us also have a Porter Indicating Device. Helps me find where I left my beer. :D

Arcs_n_Sparks

Ann calls my PID "Pat's intoxication Device" :D
She knows every time I get it out of the tool box cold ones magically appear in the smoke house. ;D

Wildcat · January 02, 2008, 03:01:12 PM

:D :D